Experience three unique canals
The Kimola Canal, 150-year-old Vääksy Canal and the surrounding lovely sights, restaurants and boutiques of Old Vääksy, and Kalkkinen village with its winery and berry farm are an excellent destination for a cruise and a fun day out.
Spend the entire day at the Vääksy canal
Old Vääksy
The village surrounding the Vääksy canal has plenty to offer for an entire day. Watch how the lock of the canal works, walk to the Vääksynjoki river side of the canal and take a breather beside Wine&Cafe Jokiranta’s tapas platter. Pop by the Päijänne House and then go do some serious shopping along Vääksyntie. When it’s time to have lunch, check out Kanavan Kruunu and Majakkapaviljonki. Children will enjoy themselves in the playground and adventure park, and on the nature trail by the Vääksy river.
A gourmand’s tour of the Vääksy canal
There’s ice cream, French delicacies, waffles and local craft beer! Try the delicious artisan ice cream at Kanavan Helmi Café. Grab some French delicacies from Ranskalainen kyläkauppa (“the French Village Shop”) and try a tapas platter with a Finnish twist at Wine&Cafe Jokiranta. Finish your delicacy tour with Kanavan Panimo’s craft beers and buy local delicacies to take with you from Päijännetalo house.
Shop till you drop!
Shopaholic, head for the old Vääksy centre. You will find treasures from the world of fashion and interior design along Vääksyntie and Asikkalantie. The legendary Lauran kauppa stuns with its selection, Ranskalainen kyläkauppa offers French-style fashion, interior design and delicacies alike and Zoom Design features world-renowned brands from Lexington to Balmuir.
Culture and sights along the canal
Summer at the Vääksy canal is busy also when it comes to culture. Vääksyn Taidevintti and the Danielson-Kalmari villa are full of art exhibitions in the summer. At the Päijänne House, you can get to know fishing culture and pick up nature tips from the Salpausselkä UNESCO Global Geopark information point. At the Water Mill Museum, you will get to know life in the olden days.
A day trip tip: Aboard a ship from Lahti to Vääksy and back in the afternoon
The ships of Päijänne-Risteilyt Hilden sailing the route Lahti–Heinola–Lahti stop also at the Vääksy canal. The ship sets off from Lahti in the morning and stops in Vääksy after 1.5 hours. You can hop back on the return ship in the afternoon. You will have approximately 6.5 hours to spend in Vääksy.
See the detailed schedules from Hilden’s website.
If you wish to stay in Vääksy for longer, you can easily take a local bus back to Lahti.
The Kalkkinen canal connects Lakes Päijänne and Ruotsalainen
Located in Asikkala, the Kalkkinen canal connects Lake Päijänne and the start of the Kymijoki river. Through the canal, you can access Lake Ruotsalainen and head towards the town of Heinola. You can reach the Kalkkinen canal on the Lahti–Heinola–Lahti route ship of Päijänne-Risteilyt Hilden.
The Kimola canal
Stretching a whopping 5.5 kilometres, the Kimola canal, with its 12-metre high lock and unique canal tunnel, is worth experiencing. You can sail to the Kimola canal aboard a cruise ship, too.
Cruises Heinola-KouvolaVuolenkoski village is only a stone’s throw away from Kimola
The charming Vuolenkoski village along the rapids of the Kymijoki river offers cute cafés and small boutiques. At the Vuolenkoski summer market, you can enjoy locally produced food and a cosy atmosphere every summer Saturday. Visit the Rantamesta restaurant, buy some locally produced ingredients to take home with you from the Kilkkilä farm and select the best souvenirs from the Peurankello café and artisanal shop.
Vuolenkoski is located perfectly on your way, whether you are travelling by car or boat. You can reach Vuolenkoski from Vierumäki by car in a mere ten minutes and the Kimola canal from there in about five minutes. When boating, Vuolenkoski is a great spot for a break between Heinola and the Kimola canal.