Maretarium

Turku & Finland's South Coast


Kotka's modern Maretarium has more than 20 giant fish tanks representing various bodies of water. The Baltic tank is the largest, with local sea life fed regularly by a diver (check the online calendar for weekly feeding times). Water is piped in from the sea to maintain the natural life cycle of the fish, so salmon spawn in autumn and freakish eelpout reproduce in winter.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Turku & Finland's South Coast attractions

1. St Nicholas Orthodox Church

0.3 MILES

Towering above Isopuisto Park, the 1801 St Nicholas Orthodox Church is Kotka’s only building to survive the Crimean War. It's believed to be the work of…

2. Sapokka Vesipuisto

0.34 MILES

Sapokanlahti is a natural inlet in central Kotka that provides the setting for the tranquil, award-winning Sapokka Water Garden. The centrepiece is the…

3. Kotkan Kirkko

0.53 MILES

Kotkan kirkko's distinctive steeple is visible throughout town. Inside the neo-Gothic church there’s artful woodcarving, a resounding baroque-style organ…

4. Merikeskus Vellamo

0.76 MILES

In a tanker-sized, wave-shaped building with walls of metal and printed glass, this state-of-the-art dockside museum recounts Finland’s seafaring life…

5. Langinkoski Imperial Fishing Lodge

2.95 MILES

Situated 5km north of Kotka amid the salmon-rich Kymijoki's rapids, this rustic wooden lodge was built in 1889 for Tsar Alexander III. Most of the…

6. Kotkan Saaret

5.87 MILES

The smattering of islands off the coast of Kotka are former military outposts, some of which are now open to the public. Several boat trips depart from…

7. Orthodox Church of Sts Peter & Paul

11.28 MILES

Topped by a classic onion dome, the 1837 Orthodox Church of Sts Peter & Paul is the work of architect Louis Visconti, who designed Napoleon’s mausoleum.

8. Hamina Church

11.3 MILES

Neoclassical Hamina Church, designed by CL Engel, was built in 1843.