Imatra travel guide

Imatra (population ca. 30,000) is an industrial town in South Karelia. It is dominated by Lake Saimaa, the River Vuoksi and the Finnish-Russian border. Imatra’s over 300-year-old history of busy tourism is greatly attributed to the attraction of the spectacular rapids of the river Vuoksi, which have enticed many illustrious personas to visit the area throughout the ages. Visitors have included such people as Russian Empress Catherine II, Alexander Dumas Senior and Richard Wagner.

The municipality of Ruokolahti, 10 km to the north towards Puumala is also handled in this article.

Understand

Imatran Valtiohotelli, the current building from 1903. Tourism in Imatra began with Catherine the Great's visit in 1772. (Photo: Teuvo Salmenjoki, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Imatra rapids and the power plant lit up by night (Photo: Imatrankoski, CC0)

Imatra's rise to prominence can be traced back to the late 19th century when it attracted Russian aristocrats and wealthy visitors who were drawn to its stunning natural beauty. One of the main attractions for these visitors was the Imatrankoski Rapids, which were considered one of the most impressive natural wonders in the region. To accommodate the influx of tourists, the town built several hotels and other amenities, including the Imatran Valtionhotelli, which was completed in 1903 and quickly became one of the most famous hotels in Finland. The hotel's beautiful architecture and breathtaking views of the rapids made it a popular destination for famous guests like Russian Tsar Nicholas II and Finnish President Urho Kekkonen.

However, in the early 20th century, Finland gained independence from Russia, and the flow of Russian tourists to Imatra decreased, leading to a decline in the town's fortunes. Nevertheless, Imatra continued to be a popular destination for domestic tourists and grew and developed in the years that followed.

Today, Imatra is well-known for the Imatrankoski Rapids, which are a series of rapids on the Vuoksi River that flow through the town. The rapids attract both tourists and locals, and the area features several viewing platforms and walking trails. However, a hydroelectric dam was built and, since 1929, the rapids flow freely only at regular shows and on special occasions.

Apart from natural beauty and historic landmarks, Imatra is also a hub for sports and outdoor activities. The town boasts hiking and biking trails, a golf course, and water sports opportunities, making it an ideal destination for those who love the outdoors.

Ruokolahti markets itself – tongue-in-cheek – as the Lion Parish, as several people claimed to have seen a lion there in the summer of 1992 and the news media, with little else to report, got wild. It has its fair share of beautiful landscapes and some natural and cultural attractions.

Visitor information

• Imatra, Tainionkoskentie 14, ☏ +358 20-617-111 (exchange). Municipal office.
• Visit Ruokolahti, Virastotie 3, ☏ +358 5 26911.
• GoSaimaa. All information about region:what to do, what to see, where to stay and etcThere are unhandled parameters: 1;

Get in

By car

Imatra is about 250 km north-east from Helsinki and the voyage takes about three hours, varying somewhat between routes, the most straight-forward of which is to drive along highway 7 (E18) to Koskenkylä of Loviisa, from where highway 6 leads to Imatra.

Highway 62 comes in from Puumala in the north-west, through Ruokolahti. Regional road 438 from Sulkava in the north merges into highway 62 in the countryside of Ruokolahti.

The town is near the Russian border; highway 62 leads from Imatra towards Svetogorsk just 7 km away – but the border is closed as of 2026.

By plane

Scheduled flights to the nearby Lappeenranta Airport (LPPIATA) have been on and off at various times, so you may need to check its webpage for the current situation. There is also the historically significant Immola Airfield (ICAO EFIM) in the northern part of the town. Your best bet, though, would be to fly into Helsinki and travel from there by bus or train.

By train

Trains between Helsinki and Joensuu stop at Imatra. The duration of the trip is about three hours and there are about ten daily departures.

By bus

Imatra has direct coach connections with Helsinki, Kouvola, Joensuu, Mikkeli and Savonlinna. Timetables can be found at Matkahuolto.

Regional bus lines 100 and 101 have frequent traffic between Imatra and Lappeenranta. See timetables.

A minibus route from Saint Petersburg is provided by Transgold

• .

By boat

Lake Saimaa can be reached from sea through the Saimaa Canal.

Get around

The centres can be covered by foot or bike. The other alternatives are car and taxi.

By bus

The city has a small public bus network of six lines, see Ridango for bus locations and timetables for stops. Google Maps and matka.fi include local transport in Imatra.

By bike

There is a bike sharing system using bluetooth and the Donkey Republic about €1.50/1 hr, €4/5 hr, €12/24 hr. For longer stays becoming a member is cheaper: €9 or €18/month covers all trips of less than 1 hr respectively 12 hr, also in other towns using Donkey Republic – but you need to register as member in the country of your card (available: most countries in western Europe and USA). Several towns in south-east Finland use the same system, which is in use also elsewhere in Finland and abroad.

