Entrepreneurs from the Twin City of Imatra Participated in the Lamprey Festival
As part of the project "Development of the Waterway Network and Tourism Entrepreneurship of Ida-Viru Region," a delegation from the Finnish twin city of Imatra visited Narva-Jõesuu on September 24–26. The delegation included entrepreneurs and small business representatives from the Imatra–Lappeenranta region operating in harbor operations, fishing, gastronomy, and cultural event management. Among them were the creators of a floating sauna, guest marina operators, organizers of professional fishing tours, as well as representatives of holiday cottage accommodation and artisanal gastronomy.
The delegation also included representatives of goSaimaa, a regional tourism organization dedicated to the joint promotion of South Karelia’s tourism opportunities and consolidating information on travel services and attractions in the Imatra and Lappeenranta region. The involvement of goSaimaa allowed partners to discuss avenues for strengthening tourism links and exchanging best practices, particularly in water and culinary tourism.
Emilio Urpalainen, Vice Chairman of the Imatra City Council, emphasized the importance of fostering cooperation between the two cities, especially under current conditions when Narva-Jõesuu and Imatra face largely similar situations as border towns. "Today, it is especially important to preserve and develop ties between our cities, identify new avenues for cooperation, and maintain connections between people, businesses, and organizations. We share similar conditions and many common challenges; therefore, we have much to learn from each other and can seek new solutions together," noted the Vice Chairman of the Imatra City Council.
The visit provided Finnish entrepreneurs with an opportunity to explore Narva-Jõesuu and Narva, exchange knowledge, and discuss new directions for twin-city partnerships. Special focus was given to the strengths that bring the two border regions together: water resources, fisheries, tourism, local produce, and cultural initiatives.
Among the participants was Ville Pääkkönen, a professional fishing guide from South Karelia. For Ville, fishing is far more than a pastime—it is a way of life. Over 30 years, he has built extensive expertise in catching different fish species using varied angling techniques, spending upwards of 500 hours on the water every year. Ville develops fishing tourism, introducing visitors to local water bodies and modern fishing methods, with an uncompromising focus on safety and professional standards. Furthermore, his activities extend well beyond angling: Ville is also a trained chef, and his culinary philosophy centers on premium local ingredients—grown, gathered, or caught personally. At the Lamprey Festival, Ville took an active part in a lamprey preparation masterclass.
Another prominent delegation member was Päivi from Imatra, founder of Päivi-Angervo, an artisanal food production company. Her craft relies on hyper-local ingredients, clean recipes free of unnecessary additives, traditional preparation methods, and a strong dedication to quality and flavor. During the Lamprey Festival, Päivi prepared one of her award-winning creations: rhubarb syrup, which recently won a bronze medal at the Finnish Artisanal Food Championship in Oulu. Earlier, in 2023, her non-alcoholic rhubarb glögg claimed the gold medal at the same competition. Guests also had the chance to discover other distinctive Päivi-Angervo products, including strawberry-chili syrup pairing excellently with cheeses, meats, and desserts, as well as chanterelle mushroom syrup, which makes a surprisingly delightful pairing with vanilla ice cream.
Such meetings illustrate that twin-city partnerships thrive not only through formal official ties, but also via hands-on networking between entrepreneurs, practical knowledge transfer, food, fisheries, tourism, and shared cultural initiatives. The visit of the business delegation from Imatra and their participation in the Lamprey Festival in Narva-Jõesuu marked another step toward reinforcing bonds between the twin cities and unlocking new collaborative opportunities across the border.
The project "Development of the Waterway Network and Tourism Entrepreneurship of Ida-Viru Region" is co-funded by the European Union Cohesion Policy fund under the measure "Attractive Regional Business and Living Environment," the support measure for the implementation of regional development strategies, and the budgets of project partners.