# Iitti

Iitti lies by the Kymijoki river in Päijänne Tavastia, in Southern Finland. Its parish village was once voted to be the most beautiful in Finland.

## Understand

The municipal centre of Iitti is Kausala, by the railway and national road 12, while the Iitti parish village (Iitin kirkonkylä) lies 7.5 km to the north, surrounded by lakes.
Iitti became a parish 1539. The railroad between Riihimäki and Saint Petersburg was built in the 1960s, and Kausala became the effective centre. 1872 a paper mill was built in Kuusankoski. 1921 Kuusankoski became an independent municipality and Iitti lost most of its industry.
The section of Kymijoki between the lake Konnivesi in the north and Pyhäjärvi by the parish village has hydroelectric plants (Vuolenkoski and Mankala). These (and the former rapids) are bypassed by the Kimola canal, formerly used for timber floating, but in the 2010s upgraded for river tour boats and leisure vessels.
The racetrack Kymi Ring is in Iitti. The track itself was finished in 2019 and there were plans to host a MotoGP motorcycle race in 2020 and Kymi Ring was to apply for a FIA Grade 1 license meaning it could function as a venue even for Formula 1 races. But the COVID-19 pandemic postponed both the event multiple times, as well as construction of surrounding buildings. As there have been no events on the track to bring in money, the company owning the track went bankrupt in 2023. Iitti didn't become the Finnish capital of motorsports, at least as of now.

## Get in

Trains between Helsinki and Kouvola stop at Kausala 60.885326.33031 railway station.
60.888126.33692 Bus station.

### By bus

Iitti has direct buses from Lahti, Kouvola, Kotka, Tampere and Lappeenranta.

### By boat

Boating routes on Pyhäjärvi of Iitti (there are many Pyhäjärvi in Finland; max draught 1.5 m) connect Iitti parish village with Kouvola (marinas just upstream of the Kuusankoski rapids) and the Kimola canal, giving access to Konnivesi and Heinola, in turn with access to Päijänne.

## Get around

Service traffic (palveluliikenne) offers dial-a-ride service.

### By taxi

See Päijänne Tavastia#By taxi
* Smartphone apps: Valopilkku

## See

* 60.937526.40251 Iitti church.
* 61.07916526.1735452 Kilkkilän Farmi, Ojassuontie 68, ☏ +358 40-752-2207, riitta@kilkkilanfarmi.fi. Farm animals, bouncy castle, trail tractors and trolley, horse carousel, farm shop. (updated Jun 2021)
* 60.84509226.2430873 Zoo Olga's farm (Kotieläinpiha Olgan farmi), Hanjärventie 11, ☏ +358 44 235 6911, olganfarmi@gmail.com. €6. (updated Jun 2022)

## Do

* 61.00526.4261 Hiidensaari (by Jaalanselkä of Pyhäjärvi, 7.5 km north from the parish village). Recreation island with jetty, campfire area, outhouse pit toilet, trails and similar service, a prehistoric hill fort with fine views, a prehistoric grave site, a prehistoric dwelling site, and a nature reserve. Don't kick around any archaeologically valuable stones. In summer there are often events on the island, such as concerts.

### Events

* Iitti music festival (Iitin musiikkijuhlat): (bus transport from Kausala, 7 km from the festival site). Music festival in June with mostly chamber music. Most concerts in the wooden church from 1693, some at other locations, also outdoor concerts. A music school for young people is arranged concurrently. €20–40, some concerts free; bus transport 2×€3–7. (date needs fixing)

## Eat

* 61.08384226.1798271 Rantamesta, Vuolenkoskentie 1476 (along road 363 in Vuolenkoski; about 30 kilometers north of Kausala), ☏ +358 41 311 9485, rantamesta@vuolenkoski.fi. A lakeshore summer restaurant. (updated Dec 2023)
* 60.87838926.2973612 Vanha Sampo, Rieskantie 24. There is an outdoor playground with climbing frames for children in the courtyard. Yard also has chickens and ducks in the summer. There is a pony in the backyard. (updated Jun 2021)