Hämeensilta

Hämeensilta (the ″Häme Bridge″) is a bridge in Tampere, Finland, crossing the Tammerkoski rapids. The main street of Tampere, Hämeenkatu, runs along the bridge, connecting the Kyttälä district to the western parts of the city center. Hämeensilta is one of the city's best known landmarks, especially famous for the statues on the rails of the bridge. The arches of the bridge are made of concrete and they are coated with a red granite. The Hämeensilta was completed in 1929. It is named after the Finnish name of the Tavastia province.

== History == The first known bridge crossing the Tammerkoski was built in the 16th century as the area was a part of the Messukylä socken. As the town of Tampere was established in 1779, the wooden bridge was finally replaced with a steel structured in 1884. During the early 1900s, Tampere was rapidly growing and the present Hämeensilta was built in 1928–1929. The 1900 completed Satakunnansilta is the other large bridge crossing Tammerkoski in the Tampere city center.