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What country is Kotka in?
Kotka is a charming southern Finnish port city in the Kymenlaakso region 130 kilometers east of Helsinki. The city has about 55 000 inhabitants and two centers, one on the island of Kotkansaari and the other in Karhula on the mainland. The port of Kotka is one of the largest export ports and harbors of Finland. Kotka received the city charter in 1878, but it has been settled for much longer and has played a significant role in many battles between Sweden and Russia in its history. The cityscape is strongly influenced by the flowing Kymijoki River and the archipelago-rich Baltic Sea.
The history of the city begins as a Russian fortress in the Crimean War, during which the fortress was destroyed by the English in 1855. in 1872, traffic began in the port. The city rights followed in 1878. At the time of industrialization, the number of inhabitants grew very quickly due to the immigration of people from rural areas who actually wanted to emigrate to America. Large parts of the city were destroyed in the 2nd World War.
Due to the port and the good transport connections to Helsinki and the Finnish lake landscape, Kotka is suitable as a holiday destination with beautiful excursion destinations without mass operation.
Sights & Attractions in Kotka
Worth seeing are the new town hall from 1934, the Greek Orthodox Church from 1795 and the Imperial fisherman’s hut, which was built in 1889 in the Langinkoski Park for Tsar Alexander III.
Every year in the summer, the so-called sea days take place in Kotka. This is a popular folk festival, which is known far beyond Kotka’s borders and attracts crowds of especially young visitors every year.
What is Kotka known for?
How far is Kotka from Russian border?
Where is Kotka port located?
