On our map this route is about 47 km as one continuous paddle line from the Kymijärvi shore toward the Kymijoki waterway connection—a point-to-point trace through the Päijät-Häme and Kymenlaakso lake-and-river network. Regional tourism and news coverage describe a much larger, signposted paddling network that links Lah...
Yle – Etelä-Suomeen syntyi uusi melontareitti+
Description
On our map this route is about 47 km as one continuous paddle line from the Kymijärvi shore toward the Kymijoki waterway connection—a point-to-point trace through the Päijät-Häme and Kymenlaakso lake-and-river network. Regional tourism and news coverage describe a much larger, signposted paddling network that links Lahti, Iitti, and Kouvola: roughly 150–160 km with spurs and stages, often planned as five or six full days end to end, with portage trolleys rented at land transitions so you can roll the boat to the next put-in. Yle photographed those trolley points on the Iitti side when the network launched. Visit Lahti presents that corridor as one of Southern Finland’s long-distance paddling products, combining eastern Lahti’s smaller lakes and connecting streams with Iitti’s larger basins and onward links toward the Kymijoki system and Kimola Canal. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat reported the same development story: the network continues an existing line from Lake Kymijärvi through Nastola’s lake and river rooms toward Kymijoki and Kimola, deliberately tying Iitti into Päijät-Häme’s paddling map.
Read against that backdrop, this segment is the western “first book” of the journey: it leaves the Kymijärvi swimming-beach side, threads Villähde and the Kukkasjärvi–Iso-Kukkasen room, and passes Loistopolun laavu where land users on Loistopolku meet the shore. Around the mid-route arc the line runs beside Liikuntakeskus Pajulahti—use Pajulahden rantautumispaikka if you need a formal landing beside the sports campus—and climbs toward Jatankallion kota for a sheltered fire-and-food stop in forest. Further along, Ruuhijärvi’s recreation beach opens calmer water for a break, and the trace closes toward Uudenkylän virkistysranta in the northern part of the run. Equipment and coaching sit on both sides of the municipal line: Supventures at Iitti’s Rantamakasiini rents SUPs, kayaks, and canoes with instruction, while Yli-Kaitala Resort on Kettujärvi keeps Seabird kayaks and canoes on the Kymijoki water system with dock access. For guided half-day lake trips staged from the Pajulahti area—Kukkasjärvi or Salajärvi depending on weather—the Melontaretki Nastolassa page on Visit Lahti lists operators that start experienced paddlers straight on the water.
Downstream context matters if you continue past this file’s line: Seikkailuviikari’s Kymijoki materials describe the classic Inkerois–Strömfors recreation paddle with staged rest sites and a few regulated dams that require short carries—useful reading when you join the main stem farther east. Fishing from the craft follows normal inland licensing; Eräluvat is the national purchase path when your trip includes angling.
If you combine land and water, the shore beside this line touches Reitti Pajulahti–Kalliojärvi–Villähde and runs parallel to Loistopolku and Pajulahden kuntorata where those trails meet the same beaches—handy for support crews or mixed-sport days.
Length & route
The mapped line is about 47.1 km as one continuous paddle in this database. Regional marketing for the wider Lahti–Iitti–Kouvola network quotes roughly 150–160 km with spurs and multi-day timing; this file isolates the Lake Kymijärvi–toward–Kymijoki link segment only. Expect mixed lake paddling, narrow sound crossings, and slower river-linked sections where wind on open water and motor traffic near bridges matter more than white water on most summer levels.
Getting there
Treat the route as a shuttle: match put-in and take-out to public beaches and the sports-campus landing rather than a single signed trailhead. Visit Lahti’s paddling hub lists regional operators and staging ideas. For Iitti-based hire, Supventures at Sitikkalantie 105 publishes phone and email for SUP and kayak rental; Yli-Kaitala Resort stages boats from its Kettujärvi dock. If you stage from the Pajulahti side, combine with the Melontaretki Nastolassa page on Visit Lahti for timing and skill expectations.
Good to know
Motorboats share some fairways near bridges and sports campuses—give them space and expect wake when you pause for food. The wider network’s land carries are easier with rented trolleys; check availability when you plan multi-day links. Forest-fire rules apply at laavu and kota sites; carry current guidance from the land manager before lighting a flame.
