A Finnish border town with impressive Imatrankoski Falls and Vuoksenkoski cascades. The surrounding pine forests lead to Saariselkä's winter slopes, while rivers draw anglers.
In Imatra, southeastern Finland, you can watch the powerful Imatrankoski Rapids surge through a rocky canyon, stay in an Art Nouveau castle-hotel, and walk through Ice Age rock formations in Kruununpuisto Park. The town sits on the shore of Lake Saimaa, where you can swim, fish, or take boat trips during summer months. In winter, cross-country ski trails wind through the Ukonniemi sports center.
Getting to Imatra
Trains run between Helsinki and Imatra about ten times daily, with the journey taking three hours. From Helsinki, you can also take a bus, which follows a similar schedule. The nearest airport is in Lappeenranta, 40 kilometers away. The Russian border lies just 7 kilometers from the town center, with a crossing point at Svetogorsk.
The Imatrankoski Rapids
Watch the powerful rapids surge through a canyon in the center of town. The dam opens daily at 6 PM from June to August, and during major holidays, creating a spectacular water show. You can view the rapids from several platforms in Kruununpuisto Park or from the terrace of the Valtionhotelli.
Exploring Kruununpuisto Park
Walk through Finland's oldest nature reserve, established in 1842, where paths wind through pine forests and past unique geological formations. The park's giant's kettles - large holes in the bedrock - were carved by glacial activity during the Ice Age. Information boards along the trails explain the park's geological history and local flora.
Art and Architecture
Sleep in the Valtionhotelli, a 1903 Art Nouveau castle-hotel with turrets and decorated facades overlooking the rapids. Visit the Church of Three Crosses, designed by Alvar Aalto in 1957, where you'll find 103 different windows (only two are identical) and a stained glass ceiling. Look for the distinctive belfry, shaped like an arrow stuck in the ground.
Museums
Visit the Modern Art Museum in the Culture House Virta to see its collection of 1,400 pieces of 20th-century Finnish art. The Town Museum of Cultural History, in the same building, displays artifacts from local life through the centuries. At the Border Museum in Immola Barracks, you can learn about Finland's frontier history through exhibits about border guard operations since the country's independence.
Sports and Events
Watch motorcycles race through city streets during the annual Imatranajo event, where riders reach speeds over 300 km/h. In winter, ski at Ukonniemi, southern Finland's main cross-country skiing center, where the first snow track opens in October. During summer, try the roller ski track, built to international competition standards.
Historical Interest
The rapids have drawn visitors for centuries, including Russian Empress Catherine the Great in 1772. The water's raw power inspired passages in Finland's national epic poem, the Kalevala. Tsar Nicholas I recognized the area's importance by establishing Kruununpuisto Park as Finland's first nature reserve in 1842.