By taxi

Smartphone apps: Valopilkku, 02 Taksi

See

Kummakivi, a balancing rock in Ruokolahti (Photo: Kotivalo, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• Imatrankoski Rapids. Jul–Aug Wed–Sun 18:00. These rapids are Finland's first ever tourist attraction. The Russian Empress Catherine the Great and her retinue visited the rapids in 1772. Next to the rapids is Imatran Valtionhotelli, a castle-like hotel.
• Kruununpuisto Park. The oldest nature park in Finland, occupying the area around the Imatrankoski Rapids, was founded in 1842 by order of Tsar Nicholas I.
• Kummakivi (in Syyspohja, near the border of Puumala). The 7-metre-long (23 ft) boulder is a glacial erratic that lies on a convex bedrock surface with such a small footprint that it almost appears to be moving, but so firmly that it cannot be rocked with human force.
• Church of the Three Crosses (Kolmen ristin kirkko) (in Vuoksenniska district). Open: 1 Sep - 31 May daily 10:00-15:00, 1 Jun - 31 Aug daily 09:00-20:00. Designed by Alvar Aalto and part of the Aalto Works UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Ruokolahti Church (Ruokolahden kirkko), Ukonsalmentie 5. A Gothic Revival wooden church from 1854, designed by Ernst Lohrmann. Finnish military sniper Simo Häyhä, known better by his epithet "The White Death," is buried in the graveyard.

Do

• Cross-country skiing. Ruokolahti has some 165 km of maintained cross-country tracks, of which 16 km have lights. They are spread out over a dozen or so locations. Free.
• Freeski, Lomatie 16 (Ruokolahti), ☏ +358 400-889-851. Downhill skiing and downhill biking. 2 hr €21/18/12 (+€5?), equipment €14; 1 day €27/24/20 (+€5?), €22.
• Hiking. There are several hiking trails in Ruokolahti, with the option of overnighting in a lean-to or in your tent. Free.
• Huuhanranta Beach, Kietäväläntie 257-365 (about 30 km from Ruokolahti and about 50 km from Imatra). A popular beach on the shores of Lake Saimaa featured in The Times with mention of the "Saimaa Riviera" nickname.
• Imatra Big Band Festival. A big band festival that offers, in addition to different genres of Jazz music, also music from blues to funk and from rock to soul.
• Imatranajo. A motorcycle racing competition on the street track, organized by the Imatra Motorcycle Club.
• Rock to the River. Rock festival.

Buy

You can find all sorts of small shops in the

• Pedestrian area (along and next to Koskenparras street). If you prefer shopping malls, head to the Mansikkala district, where you can find Rajamarket, Lidl, Citymarket and a new (as of December, 2018) Prisma.

Eat

Church of the Three Crosses (Photo: MKFI, Public domain)

There is a list of lunch offers for each day.

Buttenhoff, Koskenparras 4, ☏ +358 5 476 1433. Mon-Fri 11:00-23:30, Sat 12:00-23:30. 100-seat upscale restaurant. Á la Carte menu consists of Finnish, French and Russian dishes. Fair selection of European wines and beers. During lunch hours Buttenhoff has business-lunch selection with salads, soups, main course and coffee included in the same price. During the summer months, if the weather allows, you can also opt for a table outside by the Koskenparras pedestrian street.

• Ravintola Xiangfu, Tainionkoskentie 10, 55100, ☏ +358 5 436 80. Chinese restaurant. Fast and cheap lunch offered on weekdays. Beyond lunch hours serves good Chinese style dishes, but prices tend to be a bit high.
• Kent Pizza & Steakhouse, Koskenparras 7. Really hungry? This restaurant at the pedestrian zone offers huge pizzas, steak and kebab servings that would feed three. €8-20, lunch specials for €10.
• Patsaan Grilli (Rajapatsaan Grilli), Imatrankoskentie 32, ☏ +358 50 528 3081. Tue–Sun 18:00–23:00. A grill kiosk.

Sleep

Mid-range

• Saimaa Lakeside, Souruntie 72 (about 19 km from central Ruokolahti, 30 km from Imatra; accessible by car via Highway 62), ☏ +358401493933. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 12:00. A cottage complex on the shore of Lake Saimaa: 6 lakeside cottages, each with four bedrooms, a kitchen-dining area, fireplace and sauna. Each villa has its own lakeside access, pier and boat with an electric motor. Guests can also use lakeside saunas, bicycles and sports facilities. Some cottages have an outdoor hot tub. The complex is open year-round and is suitable for families and groups looking for a quiet lakeside stay. Prices vary by cottage and season.
• Imatran Kylpylä Spa Hotel, Purjekuja 2, ☏ +358 20-710-0500, fax: +358 20 7100 519. The old Spa Hotel and the newer Promenade Hotel. Promenade Hotel offers good rooms for families. The spa department named Taikametsä (literally Magical Forest) has large swimming pools, saunas, whirlpools etc., from time to time with an artificial thunderstorm.

Splurge

• Imatran Valtionhotelli, Torkkelinkatu 2, ☏ +358 300-308-452 (€0.16/min+ppm). The name hides a wealth of history: this castle-like hotel by the Imatrankoski rapids was built in 1903 for Russian nobility, and for several generations of Finns a suite here was the place to spend your honeymoon. The original name of the hotel was Grand Hotel Cascade d'Imatra. Now privately run, the hotel was reopened in 2005 after extensive renovation. Even if you don't stay overnight it's worth seeing from the outside. If booking a room, mind that the cheaper rooms (and some more expensive ones) are in a modern annex 100 m away. €200.

Go next

• Lappeenranta – Imatra's bigger cousin with a fortress and better shopping.
• Punkaharju – The ridge bisecting Lake Saimaa is one of the most famous Finnish landscapes.
• Savonlinna – A medieval castle, an opera festival and freshly fried fish.
• Russia – If you have a valid visa (or if you don't need one), Svetogorsk is close by.

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