.jpg "Summer island view of Kaunissaari.")
Credits: Julia Kivelä
Starting point: Imatra
Getting there: Train from Helsinki to Imatra, around two and a half hours
Endpoint: Strömfors ironworks, with road connection to Helsinki Airport (HEL)
Length: Seven days, with room to linger
Distance: Approximately 400 km by car
Suggested transportation: Rental car, picked up in Imatra
Best time to go: June to late August
This road trip begins in Imatra, on the southeastern edge of Lake Saimaa, about 250 kilometres northeast of Helsinki. Step off the train and you're already in one of the most storied corners of Finland. People have been travelling here since the 1700s, drawn by Imatrankoski, the rapid that runs through the centre of town. Catherine the Great came to see it in 1772. The Russian aristocracy followed throughout the 1800s, and by the late 1800s, Imatra was one of the best-known nature attractions in Europe. It is widely regarded as Finland's oldest travel destination, and once you stand at the edge of the gorge you understand why.
From Helsinki, the train to Imatra takes around two and a half hours and runs several times a day. We recommend picking up your rental car in Imatra.
The rapid itself has been dammed for hydroelectric power since the 1920s, so for most of the year the gorge sits dry. In summer though, the dam gates open for the Imatrankoski rapids show: hundreds of cubic metres of water released per second into the old riverbed, set to music, lasting about 15 minutes. It is theatrical and worth planning your afternoon around.
The rapids sit inside Kruununpuisto, Crown Park, the oldest nature reserve in Finland, established in 1842. Paths wind along both sides of the rapid's banks past rock carvings left by 19th-century visitors and unique river potholes. The grand castle-like building above is Imatran Valtionhotelli, built in 1903 in Art Nouveau style and still operating as a hotel today.
For the rest of the day, head to Vuoksen Kalastuspuisto, the Vuoksi Fishing Park, set on Varpasaari about ten minutes from the rapids. The park sits on the banks of the river Vuoksi and is a relaxed, all-in-one spot: an angling pool stocked with salmon where you can fish with rented gear and have your catch smoked or filleted on site, plus rowing boats, SUP boards, bike rental, minigolf, a riverside sauna, and the café-restaurant on a sunny terrace over the river.
If you'd rather be on the lake, Saunaboat m/s Emma offers a range of charter cruises from Imatra passenger harbour. Built in 1908 and later converted for recreational use, Emma runs scenic loops, half-day trips to nearby islands and longer cruises that include a wood-fired sauna and a swim, with the chance to spot Saimaa ringed seals along the way. Charter ahead, as Emma works on a booking basis rather than scheduled departures.
For places to stay the night in this region, visit Gosaimaa.com. You'll find a comprehensive list of hotels, cottages, holiday homes, farm stays, camping sites and many more to choose from.
Day two takes you west along the southern shore of Lake Saimaa to Lappeenranta, the largest city in South Karelia and the natural next stop on this route. The drive from Imatra takes about 30 minutes along Finland's Main road 6. Lappeenranta sits at the head of the Saimaa Canal and has been shaped by its position between east and west: a Swedish trading town in the 1600s, a Russian fortress city in the 1700s, and today a relaxed lakeside city of around 73,000 people with a working harbour, a layered history and one of the most atmospheric summer waterfronts in Finland.
The heart of the city is the Lappeenranta Fortress, set on a hill above the harbour. The fortress was begun by the Swedes in the 1720s and later expanded by the Russians after they took the area in 1741. The result is a layered, walkable piece of history with bastions, gun emplacements, the Orthodox Church of Lappeenranta from 1785 (the oldest orthodox church in Finland), the South Karelia Museum, the Cavalry Museum, and a handful of artisan shops and cafés set in the old garrison buildings. Plan a couple of hours to wander.
Just below the fortress is the Lappeenranta harbour, one of the liveliest summer spots in the city. The pier is lined with restaurants, ice cream kiosks and the famous sand sculpture park, a different artistic theme each summer, sculpted from millions of kilos of sand. It's a working harbour too, with lake cruises and the historic Saimaa Canal running south from here. The canal, opened in 1856, is one of the engineering landmarks of 19th-century Finland. While you're down at the harbour, stop by for a coffee at one of the harbour kiosks and order a vety or an atomi, two filled meat pastries unique to this region. Satama-Sanni is the classic spot.
