On the southern ledge of the island of Kotkansaari is the youngest park of Kotka - the Ekaterina Marine Park .The territory of more than 20 hectares at the beginning of this century became a universal park and recreational zone .Here throughout the year life boils .The huge green lawns are adapted for active recreation and sports games with the ball, special stone tables are set on the sites for family picnics, which can accommodate up to 10 people .There is also a huge table for a company of 50 people made of seven types of granite .The park has special play areas for children, there are grounds for beach volleyball, even fishermen will find a place in the Marine Park for themselves .The attention of tourists is attracted by a small rocky islet, to which the metal bridge conducts .In memory of the dead sailors on the island, an anchor was installed from an old sailboat of the early 19th century .
On the island you can briefly stay to admire the view of the open sea and the neighboring island of Mussalo, peace and tranquility will be broken only by the sound of the waves and shrill cries of seagulls. According to the established tradition, the ashes of cremated relatives often come here, about 100 such ceremonies are held annually.
In the eastern part of the park, the black-billed grove of Catherine is broken, the territory of which since 1964 has been recognized as a protected area. Unlike the spacious stony landscapes of the rest of the park, the grove has preserved the original view of the forests of the eastern coast of the Gulf of Finland. The centuries-old trees in the lowland preserve a special reserved atmosphere, the natural value of the local plant and bird kingdom has long been recognized by the Finnish people.
From the history of the park
At the end of the 18th century, on the southern part of the island of Kotkansaari, by the order of the Empress Catherine the Great, the fortress "Ekaterina" was built - the main defensive structure of the city-fortress Ruotsinsalmi .Gradually the fort departed from the main destination, turning into a place for walking and rest .In the 1930s .here there was an oil port, with a part of the tanks installed right in the ruins of the fortress .In the early 1990s, .The oil port moved to the opposite bank of the strait, to the Mussalo terminal, and from 2002 .The raw materials stored in the port were completely lost, moving the terminals deep into the coast .After large-scale cleaning works in 2004 .the improvement of the cape and its re-equipment in the park zone began .By 2008 .the main works have been completed, the work on most of the park has been completed, however the fragmentary reconstruction and landscaping are still ongoing .
Helpful information
There are several restaurants on the territory of the Marine Park, convenient parking is provided for motorists.
On the footpaths of the Marine Park through the quarters of Mansikalahti and Meriniemi you can get to the water park "Sapoka."
Address: Kotka, Puistola.
How to get there: from Pasaati shopping center go to the end of the street, then cross the bridge, turn left and go along the coast to the park.