More

    Things to do in Imatra

    The most interesting things to do in Imatra. Photos and a brief description.

    Imatra
    overcast clouds
    60.9 ° F
    60.9 °
    59.4 °
    71 %
    1.1mph
    100 %
    Mon
    60 °
    Tue
    60 °
    Wed
    60 °
    Thu
    62 °
    Fri
    61 °
    About Imatra

    A small Finnish town near the Russian border is famous for the largest lake in the country – Saimaa and the ice-free river Vuoksa. Forests, river rapids and a stormy waterfall made Imatra the main tourist attraction of Finland back in the XVIII-XIX centuries. Catherine II and Nicholas I admired the local beauties . The latter laid 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 – Valtionhotelli Castle and the complex of ancient village buildings “Karelian House”.

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

    Top Tourist Attractions in Imatra

    Imatrankoski

    A powerful waterfall on the Vuokse 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 canyon filled with boulders has been carried out at a strictly allotted time during the summer months, as well as on New Year's Eve. The whole action is accompanied by a light and music show.

    Imatrankoski
    Imatran Valtionhotelli

    Imatran Valtionhotelli

    The architectural treasure of Imatra. The castle is a 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 needs. After several reconstructions, the building was restored to its original appearance. It includes hotel rooms, saunas, a swimming pool, a conference hall, 2 restaurants and a free-standing congress center. A special pride is the smoking lounge, decorated with guns and hunting trophies.

    Cultural Center

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

    Cultural Center
    Veterans' House Museum

    Veterans' House Museum

    He appeared in Imatra in 2000 through the efforts of the Ikyavalko spouses, who for many years collected exhibits related to the military history of the country. The expositions are dedicated to the struggle of Finns for independence and cover the period from the XIX 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 ground floor in 11 rooms, and the owners live on the second floor.

    Karelian House Museum

    Open-air museum expositions on the coast of Vuoksa introduce the life and everyday life of Finnish peasants. A picturesque village landscape with original wooden houses and outbuildings of the XIX century, brought here from different parts of South Karelia, has been recreated on a small territory. Antique furniture, dishes, clothes, household items of rural residents are collected inside the dwellings. There is a paddock with pets on the farmstead. The museum has been operating since 1959.

    Karelian House Museum
    Church of the Three Crosses

    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 pointing upwards and contains 3 bells. The interior is characterized by restraint and nobility – benches made of Karelian birch, an altar made of marble, a small organ. Three crosses symbolizing Golgotha are installed on the altar. They gave the name of the church.

    Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker

    In 1956 it was built as a chapel for the Orthodox community. The church received its status 30 years later. It is located on the bank 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 the icons for him were painted on the territory of Russian monasteries. Next to the church stands a 3-storey tower with bells. Services are conducted in Finnish, but some ministers speak Russian.

    Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
    Tainionkoskenkirkko Church

    Tainionkoskenkirkko Church

    It is considered the oldest religious building in Imatra. It was built in the neoclassical style in 1932. The strict two-storey building is devoid of any decorations 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 "The Virgin of Imatra"

    It was installed in 1972 near the waterfall. It has no analogues in the world, because it is dedicated to suicides who drowned in Vuoksa. After the construction of the dam on the river, the number of such cases increased dramatically. People who wanted to commit suicide came from all over Europe. A lot of tourists were 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 there are stones with names and dates of suicides.

    Sculpture
    by Imatran Kulpul

    Imatran Kulpul

    A large water and wellness complex. It includes cottages and a hotel with rooms of different comfort levels, restaurants and bars, a gym and a hairdresser. A rich selection of spa treatments is offered in the aquatherapy salon - Jacuzzi, various types of massage, body masks, herbal baths, stone therapy, thermotherapy. There is also a luxurious water park with slides, tunnels, waterfalls, swimming pools, hydro massage, hot bowl, Finnish saunas.