Komulanköngäs

Komulanköngäs is a beautiful segmented waterfall, which is rare for Finland. It is located in the village of Lauttakylä in Hyrynsalmi municipality. The fall has been previously called Lauttaköngäs after the nearby Lauttajärvi Lake. The lake feeds the Syväjoki River where the waterfall flows. The current name "Komulanköngäs" comes from the nearby Komula estate, previously owned by Setti Keränen, a knife maker and an acquaintance of former Finnish president Urho Kekkonen.

The total height of these almost vertical cascades is about 6 metres, even though some sources claim it to be up to 12 metres. The Syväjoki River branches into two separate stream beds right after the nearby Hallamaantie road. Both streams fall down a steep cliff into the dark lake below. The northern stream bed was mined artificially, and at the top there is an old norse mill, which serves now as a museum piece but is still functional, dating back to 1888.

The southern stream foams free and has slightly more water than the northern one. It is said that there once was a rock ledge above this waterfall, allowing a visitor to go to behind the waterfall and stay dry. The ledge was subsequently removed in order to facilitate log floating in the Syväjoki River. After that, the waterfall lost a little piece of its beauty. Today, the waterfall flows down into the lake as a steep cascade, which of course is a spectacular sight.

Both the falls are easy to get to see, from the lake shore and from the top. There are good paths in the area, and the nearby lean-to-shelter on the opposite side of the lake is also a good place to rest. There is clear sign posting to the fall and it’s a short distance from the nearby parking area. If you want to, you can take a longer hike along the popular UKK Hiking Trail. Both Komulanköngäs and the nearby Hepoköngäs are important attractions alongside the trail.

All in all, Komulanköngäs is a gorgeous and a picturesque waterfall and in itself a great piece of the Kainuu area wilderness. The fall is at its best in April and May, during the spring floods. Even after that there is enough water to make the fall beautiful – as you can see from the pictures taken in June.