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Founded in 1948
Municipal charter in 1971
Total surface area: 191.6 square kilometres
(Land area 155.3 km2, water area 36.3 km2
Population: 28.289 (as at 31st December 2012)
The main employers: Stora Enso Oyj
Municipality of Imatra
Ovako Bar Oy Ab
Border Guard
Mayor: Mr. Pertti Lintunen tel. +358 20 617 2200.
The Borough of Imatra was founded in 1948 around three industrial settlements. In the course of the last 50 years, this amorphous group of settlements has grown into a modern industrial town dominated by Lake Saimaa, the River Vuoksi and the Finnish-Russian border.
Imatra is situated in the southeast of Finland where it rubs shoulders with the Russian border. On the other side of the border - only 7 kilometres away from the centre of Imatra - lies the town of Svetogorsk. St Petersburg is situated 210 km to the southeast, Finland's capital Helsinki is 230 km away and Lappeenranta, the nearest town to Imatra in Finland, is 40 km away. |
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The River Vuoksi runs through Imatra and has resumed its rightful place as the recreational oasis for the inhabitants of the town. The river offers excellent opportunities for fishing throughout the year: in winter it is possible to go ice fishing as well as practise open water fishing since the Vuoksi never freezes completely, even in winter. Some of Finland's most beautiful jogging and cycle tracks hug the contours of the Vuoksi, and from the banks of the river bird watchers can observe dozens of bird species. The river is also suitable for swimmers. Additionally, visitors can explore the delightful nature around the Vuoksi following an electronic nature trail.
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In the west, Imatra is bordered by Lake Saimaa, which allows people to reach the town by boat from the Gulf of Finland along the Saimaa Canal. There is also a busy marina for visitors on the beach area owned by the Imatra Spa in Ukonniemi.
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The Imatrankoski Rapids is Imatra's most famous attraction, and travellers have been drawn to the rapids for hundreds of years. At the turn of the century the rapids - with Imatra's historical and still famous hotel, the Valtionhotelli, standing on its banks - was the most popular tourist attraction in Finland. In summer, the rapids are allowed to run free for 20 minutes from 25 June to 26 August everyday at 6 pm.
The Kaukopää and Tainionkoski industrial plants owned by Stora Enso Oyj are situated in Imatra and produce various types of paperboard and paper mainly for export. In the centre of the town, there is the Imatrankoski power station, which, at the time of its completion in 1928, was Finland's biggest hydroelectric power station. In summer, the power station and its' museum is open to public.
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| Imatra is also a border town which shares a frontier with Russia. The former industrial settlement of Enso (now the Russian town of Svetogorsk) lies just on the other side of the border, which means that Imatra and Svetogorsk are in the unique position as twin towns which gaze over the border between the European Union and Russia. Today, the concept of 'twin towns' is used to market the joint advantages offered by the two towns, especially to businesses which can operate on both sides of the border. Crossing the border in Imatra is possible by car and by bike. |
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General information on map (Google Maps)