Itinerary
At about 47 km, plan two or three full paddling days in typical summer weather, or one long day only for fit groups on calm wind. A practical reading of the stop list clusters the first third around Kymijärvi and Villähde beaches, then the Kukkasjärvi room with Loistopolun laavu as a shore shelter. The middle passes Pajulahti’s landing and Jatankallion kota—good for meals and firewood breaks. The northern block uses Ruuhijärvi and Uudenkylä beaches for swimming and rest before the line closes toward the Kymijoki connection zone. If you extend into the 150+ km network, Yle’s reporting on portage trolleys still applies at land gaps.
Where to rent kayaks
Supventures at Iitti Rantamakasiini (Sitikkalantie 105) rents SUP boards, rowing boats, kayaks, and canoes and offers SUP coaching and trips—phone 040 174 2470 and email via their Visit Lahti listing. Yli-Kaitala Resort (Kettujärvi, Iitti) keeps six Seabird kayaks, two canoes, and SUP boards with dock access on the Kymijoki water system—ask also about boats and fishing packages. Visit Lahti’s Nastola kayaking trip entry describes guided lake outings from the Pajulahti address, aimed at paddlers with some prior experience with beginner packages available on request—phone 040 760 7240 for Best Lake Nature–style staging.
Guided tours & Experiences
Visit Lahti lists guided lake kayaking trips in Nastola (about three hours, Kukkasjärvi or Salajärvi depending on weather) with breaks and snacks—contact the operator through the Visit Lahti outing page. Supventures advertises SUP instruction and wellness-focused outings on the water in Iitti.
Regional copy describes progress from Lake Kymijärvi and eastern Lahti waterways toward Iitti and the Kymijoki–Kimola corridor; you can paddle either way, but wind and pick-up logistics usually favour planning downstream or toward your staged vehicle.
Route direction
Lake
Lake
River
River
Open / Good Condition
Open / Good Condition
Yle – Etelä-Suomeen syntyi uusi melontareitti+
Activities allowed
Kayak / Canoe
Activity
Terrain & conditions
47.1 km
Distance
Typically two to three full paddling days for the mapped 47 km in normal summer conditions, or longer when you fold this segment into the 150+ km Lahti–Iitti–Kouvola itinerary.
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Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Lahti, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.
On our map this route is about 47 km as one continuous paddle line from the Kymijärvi shore toward the Kymijoki waterway connection—a point-to-point trace through the Päijät-Häme and Kymenlaakso lake-and-river network. Regional tourism and news coverage describe a much larger, signposted paddling network that links Lah...
Yle – Etelä-Suomeen syntyi uusi melontareitti+
Description
On our map this route is about 47 km as one continuous paddle line from the Kymijärvi shore toward the Kymijoki waterway connection—a point-to-point trace through the Päijät-Häme and Kymenlaakso lake-and-river network. Regional tourism and news coverage describe a much larger, signposted paddling network that links Lahti, Iitti, and Kouvola: roughly 150–160 km with spurs and stages, often planned as five or six full days end to end, with portage trolleys rented at land transitions so you can roll the boat to the next put-in. Yle photographed those trolley points on the Iitti side when the network launched. Visit Lahti presents that corridor as one of Southern Finland’s long-distance paddling products, combining eastern Lahti’s smaller lakes and connecting streams with Iitti’s larger basins and onward links toward the Kymijoki system and Kimola Canal. Etelä-Suomen Sanomat reported the same development story: the network continues an existing line from Lake Kymijärvi through Nastola’s lake and river rooms toward Kymijoki and Kimola, deliberately tying Iitti into Päijät-Häme’s paddling map.
Read against that backdrop, this segment is the western “first book” of the journey: it leaves the Kymijärvi swimming-beach side, threads Villähde and the Kukkasjärvi–Iso-Kukkasen room, and passes Loistopolun laavu where land users on Loistopolku meet the shore. Around the mid-route arc the line runs beside Liikuntakeskus Pajulahti—use Pajulahden rantautumispaikka if you need a formal landing beside the sports campus—and climbs toward Jatankallion kota for a sheltered fire-and-food stop in forest. Further along, Ruuhijärvi’s recreation beach opens calmer water for a break, and the trace closes toward Uudenkylän virkistysranta in the northern part of the run. Equipment and coaching sit on both sides of the municipal line: Supventures at Iitti’s Rantamakasiini rents SUPs, kayaks, and canoes with instruction, while Yli-Kaitala Resort on Kettujärvi keeps Seabird kayaks and canoes on the Kymijoki water system with dock access. For guided half-day lake trips staged from the Pajulahti area—Kukkasjärvi or Salajärvi depending on weather—the Melontaretki Nastolassa page on Visit Lahti lists operators that start experienced paddlers straight on the water.
