Varala’s History

Varala is a leading sports education institute, a training facility and a versatile centre for sports, leisure and recreational activities. Varala Sports Institute is an official education provider in the field of physical education and sports with an authorization to provide education and award qualifications granted by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture.

One of the pioneers of Finnish sports institutes, Varala, founded in Tampere in 1909, is a significant part of the history of sports in Finland. The oldest sports institute in Finland was originally established to promote physical education for women working in local factories through gymnastics. We at Varala want to be involved in creating a future where everyone can enjoy exercise or sports, achieve their goals and feel good, regardless of their age and background, both in their free time, at work and on the playing field. Varala was founded by energetic and courageous women who were ahead of their time. They firmly believed that one day the importance of physical activity would be understood and recognized.
Today, Varala continues to lead the way as a high performance training center for sports. Varala also offers excellent leisure & camp offerings, well-being, meetings & wellness days for companies and groups, as well as sports and coaching activities.