natural wonder
Lake Saimaa
Finland's largest lake and Europe's fourth-largest, a labyrinth of islands and channels home to the critically endangered Saimaa ringed seal.
28 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeFinlandSouth Karelia
Imatra
South Karelia, Finland · Europe
About Imatra
Imatra is worth a stop: 15 minutes from Svetogorsk, 28km from Lake Saimaa.
Imatra is in South Karelia, Finland, with about 25,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Svetogorsk, about 9 km away.
Imatra is a city in Finland, located in the southeastern interior of the country. Imatra is located in the region of South Karelia, on Lake Saimaa and the River Vuoksi. The population of Imatra is approximately 24,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 36,000. It is the 42nd most populousRead more
municipality in Finland.
Imatra lies on the border with Russia. On the other side of the border, seven kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the centre of Imatra, lies the Russian town of Svetogorsk (Finnish: Enso)). The city of St. Petersburg is situated 210 km (130 mi) to the southeast, the Finnish capital Helsinki is 230 km (140 mi) away and Lappeenranta, the nearest Finnish city, is 37 km (23 mi) away.
The main employers are the pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso Oyj, the City of Imatra, the engineering steel manufacturer Ovako Bar Oy Ab and the Finnish Border Guard. As of October 2003, the total number of employees was 12,423. As of December 2004, 1,868 people were employed by the City of Imatra. The city's nicknames include Imis, Ibiza and Nahkalippis City (leather baseball cap city). Due to its location close to the border, Russian tourists are a common sight in the city, and Russian tourism is a boon to the local economy. Most people shop in Imatra, and Imatra's tax-free sales are the third largest among Finnish cities (only Helsinki and Lappeenranta are ahead).
The name of Imatra is thought to derive from a pre-Finno-Ugric language. The lightning symbols on Imatra's coat of arms refer to the power plants that were built in the early 1920s at the Tainionkoski and Imatrankoski rapids. The coat of arms was designed by Olof Eriksson and approved by the Imatra Town Council on 9 August 1950. The Ministry of the Interior approved the coat of arms for use on 25 October of the same year.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Imatra?
Within an hour or so of Imatra: Lake Saimaa (28 km).
Where is Imatra?
Imatra is in South Karelia, Finland, about 9 km from Svetogorsk.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 24,581
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Finland
- Region
- South Karelia
- Timezone
- Europe/Helsinki
- Coordinates
- 61.1718, 28.7524
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Finland
Winter tyres mandatory December–February.
Full driving guide for FinlandTags
Worth the detour from Imatra
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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