Kotka Things to Do

Kaunissaari (literally Beautiful Island) Island is a traditional, small but still lively fisherman village. Boats from Sapokka Harbour (in front of Maretarium Aquarium) about 2-3 times a day in summer. Tickets are sold on boats. For timetables see the link below.

There may be quite windy on the sea (even if a day may be warm). So take warm clothes with you. On the island you find a very small museum, a restaurant (good fish dishes) and accommodation. Remember to taste extremely delicious salmon pastries which are sold at a kiosk near the museum.

Other very interesting islands are Tammio (only one permanent inhabitant!), Ulkotammio and Haapasaari (10 inhabitants, 25 kilometers from Kotka). For timetables see the link below, please.

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Alexander III, emperor of Russia and Grand Duke of Finland, and his Danish born consort Dagmar, in Russia known under the name Marie Feodorovna, had heard about the good salmon fishing at Langinkoski.

In the summer of 1880 they arrived at Langinkoski to watch the salmon fishing. They also took a liking to the beautiful river scenery and promised to return.Some yers later they did return to Langinkoski. They said that they would like to have a little fishing hut on the banks of the river.

The senate of the Grand Duchy of Finland took measures to have a villa built for the sovereign and his family on the very banks of the Langinkoski rapids.

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If you travel to the city of Kotka, you must see the harbour area and small park of Sapokka. It is very idyllic, offering a lot of joy to your eyes like small white bridges, stone/rock, lots of different plants and flowers and so on.

If you watch carefully, you see also a man made seal and some bird (all made of stone) in the water; to remind us all about how rare and vulnerable these animals are.

The Sapokka Water Garden,
by Tallinnankatu, is truly an oasis quite close to the town´s centre. The parklike water garden, built and planned with caring thought and heart, is a unique whole of water, stone, vegetation and artificial lighting. One can take a moment´s break in a romantic summer-house, listen to the rush of a waterfall from an arched bridge or sit by a forest-pond and listen to the purl of a brook as well . One can feed birds or study the plants which are named on labels in different languages.
The Sapokka Water Garden is Finland´s most prize-awarded park. Expert environmental planning- and lighting-juries have chosen it Best Lighted Object in 1993, Environmental Structure of the Year in 1994 and Best Stonework in 1996.

The Sibelius Park

The park, in the very centre of Kotka, at the beginning of the Keskuskatu Linden Boulevard has been restored to its former glory. The restoration is based on the garden-architect Paul Olsson´s plan from the 1930s.
For nearly half a century the main attraction of the park has been the sculpture "The Eagles", on top of a fountain, by Jussi Mäntynen. The Sibelius Park is a "green living-room" with many functions in the midst of the town, a beautiful place to idle about in for anybody, locals and visitors all alike

This old museum is 5 km from the town centre, in the Langinkoski Nature Reserve. The fishing lodge, built in 1889 on request by the Russian Emperor and Grand Duke Alexander III, has been kept intact. It tells about the life of the imperial family at the end of the 1800s.

1.5.-31.8. open daily 10-19, in September and October Sat and Sun 10-19, admission adults 4 EUR children 2 EUR and groups 3 EUR/person. Guiding free of charge 26.5.-11.8. Sundays on the hour 11 am - 4 pm

Here you can see what lurks in the waters of Finland´s thousand lakes. Also you can step into the world´s deepest aquarium-basin - the 7 meters deep Baltic Sea tank.

Entrance fees: Adults 9,5 EUR, children (4-15) 6 EUR
Students 6 EUR, senior citizens 7 EUR
Family-ticket(2+2) 24 EUR
Adult groups (over 10) 7 EUR, school-children groups 5 EUR
Please observe! Maximum of group 25 persons!
Please book guiding in advance. Guided tour 1 hour.
Guided tour: entrance-fees + 35 EUR/group

It is really beautiful there in the summertime! It's lovely just to walk around the park and enjoy the nature. At Sapokka harbour you can board a boat and set off on a sea cruise around Kotkansaari. In summer, boats also go daily to the historical island of Varissaari , and to Haapasaari island (Kotka's most distant city district, some 25 km away) near the eastern frontier. From Sapokka it is also possible to reach many other maritime destinations in the archipelago, such as the Kukouri island fortress, dating from the time of the Battle of Ruotsinsalmi.

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Imperial Fishing Lodge was built in 1889 for the Russian Tsar Alexander III. He and his family visited the lodge during many summers. They really enjoyed a different way of life.