Top 10 attractions in Imatra, Finland

A small Finnish town near the Russian border is famous for the largest lake in the country - Saimaa and the non-freezing river Vuoksa. Forests, river rapids and a stormy waterfall made Imatra the main tourist attraction in Finland back in the 18th-19th centuries. Catherine II and Nicholas I admired the local beauties. The latter founded the Kruununpuisto park here.

Among other attractions, several religious buildings deserve attention - the Church of the Three Crosses, unique in its architecture, and the only Orthodox church in Imatra. Also of interest are bright historical objects - the Valtionhotelli castle and the Karelian House complex of old village buildings.

For tourists who want to spend their holidays in Imatra with health benefits, the doors of water SPA centers are open, offering courses of wellness procedures.

What to see and where to go in Imatra?

The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.

Imatrankoski

A powerful waterfall on the Vuoksa River is the main attraction of Imatra and a popular attraction for tourists. It has long been called the Finnish Niagara. Catherine II herself admired the spectacular natural phenomenon in 1772. Since 1929, a hydroelectric power station has been built on the river. Since then, the free fall of water into the boulder-filled canyon has been carried out at a strictly allotted time during the summer months, as well as on New Year's Eve. All the action is accompanied by a light and music show.

Imatran Valtionhotelli

The architectural treasure of Imatra. Castle hotel in the heart of the city, 300 meters from the waterfall. It was built in 1903 instead of wooden hotels destroyed in a fire. During the First and Second World Wars, it was used for military purposes. After several reconstructions, the building was returned to its original appearance. Includes hotel rooms, saunas, swimming pool, conference hall, 2 restaurants and a stand-alone congress center. A special pride is the smoking salon, decorated with guns and hunting trophies.

Cultural Center

Located on the coast of Vuoksa, near the city hall. It was built from granite and quartz sand in 1986. The building housed the city and art museums, a library, a music school, the city department of culture, and a cafe. The Karelia hall is designed for 500 people and is designed for conferences, cultural programs and concerts. The cozy Kaleva room is suitable for small gatherings and acoustic music evenings. The foyer of the center is used for temporary exhibitions and presentations.

House Museum of Veterans

Appeared in Imatra in 2000 through the efforts of the Ikyavalkos, who for many years collected exhibits related to the military history of the country. The expositions are devoted to the struggle of the Finns for independence and cover the period from the 19th century to the middle of the last century. Various types of weapons, awards, military uniforms, photographs are stored here. The museum building is of interest. This is a private house built in 1926. Museum exhibitions are located on the first floor in 11 rooms, and the owners live on the second.

Museum "Karelian House"

Open-air museum expositions on the coast of Vuoksa introduce the life and way of life of Finnish peasants. A colorful rural landscape with original wooden houses and outbuildings of the 19th century, brought here from different parts of South Karelia, has been recreated on a small area. Inside the dwellings, antique furniture, dishes, clothes, household items of rural residents are collected. There is a paddock with pets in the backyard. The museum has been operating since 1959.

Church of the Three Crosses

An unusual architectural structure in the middle of a pine forest was erected in 1957. Its facade is decorated with 103 windows, completely different in shape and size. The bell tower of the church is made in the form of an arrow directed upwards and contains 3 bells. The interior decoration is characterized by restraint and nobility - benches made of Karelian birch, a marble altar, a small organ. There are three crosses on the altar, symbolizing Golgotha. They gave the church its name.

Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

In 1956 it was built as a chapel for the Orthodox community. The status of the church received 30 years later. It is located on the banks of the Vuoksa River. The building is made of wood in the traditional Russian style. The wooden carved iconostasis is the main decoration of the temple. All icons for him were painted on the territory of Russian monasteries. Next to the church rises a 3-storey tower with bells. Divine services are conducted in Finnish, but some ministers speak Russian.

Tainionkoskenkirkko Church

It is considered the oldest religious building in Imatra. It was built in the neoclassical style in 1932. The austere two-storey building is devoid of any ornaments and decor; its roof is crowned with an elegant pointed spire. Large windows on the facade let in a lot of light. In 1997, the Finnish artist K. Uusitalo made a modern image of the altar. Only the all-seeing eye in the middle of the canvas reminds of its religious purpose. The maximum capacity of the hall is 600 people.

Sculpture "Maid of Imatra"

It was installed in 1972 near the waterfall. It has no analogues in the world, because it is dedicated to the suicides who drowned in Vuoksa. After the construction of a dam on the river, the number of such cases has increased dramatically. People came from all over Europe who wanted to commit suicide. There were many tourists from St. Petersburg. The sculpture is made in the form of a figure of a girl with a broken head, and the fountain symbolizes the waters of Vuoksa. Along the shore are stones with names and dates of suicides.

Imatran Kulpyulya

Large water and health complex. It includes cottages and a hotel with rooms of different levels of comfort, restaurants and bars, a gym and a hairdresser. A rich selection of spa treatments is offered in the aquatherapy salon - jacuzzi, various types of massages, body masks, herbal baths, stone therapy, thermotherapy. And also at the service of vacationers is a luxurious water park with slides, tunnels, waterfalls, pools, hydromassage, a hot bowl, Finnish saunas.