Kotka, Port settlement in Kymenlaakso, Finland.
Kotka is a port settlement in southeastern Finland that sits at the mouth of the Kymi River where it meets the Gulf of Finland, surrounded by a scatter of smaller islands. The settlement spreads across several connected islands and mainland sections, with harbor areas and residential zones sitting side by side.
The Finnish Senate granted city status to the settlement in 1879, merging parts of the old Kymi parish including the islands of Kotkansaari and Hovinsaari. The location at the river delta made it a key export point for timber and other goods during industrialization.
The Sapokka water garden combines sculpted stone formations with cascading pools and draws visitors who walk along paved paths between the flows. Locals use the area often for short breaks during the warmer months.
Visitors reach the center on foot or by local buses that connect the island sections and mainland areas. Harbor zones sit mostly outside residential quarters, so walks along the waterfront promenades remain quieter.
The Langinkoski fishing lodge was built in 1888 for Russian Tsar Alexander III and served as a summer residence for salmon angling. It remains the only preserved imperial building of its kind outside the Helsinki region.
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