Downstream context matters if you continue past this file’s line: Seikkailuviikari’s Kymijoki materials describe the classic Inkerois–Strömfors recreation paddle with staged rest sites and a few regulated dams that require short carries—useful reading when you join the main stem farther east. Fishing from the craft follows normal inland licensing; Eräluvat is the national purchase path when your trip includes angling.
If you combine land and water, the shore beside this line touches Reitti Pajulahti–Kalliojärvi–Villähde and runs parallel to Loistopolku and Pajulahden kuntorata where those trails meet the same beaches—handy for support crews or mixed-sport days.
Length & route
The mapped line is about 47.1 km as one continuous paddle in this database. Regional marketing for the wider Lahti–Iitti–Kouvola network quotes roughly 150–160 km with spurs and multi-day timing; this file isolates the Lake Kymijärvi–toward–Kymijoki link segment only. Expect mixed lake paddling, narrow sound crossings, and slower river-linked sections where wind on open water and motor traffic near bridges matter more than white water on most summer levels.
Getting there
Treat the route as a shuttle: match put-in and take-out to public beaches and the sports-campus landing rather than a single signed trailhead. Visit Lahti’s paddling hub lists regional operators and staging ideas. For Iitti-based hire, Supventures at Sitikkalantie 105 publishes phone and email for SUP and kayak rental; Yli-Kaitala Resort stages boats from its Kettujärvi dock. If you stage from the Pajulahti side, combine with the Melontaretki Nastolassa page on Visit Lahti for timing and skill expectations.
Good to know
Motorboats share some fairways near bridges and sports campuses—give them space and expect wake when you pause for food. The wider network’s land carries are easier with rented trolleys; check availability when you plan multi-day links. Forest-fire rules apply at laavu and kota sites; carry current guidance from the land manager before lighting a flame.
Itinerary
At about 47 km, plan two or three full paddling days in typical summer weather, or one long day only for fit groups on calm wind. A practical reading of the stop list clusters the first third around Kymijärvi and Villähde beaches, then the Kukkasjärvi room with Loistopolun laavu as a shore shelter. The middle passes Pajulahti’s landing and Jatankallion kota—good for meals and firewood breaks. The northern block uses Ruuhijärvi and Uudenkylä beaches for swimming and rest before the line closes toward the Kymijoki connection zone. If you extend into the 150+ km network, Yle’s reporting on portage trolleys still applies at land gaps.
Where to rent kayaks
Supventures at Iitti Rantamakasiini (Sitikkalantie 105) rents SUP boards, rowing boats, kayaks, and canoes and offers SUP coaching and trips—phone 040 174 2470 and email via their Visit Lahti listing. Yli-Kaitala Resort (Kettujärvi, Iitti) keeps six Seabird kayaks, two canoes, and SUP boards with dock access on the Kymijoki water system—ask also about boats and fishing packages. Visit Lahti’s Nastola kayaking trip entry describes guided lake outings from the Pajulahti address, aimed at paddlers with some prior experience with beginner packages available on request—phone 040 760 7240 for Best Lake Nature–style staging.
Guided tours & Experiences
Visit Lahti lists guided lake kayaking trips in Nastola (about three hours, Kukkasjärvi or Salajärvi depending on weather) with breaks and snacks—contact the operator through the Visit Lahti outing page. Supventures advertises SUP instruction and wellness-focused outings on the water in Iitti.
Regional copy describes progress from Lake Kymijärvi and eastern Lahti waterways toward Iitti and the Kymijoki–Kimola corridor; you can paddle either way, but wind and pick-up logistics usually favour planning downstream or toward your staged vehicle.
Typically two to three full paddling days for the mapped 47 km in normal summer conditions, or longer when you fold this segment into the 150+ km Lahti–Iitti–Kouvola itinerary.
Be the first to write a review for "Kymijärvi–Kymenkäänne kayaking route"
Share a photo from a recent trip
Answers to your questions
Our data was researched from Lahti, and other trusted sources, in March 2026. Our route / place GPX data comes from Metsähallitus / Lipas, last updated March 2026. Always check their official website for safety-critical updates.
