Discover the fascinating museums of the East Coast of Finland, where maritime heritage, military history and local stories bring the region’s past to life. Highlights include the Maritime Museum of Finland at Maritime Centre Vellamo and the Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge in Kotka.
For those interested in military history, the region offers several fascinating museums and historic sites. Visit the Salpa Line Museum in Miehikkälä, the Bunker Museum in Virolahti, and the Reserve Officer School Museum and Wanha Veteraani Museum in Hamina. Along Hamina’s historic Museum Street, you can also explore the Town Museum and Merchant’s House Museum.
In Loviisa, discover local history at the Commandant’s House Museum, explore maritime heritage at the Maritime Museum by Laivasilta harbour, step into the industrial past at the Strömfors Ironworks Museum, or visit the Agricola Museum in Pernaja and the Viirilä Local Heritage Museum.
Maritime Centre Vellamo in Kotka is one of Finland’s leading museum destinations, bringing together the Maritime Museum of Finland, the Kymenlaakso Museum and the Coast Guard Museum under one striking roof. During the summer season, visitors can also step aboard historic vessels moored alongside the museum, including the icebreaker Tarmo, the lightship Kemi and the patrol vessel Telkkä.
Experience the imperial atmosphere of Langinkoski on the banks of the Kymi River near Kotka. In the late 19th century, Russian Emperor Alexander III had a fishing lodge built here, which soon became the favourite retreat of the imperial family. Today, the lodge serves as a museum, where original furnishings and photographs offer a glimpse into the surprisingly modest lifestyle of its distinguished residents.
Welcome to The Shopkeeper’s Museum, a treasure trove of cultural and historical significance. Explore a log building dating back to 1841, alongside outbuildings constructed through the 1870s. Delve into the Finnish-Russian merchant tradition of the early 20th century as you step into the past. Experience the life of artisans in their homes and outbuildings, once bustling with activity. Discover the legacy of the Muravyev family, the last to run a shop here.
Step into history at the museum housed in a building completed around 1760, where Russian Empress Catherine the Great and King Gustav III of Sweden once negotiated. Explore the vibrant past of the fortress city of Hamina in the main exhibition, while upstairs offers an atmospheric venue for workshops, events, and meetings
Hamina’s Reserve Officer School celebrated its centenary in 2020 – the first reserve officer course started on 1 April 1920. The exhibition tells about the School’s history before the World Wars and during World War II, and offers a glimpse of what’s happening in modern times.
Wanha veteraani (‘Old Veteran’) is a museum in Hamina and a centre for functional peacekeeping and veteran work. Its flagship is a permanent exhibition, which is continuously updated, about peacekeeping and crisis management in the past and today. The basis for the tradition centre consists of unique material collected over several decades by Ismo Flink, a seasoned peacekeeping veteran, about peacekeeping operations in which Finnish peacekeepers have been involved.
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