For dinner, the harbour itself offers some of the best options in the city. Sustainable Travel Finland (STF) labeled Laivaravintola Prinsessa Armaada is a restaurant boat moored at the pier, serving fish, game and other South Karelian classics in a setting that puts you right on the water. It is truly a local institution.
For accommodation, Boutique Hotel Lähde sits on the grounds of the historic Lappeenranta Spa, founded in 1870 and one of the city's oldest wellness traditions. The hotel itself is housed in the historic spa building, completed in 1912 and carefully restored, with individually designed rooms and a small spa with sauna. Two nights here gives you time to settle in and use Lappeenranta as a base for day three's lake adventures.
Day three is the lake day, built around two of Lappeenranta's most distinctive Saimaa experiences.
Start the day at Myllysaari, the green lakeside park a short walk from the harbour. Myllysaari has long been Lappeenranta's summer playground, with a sandy lake beach and picnic spots under the trees. Try a signature experience while here – a peat sauna experience provided by LiveLife. Peat sauna (turvesauna) is a Finnish wellness tradition that uses warm, mineral-rich peat as a full-body treatment in a wood-heated sauna, followed by a swim in the lake to rinse off.
Continue the day on the lake by heading back to the Lappeenranta harbour which is a departure point for lake cruises ranging from a 90-minute scenic loop around the Lappeenranta archipelago to a full day's sail along the Saimaa Canal.
For dinner, Ravintola Sumu on Snellmaninkatu in the city centre is one of Lappeenranta's most ambitious kitchens, serving modern Scandinavian cooking built around Saimaa fish and local produce.
Day four takes you west out of South Karelia and into the Kymenlaakso region, swapping the open horizons of Saimaa for the quieter river country of southern Finland. The drive from Lappeenranta to Verla is about 130 kilometres and takes a little under two hours.
The first stop, about 25 minutes out of Lappeenranta, is Pulsan Asema, a beautifully restored 1860s wooden railway station building. The building is one of the most charming café-restaurants in the region. The café serves home-baked bread, local cheeses, eggs and fresh produce, with light baking workshops, sound bowl sessions and other wellness experiences on offer through the season. Pulsan Aseman also offers boutique B&B accommodation from May to late autumn.
From Pulsan Asema, it's another hour and a half to Verla. The Verla Groundwood and Board Mill is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1996, and one of the most atmospheric industrial heritage sites in the Nordic region. The mill was founded in 1872, rebuilt and expanded from 1882 after a fire, and operated until 1964. It has been remarkably well preserved since its final working day, with the original machinery, pulp drying rooms, manager's house and workers' buildings all intact. Guided tours through the mill itself are the highlight, but the village around it is just as much a part of the visit: ornate brick mill buildings on the banks of the Verlankoski rapids, red wooden workers' houses, a riverside walking trail, the mill café in a restored timber building, and a small shop selling Verla-themed souvenirs and locally made goods.
After Verla, continue another 45 minutes west to Tykkimäki Resort (STF) in Kouvola, your base for the night. The resort sits next to the Tykkimäki amusement park on the shores of Lake Käyrälampi and is run by Sokos Hotels. The resort offers unique accommodation in different types of cabins from mini cottages and glamping to lakeview villas. The on-site restaurant Lammenranta Kitchen & Bar serves dinner with lake views and is the easiest option after a long day on the road. Before ending the day, try Tykkimäen Sauna that sits a short walk from the resort on the same lakeshore, and offers the possibility to relax in a large, 40 square metre sauna.
Day five stays in the Kouvola region for one of the best outdoor days in southern Finland, then continues south in the late afternoon to the coast.
Repovesi National Park sits about 45 minutes north of Tykkimäki Resort and protects roughly 15 square kilometres of pine and birch forest, lakes, cliffs and old-growth woodland. It's one of the most distinctive landscapes in this part of the country, and a paddling day on its lakes is the natural way to take it in.
The morning's centrepiece is a guided canoe trip with Repovesikeskus (STF). Their guides can tailor the route to your comfort level on the water. Most trips combine open paddling on the park's interconnected lakes with quieter inlets and short stops on shore for a campfire coffee, smoked fish or a packed lunch over the open flame.
