Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge

The Langinkoski lodge was built on the rapids of the Kymi river for Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna, who came here to fish salmon, and opened on 15 July 1889, and the striking thing about it is how modest it is: a two-storey fishing hut on the eastern bank, its interior made almost entirely in Finland, from furniture by local cabinetmakers to Arabia china, Karhula glasses and a Högfors kitchen stove. It has kept its original appearance and has been a museum since 1933; the imperial couple's beds, taken away in the 1920s, were traced and returned in 1956 and stand upstairs again. Nearby stands an Orthodox chapel built by monks of the Valaam Monastery, the oldest building in the reserve.

Background

Langinkoski, a rapid on the Kymi river in Kotka, is often called one of the best salmon rapids in Finland. Alexander III first came here to fish in the summer of 1880, and at the lodge the imperial family lived very plainly: the emperor took his youngest children on outings around the rapids, the family wore plain clothes and ate uncomplicated food, and the empress cooked, though she did not like washing the dishes. In 1892 the emperor had a hut built for three imperial fishermen, and he fished with a rod from a large rock on the eastern bank, reached by a wooden ladder he made himself, which still survives. In 2019 the lodge drew 12,431 visitors.

Source: Wikipedia, "Langinkoski"

Highlights

• A deliberately plain lodge - imperial building without grandeur.
• The Finnish-made interior - furniture, textiles, china and glass from Finnish firms.
• The Kymi rapids - the salmon water the lodge was built for.
• The Orthodox chapel - built by monks of Valaam, the oldest building in the reserve.

When to go

May to September; the museum closes for the winter. Two hours.

Things to know

The museum season is short and the building is closed for much of the year. It is small and the visit is brief.

Nearby

Kotka is south; the Vellamo maritime centre lies in the town.

Key facts