Imatra, Finland

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.

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.

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.

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