Strömfors Ironworks

Along the westernmost fork of the Kymijoki River, you’ll find a charming old ironworks called Strömforsin Ruukki (Strömfors Ironworks) with its picturesque surroundings steeped in artisanal traditions. Here you can hear the burning coal crack and the thumping on the anvil, with the flowing river and chirping birds nearby.

Strömfors Ironworks is one of Finland’s oldest ironworks, dating back to 1695. Baron Johan Creutz founded the first shop in the area due to its plentiful forests and abundant hydroelectric power. Since then, it has attracted all kinds of businesses, such as a brewery, a brick factory, and a

sawmill.

With its red-stained buildings and open-air museum, the area has remained almost unchanged to this day and is a charming, unique village protected by The Finnish Heritage Agency. The Forge Museum includes an old smith’s workshop and a working mill wheel. There is also an art gallery and many restaurants and craft shops in close proximity.

Strömfors provides gorgeous nature trails and waterways for the outdoor enthusiast, and bikes, boats, canoes, sup-boards, and kayaks can be

rented at the village. Extend your stay at a local hotel, guesthouse, or cottage, and you will find yourself at the heart of artisan history and breathtaking nature.

There is also a fantastic 8-kilometer-long hiking route at Lake Kukuljärvi that starts from Strömfors. It has cliff views and lakeside scenery, a picnic area with a place for a campfire, as well as toilets – Bring your bathing suit!

The western fork of the Kymijoki River that flows next to Strömfors once marked the border between Russia and Sweden. This line on the map was drawn in 1743 in the Treaty of Åbo. It divided the village of Pyhtää into two separate villages: Pyhtää on the east and Ruotsinpyhtää on the west (which translates into Swedish Pyhtää in English and is known as Strömfors in Swedish).