Hamina is a town in Kymenlaakso, in the extreme southeast of Finland.
Hamina's history dates back to the Swedish rule, when Gustav Vasa gave Hamina Castle and the surrounding land to the merchant town of Hamina in 1653.
Hamina was an important trading town located on the border between Russia and Sweden. Its inhabitants traded with both Russia and Sweden, and trade was very important to the town's economy. Hamina also had an important harbour, from which goods were transported around the world.
In the 19th century, Hamina became even more important as the postal route from Saint Petersburg to Helsinki passed through the town. Along the road there were several inns where travellers could stay and rest.
After the war of 1808–1809, the peace treaty between Russia and Sweden was signed in Hamina Castle, confirming the annexation of Finland to the Russian Empire.
In the 20th century, Hamina's importance as a trading town declined. Towards the end of the 20th century, Hamina also became an important military town with the establishment of a major garrison.
Highway 7 (E18) between Helsinki and the Russian border passes through Hamina, as does the historic King's Road.
Hamina has direct buses from Helsinki, Lappeenranta and Kouvola. Local bus line 1 connects Hamina with Kotka.
Kotkanaikataulut.fi has information about local bus routes and timetables.
There is a bike sharing system using bluetooth and the Donkey Republic about €1.50/1 hr, €4/5 hr, €12/24 hr. For longer stays becoming a member is cheaper: €9 or €18/month covers all trips of less than 1 hr respectively 12 hr, also in other towns using Donkey Republic – but you need to register as member in the country of your card (available: most countries in western Europe and USA). Customer service , +358 44 716 0644 daily 09:00–21:00. Several towns in south-east Finland use the same system, which is in use also elsewhere in Finland and abroad.
2nd-order administrative division
Primary administrative division