Visit Finnish Kukkolankoski

Kukkolankoski is the largest free-flowing rapids in Europe. It is about 3.5 kilometers long and has a fall height of 13.8 meters.

Kukkolankoski is a popular place among tourists. Visitors to the area want to experience the rugged rapids and see the traditional dipnet fishermen. These are key attractions and an important part of the place’s unique culture and identity.

Kukkola has about 200 inhabitants. The Kukkolankoski rapids field is one of the nationally significant built cultural environments of the Finnish Heritage Agency. On both the Finnish and Swedish sides, there is an old rapids field with buildings that serve fishing culture: a grilling hut, a cold fish storage, granaries, the oldest are from the 17th century.

The Koskikenttä grilling hut is the place where skewered whitefish is made. This fish is the most famous delicacy of Kukkolankoski. In the summer, you can taste whitefish in connection with events and in the café according to opening hours. At Koskikenttä, you will find the café-restaurant Myllynpirtti, which is open in the summer. In addition, Kukkolankoski has private restaurants and the opportunity to rent banquet and sauna facilities.

FAQ

Here you can find answers to the most frequently asked questions about Kukkolankoski.

How do I get to Kukkolankoski?

Kukkolankoski is located about 15 kilometres from the center of Tornio, at Koskitie 76, 95520 Tornio. Here is how to get there:

By car: Take road E8 ”Jokivarrentie” from either north or south. The road turns onto Koskitie.
By bus: From Kemi or Tornio city centre, the journey takes about 25 minutes. The nearest stop is Kukkolankoski P. From the stop, it is an 850-metre walk along Koskitie to the rapids area.
By plane: The nearest airport is Kemi–Tornio Airport. The distance to Kukkolankoski is 39 kilometres. Luleå and Rovaniemi airports are about 135km away.

What services are available?

Here you can find information about the services available near the Kukkolankoski rapids area:

Café and restaurant services:

Myllynpirtti – Café-restaurant at the rapid area. Open during the summer. Koskitie 74, Tornio.
Kukkolan Koski-Catering – Café-restaurant at a walking distance from the rapid area. Koskitie 4, Tornio
Siikakartano – Restaurant by reservation, Koskitie 130, Tornio
Pohjolan pirtti – Restaurant by reservation, Koskitie 130, Tornio

Accommodation:

Kukkolan vierastalot – Holiday apartments. Koskitie 130, Tornio

Activities:

Nordic Safaris – program services

You can find the services of the other rapids at the bottom of this page. Through the regional tourism website, you can find more information of the destination: www.haparandatornio.com

At what time of the year should I pay a visit?

Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski are wonderful places to visit all year round. However, if you want to watch dipnetting and see life at the rapids, the best time to visit is in summer.

Dipnetting at Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski takes place within the framework defined by the Frontier Rivers Agreement. Whitefish are dipnetted from early July to mid-September, and salmon from early June to mid-July. Exact annual fishing periods should be checked on the Frontier Rivers Commission’s website. During the summer months, you can also enjoy cultural events at the rapids and local food.

Winter is also a spectacular time to visit – the rapids remain open despite the freezing temperatures, and the ice and frost formations that develop around them create a picture-perfect landscape. In the winter silence, the sound of flowing water becomes especially striking.

Can I try dipnet fishing myself?

Inherited fishing rights regulate access to dipnetting at Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski. These rights, which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, are recognised in both Swedish and Finnish legislation. The dipnetting rights are tied to original homesteads, about 75 in total, which today belong to several hundred individual shareholders.

At Kukkolaforsen on the Swedish side, you can book a one-hour guided activity during the summer and try dipnetting yourself under the supervision of an instructor.
https://www.kukkolaforsen.se/en/aktiviteter/kukkola-whitefish-fishing-experience/

On the Finnish side at Kukkolankoski, and on both sides of Matkakoski, this activity is not available.

When could I get to see whitefish distribution?

Whitefish dividing (siianjako) is best observed at the Finnish Kukkolankoski. There, the distribution tradition is alive and well, attracting both locals and visitors on summer evenings. During the summer, when turn-based dipnetting is in operation, the daily whitefish catch is divided among the shareholder homesteads according to an age-old system. The distribution takes place at the Kukkolankoski rapids field in front of the old fish shed at around six o’clock in the evening, when the dipnetting shift changes. Villagers and visitors gather to catch up and hear the day’s fishing stories. The rapid sorting of whitefish into their respective piles is a spectacle in itself.

Where can I find more information about Kukkolankoski?

In the “Rapids Areas” section of this website, you can find more information about the cross-border dipnetting tradition of the Tornio River and its four rapids villages.
The Kukkolankoski fishing community has its own website, kukkolankoski.fi (in Finnish), where you can find plenty of additional information about the tradition and Kukkolankoski.

Where can I find more information about dipnet tradition?

It is worth exploring the other sections of this website:

Dipnet tradition: This section explains cross-border dipnetting and its history.
More information: Here you can find links to publications, newspaper articles, and research related to the dipnetting tradition, as well as projects that help preserve it. You can also read newsletters called “Dipnet letters” and follow the latest news about the tradition.
Annual Calendar: This section provides information about life and yearly events in the four rapids villages, including Kukkolankoski and Matkakoski in both Sweden and Finland.