Kotka - Attractions

The icebreaker vessel Tarmo, the oldest icebreaker in the world, will form part of the new museum area.

2. Aquarium Kotka Maretarium
Maretarium is Finland's first aquarium that meets international standards. It pays tribute to Finnish aquatic life. For the first time ever, the amazing treasures of Finnish waters are on public display. At Maretarium, one can come eye to eye with over 50 indigenous fish species. As well as a regular aquarium, Maretarium also has a Marine Theater, exhibits on fish research, an aquatic souvenir store, Cafe Kristina, and a research and nature study center.

3. Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge
Emperor Alexander III of Russia became fascinated with Langinkoski upon visiting the area. In 1889 he had a fishing lodge built at the site, and he and his family spent many summers there. Here they enjoyed a very different way of life: there are tales of the Emperor chopping wood while his wife cooked the meals. At Langinkoski, the Emperor of Russia had an opportunity to disengage his thoughts from the gilded rooms of the Winter Palace.

4. Haukkavuori Lookout Tower
Haukkavuori Lookout Tower is a lighthouse-like former water tower that now houses a cafeteria and art gallery. From the tower there is a magnificent view of the city of Kotka and the Gulf of Finland.

5. Parks of Kotka
Sapokka Water Garden, at Tallinnankatu, is an oasis quite close to downtown Kotka. The Sapokka Water Garden has won more park awards than any other park in Finland for its innovative environmental structures, illuminations and stone constructions.

Herb Garden - Redoubt Kotka; The Herb Garden inside the small restored fortification from the time of Ruotsinsalmi Sea Battle has an atmosphere of olden times. It has well over a hundred different herbs and spice plants.

Sibelius Park, a green "living room" in downtown Kotka.

The Keskuskatu Linden Boulevard and Sculpture Park runs through downtown Kotka.

Fuksinpuisto Park is a test plant area of the University of Helsinki for azaleas.

Katariina Sea Park, sited on a cape, offers a magnificent sea vista. With its large meadow and angling and picnic spots, the cape is intended as an outdoor recreation area. 

6. Kotka archipelago
The archipelago off Kotka is one of the most beautiful parts of the Gulf of Finland. It is in part a national park and nesting ground for thousands of birds. Every year, hundreds of thousands of migratory birds fill the sky. A bird-watching trip to the islands is a truly rewarding experience. The archipelago comprises uninhabited islands, small islets, fishing villages that provide excellent services, outer islands where one can go ashore and camp, and islands with historical fortresses in the area where the Ruotsinsalmi naval battle took place.

7. River Kymijoki: sports fishing and river rafting
The River Kymijoki offers wilderness views of riverside forests, marshes and meadows. There is a rich diversity of bird life and flora. The cultural heritage of the changing seasons is a marked feature of the river environment. River trips by boat or rubber raft can be arranged. The lengths of the trips vary, from shooting a single stretch of rapids to the 20 km Kymijoki trip involving several stretches of rapids.

8. Kotka Golf Center
One of the most beautiful and challenging golf courses in Finland, consisting of 18 fairways close to nature, beside the sea and shaded by forest.

9. Strömfors Ironworks area near Kotka
Strömfors Ironworks at Ruotsinpyhtää is a living part of Finnish history. Ruotsinpyhtää village still derives its livelihood from its ancient riches - the green forests and foaming waters. For almost two hundred years the River Kymijoki turned waterwheels that powered the forge hammers and other machines. Nowadays the village is a thriving community of craft workers.

10. Charming Hamina - an old fortress town
The 350-year-old fortress town of Hamina, less than half an hour from Kotka, has been preserved in good condition to the present day. The star-shaped fortress, built in the early 18th century, was started by the Swedes and continued by the Russians. The fortress encompasses a town with a circular town plan and eight radial streets starting from the center.