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 in Finland back in the 18th-19th centuries. The local beauty was admired by Catherine II and Nicholas I. The latter founded the Kruununpuisto park here.
Among other attractions, several religious buildings deserve attention - the unique architecture of the Church of the Three Crosses and the only Orthodox church in Imatra. Also of interest are striking historical objects - the Valtionhotelli castle and the complex of old village buildings "Karelian House".
For tourists wishing to spend their holidays in Imatra with health benefits, the doors of water spa centers offering courses of health procedures are open.
The best hotels and hotels at affordable prices.
from 500 rubles / day
What to see and where to go in Imatra?
The most interesting and beautiful places for walking. Photos and a short description.
Imatrankoski
The 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 boulder-filled canyon 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.
Imatran Valtionhotelli
An architectural treasure of Imatra. Castle-hotel in the very center of the city, 300 meters from the waterfall. It was built in 1903 to replace the wooden hotels destroyed in the fire. During the First and Second World Wars, it was used for military purposes. After several renovations, the building was restored to its original appearance. Includes hotel rooms, saunas, swimming pool, conference room, 2 restaurants and a free-standing 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 houses the city and art museums, a library, a music school, a city department of culture, and a cafe. Hall Karelia is designed for 500 people and is designed for conferences, cultural programs, concerts. The cozy Kaleva room is suitable for small meetings and acoustic music evenings. The foyer of the center is used for temporary exhibitions and presentations.
House-Museum of Veterans
It 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 Finnish struggle 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 kept here. The building of the museum 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 Vuoksa coast introduce the life and life of Finnish peasants. A picturesque 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 territory. Inside the dwellings, antique furniture, dishes, clothes, household items of villagers are collected. There is a paddock with pets in the courtyard. 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, an altar made of marble, a small organ. There are three crosses on the altar, symbolizing Golgotha. They gave the name to the church.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker
In 1956, it was built as a chapel for the Orthodox community. The status of the church was received 30 years later. Located on the banks of the Vuoksa river. The building is made of wood in the traditional Russian style. The carved wooden 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 there is a 3-storey tower with bells. 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-story building is devoid of any decorations and decor, its roof is crowned with an elegant pointed spire. Large windows on the façade 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 "Virgin 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 Vuoks. After the construction of a dam on the river, the number of such cases increased dramatically. People from all over Europe came to want to commit suicide. There were many tourists from St. Petersburg. The sculpture is made in the form of a girl with a broken head, and the fountain symbolizes the waters of Vuoksa. Stones with names and dates of suicides lie along the shore.
Imatran Kulpul
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 wide range of spa treatments is offered in the aquatherapy salon - jacuzzi, different types of massages, body masks, herbal baths, stone therapy, thermotherapy. And also a luxurious water park with slides, tunnels, waterfalls, swimming pools, hydromassage, hot bowl, Finnish saunas is at the service of vacationers.
