Visit Finnish Matkakoski

Matkakoski is located about 35 kilometres from the center of Tornio, in village Korpikylä at 95540 Tornio. Here is how to get there:

• By car: Take road E8 ”Jokivarrentie” from either north or south.  The road turns onto Matkakoski.
• By plane: The nearest airport is Kemi–Tornio Airport. The distance to Matkakoski is 61 kilometres. Rovaniemi airport is 130 kilometres  and Luleå airport is 170 kilometres away.

Finnish Matkakoski has a parking lot and a fire pit. There are currently no other services at the site. The area is especially suitable for experiencing the tranquility of nature, the traditional riverside environment, and for observing dipnetting.

The nearest accommodation, Villa Vonka, is situated 600metres away: https://www.vonkavillage.fi/en

Links to the other rapids can be found at the bottom of the page.  Through the regional tourism website, you can find more information of the destination: www.haparandatornio.com

Matkakoski and Kukkolankoski 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 Matkakoski and Kukkolankoski 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.

Inherited fishing rights regulate access to dipnetting at Matkakoski and Kukkolankoski. 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 both sides of Matkakoski and the Finnish side at Kukkolankoski, this activity is not available at the moment.

Whitefish distribution 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 6:00 p.m. Finnish time, 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.

Whitefish distribution can also be observed on the Swedish Matkakoski approximately from early August to mid-September. The sharing takes place next to Ida’s Café at 6:00 p.m. Swedish time (at 5:00 p.m. Finnish time), in connection with the change of dipnetting shift.

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.