Göta kanal
The Göta canal is one of Sweden’s best known and most popular tourist attractions and was nominated Swedish structure of the millennium. The 190 kilometre-long canal was built between 1810 and 1832. 87 kilometres of it was excavated manually by a total of 58,000 Swedish soldiers. The promoter and building contractor was Baltzar von Platen.
Visitors have a wide variety of activities to choose from, as well as sights and comfortable residences along the waterway, which is a site of great natural beauty. The guest harbours along the canal are of an extremely high standard with bustling cafés, restaurants and other activities. The guest harbours are included in the canal toll with up to five days free of charge per harbour, including guest harbour services and electricity supply points.
In Berg’s famous chain of locks – Carl Johan’s locks containing 7 linked locks – the boats rise and fall a minimum of 18.8 metres to overcome the differences in water level to the Roxen lake. It is a process that thousands of visitors find fascinating to watch. The locks at Borensberg and Tåtorp are still operated manually in the traditional way.
The Göta canal runs between Mem on the Baltic and Sjötorp beside the Vänern lake and has 58 locks. At its highest point, the canal is 91.8 metres above sea level in the Viken lake. The old towpath along the canal is one of Sweden’s most popular cycle paths.
AB Göta kanalbolag
Box 3
591 21 Motala
Tel:
+46 (0)141-20 20 50
Fax:
+46 (0)141-21 55 50
E-mail:
Website:
| Built in: | 1810-1832 |
| Length of the canal:: | 190 km, 102.6 NM |
| Number of locks: | 58 |
| Difference in levels: | 91.8 m |
| Number of guest harbours: | 21 |
| Maximum dimensions for boats: | Width: 7 m; length: 30 m; depth 2.82 m; height: 22 m |
| Chart: | Boat sport chart for the Göta Canal and the Trollhättan Canal, Mem-Gothenburg, with Lake Vättern and south of Lake Vänern. Sjöfartsverket |
| Recommended number of days to pass through the canal: | 5-7 days |
