I have told you before that I was raised in Imatra, a city in southeastern Finland. The main tourist attraction there is The Imatra Rapids / Imatrankoski on the river Vuoksi. Imatrankoski is also one of the National landscapes of Finland. My elder son Harri made a pilgrimage with his daughter Helmi to his childhood surroundings, remembering the summers with grandparents. He sent me the above photo & two videos. In addition I searched for free photos online.
"At the end of the 19th century, Imatrankoski was a fashionable tourist destination, attracting tourists from abroad. As tourist flows increased, the mighty roaring nature rapids were accompanied by many services, such as a cable car. On Epiphany in 1893, a celebration was held at the hotel (this hotel burned later) on the edge of the rapids, where front-line artists painted fascinated by the natural performance. The highlight of the evening was the lighting of large spotlights, “The Miracle of Alladin’s Magic Lamp,” in the words of one witness. The rapids steamed red and green in alternating electric light as the audience screamed in delight.”
Painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s interpretation of Imatrankoski in the winter, 1893.
His poster is well-known, even I have it as a framed postcard.
My childhood home was only one kilometer away from the rapids and my school trip went
over the bridge. I remember that the trees were covered with beautiful white frost in the winter.
One summer I worked as a tourist guide in the Imatra Hydroelectric Power Plant
that began operating in 1929.
Catherine the Great visited the site. The present hotel Valtionhotelli was opened in 1903.
Before there were two wooden hotels that burned down in the late 19th century.
The original name of the hotel is Grand Hôtel Cascade. The first hotel entrepreneur came
from St. Petersburg, and the clients were Germans and Russians who came to fish
and admire the spectacular rapids.
Wishing you all a sunny weekend!
Thank you for all the lovely comments you leave week after week at Friday Bliss.
❤︎❤︎❤︎
The link is open
FROM FRIDAY 7 AM TILL THE NEXT TUESDAY 4 PM
Helsinki time