Ironworks Tour

Explore by bike the historic ironworks villages of the lower reaches of Kymijoki River in Loviisa, Strömfors Ironworks in Ruotsinpyhtää and Stockfors in Pyhtää. Along the route you’ll also see and experience Aeronautica Arena‘s diverse activities and tasty treats, medieval stone church of St. Henry in Pyhtää, the Klåsarö power plant dam, the Savukoski museum bridge, and the manually operated Struka lock.

Strömfors Ironworks is one of the oldest ironworks in Finland. For more than 250 years, the waters of the westernmost branch of the Kymijoki River kept the water wheels of the Strömfors ironworks turning, and the smiths busy. In 1695, Baron Johan Creutz founded the first tilt hammer forge in Pyhtää. In 1743, the westernmost main branch of the Kymijoki River became the border between Russia and Sweden at the Treaty of Turku, and the village of Pyhtää was then divided in two. The Swedish part of the village was called Ruotsinpyhtää meaning Swedish Pyhtää.

In addition to the ironworks, sawmill and mill, the ironworks area had a brewery with a distillery, a tavern and a brick factory. Besides this, agriculture, forestry, horticulture and coal burning have been practised. The eventful history of the Ironworks area still lives on through the charming wooden house setting, museums, and artisans working in the area. In addition to the ironworks atmosphere, Strömfors offers its visitors an experience of a lifetime. The summer theatre provides amusement for the whole family, the restaurants in the area keep you well-fed, and the small boutiques offer interesting souvenirs. The adventure seeker can hire a wide range of sports and hiking equipment and enjoy the area’s diverse nature.

Like many other historic estates, Stockfors was a family farm with numerous owners. The manor was founded in 1570 and operated as a farm until 1889, when the Norwegian engineer Olaf Bülow and consul Ole Nedrum bought the manor of Stockfors. They became interested in the hydroelectric power of Kymijoki River, and of its five branches, the ‘Pyhtää branch’ seemed to be the most promising – it was also able to supply a lot of raw materials from the forests of the area and its water was utilised, in addition to the rapids, only by the Klåsarö mill. It provided an excellent transportation route to the loading point by the sea as well.

Today, the Ironworks area has a wide range of cultural and well-being services. The centre of these services is Patruunantalo, which offers travellers accommodation and dining services.

Rent a bike from either Aeronautica Arena or Wellsters (Strömfors) and enjoy the tour at the ironworks area.

See detailed route information and navigate on OutdoorActive.