Kotka

Kotka is a port city in south-eastern Finland, set on the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of the Kymi River, within an archipelago made up of several hundred islands. Known as the city of fountains, it hosts an annual international festival dedicated to them, with notable examples found in Sapokka Park, laid out around a former sea inlet. The Vellamo Maritime Centre, recognisable by its wave-shaped roof, houses both the Finnish Maritime Museum and the Kotka City Museum. The Maretarium showcases aquatic wildlife from the Baltic Sea and Finnish lakes. Nearby, the Imperial Fishing Lodge at Langinkoski, once used by Tsar Alexander III, reflects the historical ties between Finland and Imperial Russia; the Kymi River remains popular for salmon fishing to this day. The island of Kotkansaari forms the heart of the city, with its shops and harbour. The climate, with short, bright summers and cold, snowy winters, makes the surrounding nature a natural draw, whether for forest walks, water-based activities, or day trips by boat to the nearby islands from the harbour.