Wonderful Imatra
Imatra is known as Finland's first tourist destination. Imatra has Finland's oldest tourist attraction; Imatrankoski.
Our wonderful city contains a lot of interesting history. The respected author Laila Hirvisaari has written the Imatra book series that breathes history, which has been really liked and popular.
Imatra has numerous attractions and activities worth visiting.
The example destinations listed below are easily accessible by walking, cycling, using public transport or your own car.
Choose as you like!
Vuoksi
Vuoksi Fishing Park is located surrounded by Vuoksi, in Varpasaari.
River Vuoksi, which flows from lake Saimaa to lake Laatokka, is rarely called a river, and there is a reason for that. The stream is too mighty to be modestly called a river.
Vuoksi and Imatrankoski are already mentioned in the book of Kalevala:
"Three are hard to touch, three noble lakes, three high mountains under the cover of this air: Hämehess' is Hälläpyörä, Kaatrakoski in Karelia; no one has beaten Vuoksi, gone over Imatra."
Vuoksi is a descending river of the lake Saimaa watershed that flows down to lake Laatokka, starting from Imatra. Vuoksi was born with enormous force about 5700 years ago, leaving behind a line of rapids on its way to lake Laatokka. The largest of Vuoksi's rapids is Imatrankoski. The height difference between lake Saimaa and lake Laatokka is about 70 meters. Vuoksi is 153 kilometers long, of which 13 km is on the Finnish side.
Around Vuoksi - walk, run or cycle!
Vuoksi is surrounded by one of the most beautiful walking/cycling routes in Finland, called "Vuoksen lenkki". The length of the easy-going loop, starting from Vuoksen Kalastuspuisto, is approx. 8–12 km. Three different bridges cross the river for pedestrians and cyclists; The Imatrankoski bridge, the old railway bridge in Mansikkala and the Tornansilta bridge over Tainionkoski. The longest loop comes by going around the Imatrankoski bridge and the Tornansilta bridge.
"Vuoksen Lenkki" has recently been renewed with a wonderful route that passes by Sienimäki On the shore route, which runs between Mansikkala railway bridge and Tornansilta bridge, e.g. through a beautiful apple tree garden.
Along the trail, you can see e.g. Imatrankoski, Valtionhotelli, Kruununpuisto, two of Imatra's three brand-new school centers with large playgrounds, the wonderful Neitsytniemi manor, the Imatrankoski and Tainionkoski hydropower plants, the old buildings of the industrial worker's housing museum in Ritikanranta, as well as the culture house Virta and our town hall, which will, of course, soon be transformed into the Finnish nature culture museum. The museum is planned to open to the public in 2025.
Imatrankoski
Imatrankoski is Finland's oldest tourist attraction, a national landscape that has been admired since the 1700th century. In 1772, the Russian Empress Catherine the Great and her entourage also came to marvel at the power of the rapids. There were 26 horses pulling the Empress's 129 magnificent carriages. Later, several other emperors and members of the Romanov family also visited Imatra.
At the end of the 1800th century, Imatrankoski was a well-known attraction in all of Europe, and its sparkles could be seen from far away abroad. The travel of St. Petersburg's nobility and middle class to Imatra was facilitated by the train connection from Vyborg to Imatra that opened in 1872.
Imatrankoski was born about 6 years ago when Saimaa's water masses broke through Salpausselkä. Salpausläkä formed an effective barrier to the flow of water into Laatokka for a long time, but the elevation of the land further west caused the water to discharge to the southeast. The power of the waterfall is told by numerous hiidenkirnu and other hollows, which you can explore in more detail in Kruununpuisto.
Imatrankoski is bubbling every day in the summer at 18 p.m., see details about special shows and possible run-bys.
Kruununpuisto-park
The protection of Imatrankoski's scenic value started early. Finland's first nature reserve, Kruununpuisto, was established on the shore of Koski with the signature of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in 1842.
The rugged rock bed of Imatrankoski is the heart of Kruununpuisto. In Kruununpuisto, there is a wide variety of things to see, from rare river ice rinks and autographs carved into the rock by famous Imatra visitors at different times, to a summer theater and Finland's largest hydropower plant. Gazebos and viewpoints have been built in the park area. Along the paths of Kruununpuisto, you can walk by the rapids and get to know Finland's oldest nature reserve.
