5 euro – Karelia: Imatra power plant

The Imatra power plant built on the rapids combines the wonder of natural forces and a tour de force of engineering. Imatra rapids are Finland’s oldest tourist attraction, and people have come even from abroad to admire their surging white waters as early as the 18th century. The power of the rapids was harnessed for hydroelectric power in 1929, but for the enjoyment of tourists the dam is opened about a hundred times a year.