national park
Repovesi National Park
Rugged cliff-and-lake park in Kymenlaakso with a suspension bridge, a common stop on drives between Helsinki and the Lakeland.
36 km · about 40 min drive
EuropeFinlandKymenlaakso
Kouvola
Kymenlaakso, Finland · Europe
About Kouvola
Kouvola sits on the route: 10 minutes from Koria, 36km from Repovesi National Park.
Kouvola is in Kymenlaakso, Finland, with about 78,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Koria, about 6 km away.
Kouvola (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈkou̯ʋolɑ]) is a city in Finland and the administrative capital of Kymenlaakso. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country. The population of Kouvola is approximately 78,000. It is the 12th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 17th most populous urban area inRead more
the country.
Kouvola is located along the Kymijoki River in the region of Kymenlaakso, 62 kilometres (39 mi) kilometers east of Lahti, 87 kilometres (54 mi) west of Lappeenranta and 134 kilometres (83 mi) northeast of the capital, Helsinki. With Kotka, Kouvola is one of the capital centers and is the largest city in the Kymenlaakso region.
The urban area of Kouvola in the city centre itself is home to about 47,000 people. The city covers an area of 2,883.30 square kilometres (1,113.25 sq mi) of which 325.06 km2 (125.51 sq mi) is water. The population density is 30.35 inhabitants per square kilometre (78.6/sq mi). Kouvola is bordered by the municipalities of Hamina, Heinola, Iitti, Kotka, Lapinjärvi, Loviisa, Luumäki, Miehikkälä, Mäntyharju, Pyhtää and Savitaipale. Kouvola has over 450 lakes and, together with Mäntyharju, the Kouvola area includes the Repovesi National Park.
Kouvola, which had population growth as late as the 1980s, has suffered a loss of population due to migration since the 1990s. Over time, the loss has only deepened, so that at the end of the 2010s Kouvola had the highest rate of population loss by migration in Finland. Natural demographics have also trended downward; in 2017, more than 450 more people died in the city than new ones were born. Currently, the population of Kouvola is decreasing annually by about 800 inhabitants. The reasons for the emigration are thought to be largely due to job losses in the region. The city has placed expectations for economic recovery on various projects, such as the TikTok data center planned for Koria village.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Kouvola?
Within an hour or so of Kouvola: Repovesi National Park (36 km).
Where is Kouvola?
Kouvola is in Kymenlaakso, Finland, about 6 km from Koria.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 78,094
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Finland
- Region
- Kymenlaakso
- Timezone
- Europe/Helsinki
- Coordinates
- 60.8667, 26.7000
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Finland
Winter tyres mandatory December–February.
Full driving guide for FinlandTags
Worth the detour from Kouvola
1 notable place within an hour's drive.
When to drive here
May to September
Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.
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