Hämeenkatu is Tampere's main street, running east from the Central Square over the Hämeensilta bridge and on toward the railway station. The bridge is decorated with four bronze sculptures by Wäinö Aaltonen, each representing a figure from Finnish history and folklore — the Tanning Maid, the Tax Collector, the Birkarl merchant, and the Judge. The sculptures are among the most-photographed public artworks in Tampere.
The street itself is the city's commercial spine: department stores, cafes, the main tram line, and the architecture from the early 20th-century building boom that shaped Tampere's centre. Worth walking end to end, especially across the bridge where the views down the rapids are the best in the city centre.