The guided Ivoniemi nature trail goes around the cape of the power plant, at the tip of the cape the two beds of Vuoksi join as the stream continues towards the nearby Russian border.
Read more about Kruununpuisto From the website of the city of Imatra.
Hotel Valtionhotelli
For the admirers of Imatrankoski, an inn was first built on the edge of the rapids, and later in the 1800th century, two wooden hotels. The grand opening of the larger hotel, opened in 1893, was attended by e.g. Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Albert Edelfelt. After the hotel buildings were destroyed in fires, the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland made a decision to build a stone-built hotel worthy of the national landscape.
Imatran State Hotel, originally called Grand Hôtel Cascade, was completed in 1903. The Art Nouveau castle designed by architect Usko Nyström is one of Finland's most significant nationally romantic buildings. Valtionhotelli has been chosen several times as the most beautiful building in Finland.
See more information and location From the website of Saimaa Geopark.
Saimaa
Imatra is one of the coastal towns of Finland's largest lake, Saimaa.
Fall in love with Saimaa's beautiful lake nature on the hiking trails that cross the countless beaches. You can explore Saimaa, for example, by renting a canoe, a sup board or, for example Sauna ship Emma's aboard an unforgettable lake cruise!
See the Ukonniemi and Imatra harbor area service offering.
Ukonniemi
The versatile tourist area of Ukonniemi starts less than five kilometers from Kalastuspuisto. In the area of Ukonniemi and neighboring Rauha, for example, there are:
- Finland's finest spas with restaurants, Imatra Spa ja Holiday Club Saimaa, with many different accommodation options.
- more than 100 km of hiking and cycling routes along Saimaa's shores with rest stops
- Ukonniemi beach with services, e.g. cafe, hostel, beach volleyball courts, subscription sauna, dance pavilion
- Port of Imatra with services, e.g. restaurant and cafe, Saimaa charter cruises
- 18-hole golf course, 22-hole frisbee golf course, pump track for mountain bikers of all sizes. Tennis– and padel halls and –outdoor fields, ice rink, multipurpose hall, baseball and biathlon stadium, athletics stadium, soccer fields, roller skating rink, fitness stairs
- canoe and sup-board rental
- Atrenal adventure park, Angry Birds -indoor playground, bowling alleys in spas
- The furthest point in southern Finland on the slope of the first snow you can go skiing already in October! After the natural snow falls, Ukonniemi has access to a network of more than 35 km of trails around the city
More detailed information About services and attractions in the Ukonniemi and Rauha area.
Swimming hall – Sports hall – Bowling hall
When you arrive at the fishing park, you will pass the Imatra indoor sports center, which is therefore located on our neighboring property.
At your service are swimming Hall, sports hall, gym, indoor playgrounds, bowling alley, outdoor gym, massage services and a cafe.
Theater Imatra
Located in Imatrankoski Imatra Theater an impressive and modern 2017-seat theater building was completed in 202. In addition to the main stage, the Pikku Hiisi stage operates in the adjacent building, where children's plays are performed.
Imatra Theater's plays have been very popular, and many of the performances are sold out time after time.
Summer theater
During the summer season, Teatteri Imatra produces productions on the stage of the summer theater, which is located in a spectacular location just downstream of the Imatrankoski rapids.
More information and summer theater program.
Church of the Three Crosses
In Vuokseniska Church of the Three Crosses is known worldwide, a special gem of Alvar Aalto's production. The small parish side church, rising as a sculpture of pine fabric, embodies the free-form and inventive side of Alvar Aalto's architecture.
After the Second World War, Alvar Aalto was asked to draw up a master plan for Imatra, which combined three old villages located relatively far from each other: Imatrankoski, Vuoksenniska and Tainionkoski. The Vuoksenniska industrial community also needed church services, and Aalto was given the task of designing a new church in 1955. The church was completed in 1958 on the pine ridge between Saimaa and the Immalanjärvi watershed.
