The History of Käyrälampi Lake

Note! The Käyrälampi history guide board will be placed in the terrain in the fall of 2024.

Käyrälampi lake has been a favourite summer destination for locals for decades. In the 1930s, before the Second World War, there was a beach for swimming on the eastern shore of Käyrälampi. At that time it was called Kauppala beach (‘the town’s beach’) and was leased to the town of Kouvola by private landowners. In addition to Käyrälampi, the town also received several other offers for beaches to lease such as at Lappalanjärvi lake, Kymijoki river, Karhulanjärvi lake and Haukkajärvi lake. The most advantageous in terms of distance and price won. In the summer of 1936 the rent was 2,000 Finnish marks.

Due to the popularity of the beach, an extra Kouvola-Utti bus service ran during the summer to transport eager sunbathers to the beach, and even that wasn’t always enough. A beach on the southern shore of Käyrälampi was opened on Midsummer’s Eve 1946.

The renovation of Käyrälampi camping site was started in the 1950s, when Kouvola’s tourist potential began to be developed. The Käyrälampi campsite, owned by the town and later the city, grew rapidly and, by the 1960s, it was possible to stay in small cabins in addition to camping. The cabins were simple, but offered everything you needed for a comfortable stay. Life at Käyrälampi campsite was pleasant and communal.

Although, in the 1970s, Kouvola was still considered more of a transit station than a tourist town, Käyrälampi campsite attracted more and more tourists year after year. In 1985, Käyrälampi Camping was chosen as the Caravan Area of the Year and was among the ten most popular campsites in Finland.

Today, Käyrälampi offers tourists not only a campsite, but also villa and cabin accommodation, saunas, café and restaurant services, and many activities.