| Kymenlaakso | |
 | |
Location  | |
Coat of arms  | |
| State | Finland |
|---|---|
| Capital | Kouvola |
| Surface | 5,595.36 km² |
| Inhabitants | 180.210 (2014 estimate) |
| Institutional website | |
Kymenlaakso (Kymmenedalen in Swedish) is a region of the Southern Finland.
To know
Kymenlaakso takes its name from the Kymijoki River Valley.
Background
Kymenlaakso was the first Finnish region to be extensively industrialized as early as the early 1800s. The decline of heavy industry led the population to move to the metropolitan area of Helsinki.
Territories and tourist destinations
Urban centers
Other destinations
- Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park - An archipelago that can be explored by boat.
- Repovesi National Park - One of the most popular excursion destinations in southern Finland.
- Valkmusa National Park - Large marshy landscape with lots of bird watching opportunities.
How to get
By plane
There are no passenger airports in Kymenlaakso.
By car
If you arrive by car from St.Pietroburgo in the direction of Helsinki, it is likely that you will cross the border at Vaalimaa, east of Hamina.
On the train
Trains from Helsinki towards all parts of the Eastern Finland and of Russia they go through Kouvola, and so do many bus lines that go in that direction.
By bus
In Kymenlaakso there are frequent bus connections from Helsinki to and from Kouvola than for coastal cities.
How to get around
What see
- 1 Bunker Museum, Virolahden kunta / Bunkkerimuseo, PL 14 (TO Virolahti, along the E18 road), ☎ 35840 585 0166, @[email protected].
€ 5 adults, € 2 children (7/16 years). 
June-August Mon-Sun 10: 00-18: 00, otherwise by appointment. The exhibit is housed in a wooden building built to resemble the wartime style of Finland. The outer part surrounding the museum building includes fortification sites in the forest. Nearby is a fireplace. - 2 Salpa Line Museum, Miehikkälän municipality / Salpa Line Museum in Miehikkälä, Yhdystie 2 B 4 (TO Miehikkälä, along road 384), ☎ 35840 585 0166, @[email protected]. 8 € adults, 5 € children (7/16 years). June-August Mon-Sun 10: 00-18: 00, May-September Wed-Sun 10: 00-18: 00, otherwise by appointment. An indoor exhibition and a large outdoor exhibition (a guided tour and a short film are included in the admission ticket). There is a coffee shop and a souvenir shop. Behind the museum are areas with fireplaces and barbecues.
- The historic center of Hamina.
- The Kymi River and the dam near Kouvola.
- Verla Groundwood a Jaala, Kouvola; a former paper factory which is now a World Heritage SiteUNESCO.
€ 5 adults, € 2 children (7/16 years). 
June-August Mon-Sun 10: 00-18: 00, otherwise by appointment. The exhibit is housed in a wooden building built to resemble the wartime style of Finland. The outer part surrounding the museum building includes fortification sites in the forest. Nearby is a fireplace.What to do
- Salpa Trail. The Salpa is a 50km long (one way) hiking trail running from Virolahti to Miehikkälä. It follows a part of the Finnish defense line during World War II, called Salpa line. Along the way there are numerous remains of bunkers, trenches and other fortifications and various accommodations in which to rest. They are equipped with toilets, wood burning fireplace and some of them with a canopy for an overnight stay. The Bunker Museum in Virolahti and the Salpa Line Museum in Miehikkälä are part of the itinerary.
- Have fun at the Tykkimäki theme park a Kouvola.
At the table
Safety
Other projects
Wikipedia contains an entry concerning Kymenlaakso
Commons contains images or other files on Kymenlaakso
