Visit the rapids
Come and visit the rapids
Welcome to visit the Dipnet fishing villages! Here you can get to know the services, location and special features of the different villages – everything that makes them special destinations along the Torne River. Scroll down and find your own route to the dipnet villages!
Kukkolaforsen SWE
Kukkolaforsen is located about 16 kilometres from the centre of Haparanda. The area offers various visitor services such as a restaurant, accommodation and year-round activities.
The Cultural Village, managed by the municipality of Haparanda, features buildings from the 1700s. The Torne Valley Fishing Museum, open in summer, presents the region’s fishing culture and traditional methods.
Dipnet fishing rights are auctioned annually, and several traditional fish sheds, an ice shed, and a grilling hut remain in use.
Kukkolankoski FI
Kukkolankoski is situated 16km from the center of the city of Tornio. It’s a vibrant meeting place where visitors can experience the power of the river and the traditional dipnet fishing that defines the area’s identity.
The historic rapids village features buildings from the 18th century that reflect its fishing culture. The famous skewered whitefish, prepared at the grilling hut on spot, is a must-try local delicacy.
In summer, visitors can enjoy whitefish dishes and local flavors at Café-Restaurant Myllynpirtti or nearby private venues offering dining, sauna, and event facilities.
Matkakoski SWE
Matkakoski is a rapid area in the Torne River, located in Korpikylä, about 35 kilometres north of Haparanda and has about 100 inhabitants. The length of the rapids is 800 metres, of which the length of the main rapids is about 400 metres, and the fall height is about 10 metres.
There are two culturally and historically significant buildings in Matkakoski. One of them houses the Idas café, which is maintained by the village community in the summer, and the other is a rapids hut, where traditionalists meet and prepare traditional skewered whitefish. The shores of the Matkakoski rapids are also popular with sport fishermen.
Matkakoski FI
Matkakoski on the Finnish side is in the village of Korpikylä, about 35 kilometres from the centre of Tornio. Matkakoski is known for traditional dipnet fishing, and it is also popular among sport fishermen. The rapids are flowing and strong, as the river narrows at that point and forms good fishing spots for fishermen. The traditional lifestyle of the area is strongly linked to the river, fishing and the rhythm of the seasons.
Even if Matkakoski has no services for visitors, it has a distinctive, authentic and local character, and it is very valuable from the point of view of cultural heritage.
