Pyhtää (Swedish: Pyttis) is a municipality in Kymenlaakso, at the western forks of the Kymi river.

Understand

Lock of Struka Canal

Pyhtää has a population of 5.000 on 325 km² (125 sq mi) of land. It includes 450 km² of sea, with several major islands. Part of the archipelago belongs to the Gulf of Finland National Park.

After the Russo-Swedish War of 1741–1743, the border was moved to go through Pyhtää, with the western Kymi shore in Swedish hands (called Svenska Pyttis, "Swedish Pyhtää") forming a new municipality, Strömfors, now mostly part of Loviisa. Modern Pyhtää is the part that belonged to the Russian Empire until Finland's independence (although part of the Grand Duchy of Finland since 1811), with some parts of former Strömfors added.

The municipality is bilingual with 90% speaking Finnish and 7% Swedish as their mother tongue.

The parish village Pyhtää (Pyttis) with 700 inhabitants is in the western part of the municipality. The modern municipal centre Siltakylä (Broby) with 3,000 inhabitants is 9 km to the east, 12 km from Kotka centre. Purola (Svartbäck) with 250 inhabitants is 6 km south-west of Siltakylä by a sea bay sheltered by Munapirtti (Mogenpört). The other villages are smaller.

Get in and around

The Helsinki–Loviisa–Kotka roads King's Road, road 170 and road 7 (E18) pass through Pyhtää and Siltakylä.

By boat

The coastal fairways pass through the municipality, the innermost boating route (1.2 m) snaking through the inner archipelago, other ones going through or off the outer archipelago. Although there is no shortage of fairways and boating routes, boats with greater draught are mostly confined to natural harbours – and there is no shortage of rocks in this archipelago.

A 1.2-m boating route forks off to Lökören and Kalaranta of Siltakylä from the inner boating route. Thanks to the Struka Canal and its manually operated lock (see See below), also the parish village 5 km up the river is reachable by boat (draught likewise 1.2 m). A 2.5-m fairway leads to the Verkkoniemi harbour at the southern end of Kaunissaari.

See

• 1 Savukoski museum bridge (Bron över rökhusforsen) (at the Ahvenkoski fork, south-west of the Ahvenkoski village). 
• 2 Pyhtää church (Sankt Henriks kyrka). Stone church from the 1460s. The Medieval paintings, whitewashed during the Protestant reformation, have partly been restored.  
• 3 Stockfors industry site (1 km north from the parish village). A wood grindery from 1902. Now the historic milieu is the site of events and commercial activities. Packaging museum. Carting track. 
• 4 Struka Canal (Stråka kanal) (3 km downstream from the parish village, at the Struka village, close to the river mouth at Sandnäsfjärden; the inner boating route passes close by). Kanal with manually operated locks, built 1902–1905 for the Stockfors grindery. In 1908–1923 a passenger steamer operated from Pyttis to Kotka through the canal. Nowadays the canal is only used by boaters on a self-service basis.  

Do

Mire in Valkmusa National Park in October

• 1 Valkmusa National Park (9 km north from Siltakylä, on both sides of Vastilantie). Large mire landscape with plenty of birdwatching opportunities. 
• Gulf of Finland National Park. The outer archipelago of Pyhtää makes up the western part of the Gulf of Finland National Park. 
  • 2 Mustaviiri (Svartviran) (12 km south-west from Kaunissaari). Island 750 m across, with a Struve Geodetic Arc point (with observation tower), campfire sites, nature trail, cultural trail, well and tent site. It is among the more difficult of the points to access. Located in outer archipelago, you will need a boat to get here. (updated Apr 2021)
  • 3 Ristisaari (4 km south of Kaunissaari). Island 1 km across, with tent site, well, campfire sites and barbecue shelter. 
• 4 Kaunissaari (Fagerö) (in the outer archipelago, halfway to Kotka). The recreation island Kaunissaari is a popular destination. 

Sleep

Lodging

Cottage for rent

• Kotteria, ☏ +358 400-868-889, asiakaspalvelu@kotteria.com. Cottages. (updated Sep 2023)
  • 1 Kivikoski and Struka, Strukantie 24. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 12:00. Kivikoski and Struka cottages are log-wood holiday homes, designed for recreational purposes and for small business meetings. Suitable for year-round use. Located by the river and surrounded by a garden and grassy grounds. The cottages have terraces, a swimming dock, a small sandy bay for the little ones, a semi-open grey-log-wood gazebo and a hot outdoor tub that can be rented separately. Accommodates up to 7 and 12 people respectively. (updated Apr 2019)
  • 2 Skitunäs villa (Vuokramökki Skitunäs), Skitunäsintie 272, asiakaspalvelu@kotteria.com. Check-in: 16:00, check-out: 12:00. A seaside cottage in a wooded grassy plot. The villa is suitable for holiday use year-round. Terraces, a boat dock, a stony beach and ba barbecue hut. Accommodates up to 12 people. (updated Apr 2019)

Camping

There are tent sites on some islands of the national park, free, with outhouse toilets, well and campfire sites but little other service. Staying with a tent by the Moronvuori Day Trip Hut for a night or two is allowed (cf the right to access).

Backcountry

See Right to access in the Nordic countries. You can camp with a tent in the woods. No campfires.

Go next

Routes through Pyhtää

Helsinki ← Loviisa ←	W  E	→ Kotka → Vyborg
Helsinki ← Loviisa ←	W  E	→ Kotka → Saint Petersburg