Imatrankoski – Ritva Sillanmäki Photography

Traveling Eastern Finland #3½

These are photos I took of the Imatra Rapids before the flow started. The colors on the rock formation and reflection were lovely a joy to the eyes

We drove to Imatra in the afternoon our aim to see the Imatrankoski flow, (“The Imatra Rapid”) is a rapid on the Vuoksi River in Imatra. It has been a famous tourist attraction since the late 1700s. The Vuoksi River and Imatrankoski were born about 5,000 BP as the waters of the Saimaa Lake penetrated the Salpausselkä ridge due to post-glacial rebound, forming a river flowing into the Lake Ladoga.It is also one of the National landscapes of Finland. Since 1929 the rapid has been blocked by a dam . Today, the dam is opened daily between June and August at 6 PM with the music of Sibelius playing in the background. Not that you can hear it down stream where we wnnt to watch it. The raw power of the water is awesome.