Pispala Shot Tower is one of Tampere’s most distinctive industrial landmarks and the only surviving shot tower of its kind in Finland. Built in 1908 by Oy K. Hjorth Ab, the approximately 55-metre structure was designed for producing lead shot for hunting ammunition. Steel sections were ordered from the German Krupp works and assembled on the ridge of Pispala; molten lead mixed with about 2% antimony and other additives was poured through sieves at the top of the tower, falling down the tall shaft and forming spherical pellets that cooled in a water basin at the bottom. At its peak, the Pispala shot factory could produce up to 300,000 kilograms of shot a year, and the tower remained in use until the early 1970s, when this production method was replaced by modern techniques.
Today, the tower and the adjacent Pispalan haulitehdas building on Haulikatu 8 form a protected industrial heritage site in the hillside district of Pispala, often described as one of the most beautiful areas of Tampere. The local heritage association Pispalan Moreeni ry has managed the old factory building since 1990, renovating it into a meeting and event venue without public funding, while the city refurbished the tower in 2020 by sandblasting, repairing and repainting the steel structure and renewing the foundations. The red tower is especially striking at dusk when lit up against the skyline, and it is a natural stop on guided walking tours that explore Pispala’s unique wooden housing, steep stairways, views over lakes Näsijärvi and Pyhäjärvi, Rajaportti public sauna and small ravintola and kahvila in the neighbourhood. For many visitors travelling through Finland between Helsinki and Lapland, a detour to Pispala Shot Tower adds a compact but memorable chapter of industrial history to a broader Tampere itinerary and consistently earns the site a strong rating.
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