250 years of tourism in Imatra

The third event of the jubilee year at Valoja Vuok is on Saturday 10.9.2022 September XNUMX

The general theme of the event is the history of tourism for 250 years and more specifically Vuoksi, fishing and food. The program includes various things to see and experience related to Vuosi, the history of fishing and food culture. Vuoksen's ferry transports people to the day's events for free throughout the day.

The venues are Hiljan Piha, Vuoksen Kalastuspuisto, Neitsytniemen Kartano and Restaurant Sula.

See the full day's program and schedule in the event calendar:

Celebrating 250 years of tourism: Valoja Vuosella Sat 10.9.2022

Imatra is a traditional tourist destination

Did you know that Imatrankoski is Finland's oldest tourist attraction?

 The tourism history of Imatra and at the same time the whole of Finland can be said to have started in 1772, when the Russian empress Catherine the Great visited Imatra to admire the rapids. 

Tourism to Imatra was lively at the end of the 1800th century and at the beginning of the 1900th century, when especially rich people from St. Petersburg traveled diligently to Imatra. It was only forty kilometers from St. Petersburg to the Finnish border, and border formalities did not limit travel, because the Grand Duchy of Finland was an autonomous part of Russia at the time.

Already at that time, the people of St. Petersburg also enjoyed shopping trips to the Finnish side. The roads and other services here were in better condition than in Russia, and Finland was significantly closer than Central and Southern Europe.

The Empress's visit gave birth to a tradition in Imatra of presenting wild saffron to the emperors with special shows, where boats, barrels and torches were thrown into the sparkling saffron. Alexander I followed in the footsteps of his grandmother Catherine II and wanted to see Imatrankoski in 1803. Alexander III visited Imatrankoski twice, as heir to the crown in 1858 and in connection with his visit to Lappeenranta in 1891.

The arrival of the railway to Imatra in 1892 cut the travel time from St. Petersburg in half. In 1903, a new State Hotel was completed on the shore of the rapids, and the number of tourists was at its highest before the First World War. The war closed the border to Russia, but Finns discovered Imatrankoski again in the 1920s, when the number of tourists increased again. 

Imatra and Imatrankoski still attract tourists from both Finland and abroad. Besides Russia, visitors come especially from Europe. Important priorities for Imatra's future are sports tourism and the national nature and wilderness culture museum. 

The 250th anniversary of Imatra and Finnish tourism will be celebrated in the city with various events starting next summer. They are reported on, among other things, on this page.

Welcome to the village of the National Wonder!

See current holiday tips at Imatra