Mankala: Power Plant History, Art and the Kymijoki

Discover Mankala through three themes: the river landscape shaped by the power plant, regional art and film history, and a circular paddling route. Together, they show the perspectives the area offers for planning your trip.

River Landscape and Power Plant Heritage

The Mankala rapids disappeared from view after the Mankala Power Plant was completed. The massive red-brick building defines the dramatic rapids landscape. On the south bank of the river, a large log flume beside the power plant is another trace of the area’s industrial heritage along the riverbank.

Southeast of the power plant stands a director’s villa dating from the late 19th century. The former trackbed of a narrow-gauge railway is visible on its grounds. The railway once ran along the riverbank from the power plant to a riverside warehouse. The historical traces thus extend from the power plant building to the former connections along the riverbank.

Art and Film History

The statue “Pieni Järvineito” stands on Talasvuori, gazing out over the landscape at Kettujärvi. Sculptor Reijo Huttu created it in 2017 as a tribute to the lake district and the Kymijoki. The Mankala rapids were also captured in paintings: in the late 1910s, they appeared in several works by Väinö Hämäläinen, Pekka Halonen and Victor Westerholm.

The rapids also feature in film history. K. E. Ståhlberg filmed them for two documentaries. The second film was screened in Berlin in 1911 under the title “Finland” and is considered Finland’s first tourism promotional film. Between 1922 and 1949, romantic lumberjack films and love dramas were primarily made in Mankala and Vuolenkoski. These places and time periods define the scope of this film history.

The Wider Landscape

The Vuolenkoski–Mankala landscape area was classified as a regionally valuable landscape area in 2013. The classification applies to this broader landscape, not to Mankala alone. The Second Salpausselkä ridge is clearly visible in the landscape there. This adds a regional landscape perspective to the local focus on the power plant, riverbanks and historical traces.

Paddling and Route Planning

The “Iitti Ring” circular paddling route follows the Kymijoki from Mankala to the Iitti church village and back via Vuolenkoski. Before the Mankala Power Plant, paddlers get out and transport their kayaks overland around the power plant on a kayak trolley. Just past the power line that crosses the road on the right, there is a landing site before the Mankala dam, with a take-out ramp and kayak trolley. Before setting off, check water levels, route and safety conditions, and the condition of the landing site.

Take care when approaching the dam: opening the sluice gates can create a strong suction current. Keep at least 200 metres away from the power plant; paddling in the reservoir is expressly prohibited. These requirements are central to planning the water route.

A different route description covers the Kausala–Mankala–Kausala route. After visiting the Mankala Power Plant, it heads west along a smaller, winding, unpaved road. Road conditions can change, so it is advisable to check them before travelling. Mankala therefore offers two distinct travel options: a river route with a designated portage and safety rules, and a road route with its own surface description.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Jaala, Mäntlahti, Rekola, Kannusjärvi, Kuusankoski, Pyhtää, Kotka, Iitti.

For the broader travel overview: Kymenlaakso.