If you'd rather walk, Repovesi is also one of the best hiking parks in southern Finland. From the Lapinsalmi bridge entrance, marked trails fan out across the park ranging from the 5 km Ketunlenkki Trail to the ambitious Kaakkurin Kierros Trail (26 km). Trail maps are available online at Nationalparks.fi.
In the late afternoon, drive south to the Gulf of Finland coast and Santalahti Resort (STF) in Kotka for your overnight stay for the next two nights. The drive takes about an hour through the forests and farmland of Kymenlaakso. Santalahti sits on a small headland at the edge of the sea, with self-catering cottages and unique villas spread among the pines. The Santa Glass Villa is the premium option for an overnight stay, a glass-walled cabin on the sea cliffs with a private hot tub and views across to the islands.
Dinner at Bistro Santalahti puts coastal Finnish cooking on the table: fresh fish, local meat and vegetables, simply done. Round off the day at Santa Glass Sauna, a glass-roofed sauna and hot tub at the water's edge with the sun setting over the Gulf of Finland.
Day six is a day in Kotka, a working harbour city of around 50,000 inhabitants on the eastern stretch of the Gulf of Finland coast. Kotka built its identity on the sea: forestry exports through one of the largest export ports in Finland, fishing on the surrounding archipelago, and a long history as a fortified outpost. Today it is one of the most green and walkable mid-sized cities in the country, known for its parks, maritime culture and its salmon-rich Kymijoki river.
Start at Maritime Centre Vellamo (STF), Kotka's flagship museum, set in a striking wave-shaped building on the harbour. Vellamo houses the Maritime Museum of Finland, the Kymenlaakso Museum Ruuma, and museum ships under one roof. The permanent exhibitions cover the life of seafarers, the development of ships, maritime trade and the realities of northern shipping, including the speciality of winter navigation through the Baltic ice.
Through to 7 March 2027, Vellamo also hosts Courage, Love, Freedom! A Moomin Adventure, an immersive walk-through journey into the world of Tove Jansson's stories, with original illustrations, scenography and an exploration of the values at the heart of the Moomins – and the Finnish people: friendship, courage, equality and respect for nature.
From Vellamo, spend the afternoon walking through Kotka's famous parks. The city has earned its reputation as one of the most award-winning park cities in Finland, with several distinctive parks in or near the centre. Sapokka Water Garden is the most famous, with its nearly 20-metre waterfall, terraced rock garden and a planting scheme that changes through the seasons. Fuksinpuisto is the rose garden, at its best in July and August. Katariina Seaside Park follows the cliffs along the open sea, with views across to the islands and the working port. A loop through two or three of the parks makes for an easy, atmospheric afternoon.
For dinner, Wanha Fiskari is a long-running Kotka institution serving fresh fish from the Gulf near the harbour. Enjoy smoked salmon, perch, vendace and the day's catch from local fishermen, paired with a relaxed coastal atmosphere. Book ahead in summer.
A second night back at Santalahti Resort closes the day, ready for the island morning ahead.
The final day begins early with a morning on Kaunissaari, one of the most beautiful islands in the eastern Gulf of Finland. A water taxi from the Santalahti pier with service provider like Taxi Tuubi takes around 30 minutes and drops you at the island's old fishing village, a cluster of red-painted wooden houses, a small harbour and a long sand beach. Walk the village trail, swim from the beach (if the weather allows!), and stop for lunch at Kaunissaaren Maja, the island's traditional inn serving fish and Finnish home cooking in a wooden building looking out over the water. The afternoon water taxi back to the mainland gives you the rest of the day on the road.
From Santalahti, drive west to Strömfors Ironworks, the final stop on the route. The drive takes about 45 minutes, crossing from the Kymenlaakso region into the Uusimaa region. Strömfors is one of the oldest ironworks in Finland, founded in 1695, and the preserved village is now a quiet, atmospheric cluster of red-painted workshops, a working forge, artisan studios, the old church and small cafés along the Kymijoki river. Spend a couple of hours exploring the village, the craft shops and the riverside walk. Lunch or a late coffee at Ravintola Mylly in the old mill building rounds off the day.
From Strömfors, it's about an hour's drive to Helsinki Airport (HEL) or Helsinki city centre, depending on where you're heading next. Drop off the rental car and your week through southern Saimaa, Verla and the Finnish coast is complete.