Göta Canal
Karlsborg - Töreboda - Mariestad
It’s no wonder that the Göta Canal has been nominated as the Swedish construction of the millennium. There is so much to experience around the canal for the whole family, both on land and along the waterway. Come and discover the blue ribbon of Sweden!
Enjoy the canal by boat
The beautiful waterway of Göta Canal awaits you! Travel along it in your own boat or canoe, or go on a cruise on board one of the canal boats. Sailing on the historic canal boats M/S Wilhelm Tham, M/S Juno or M/S Diana along the Göta Canal is like stepping into another world. Leave your stress behind and treat yourself to a few days of total relaxation in a fascinating, historic setting. Cruises include overnight accommodation and full board with breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Enjoyable cycling for the whole family
If you prefer to watch the fascinating boat life from dry land, the popular cycle path along the canal is highly recommended. There is a narrow gravel road that was originally built for oxen and horses to tow small sailing freighters along the canal, which is now a perfect car-free route for the whole family to cycle right next to the water. Enjoy the calm settings, watch the boats passing through the locks and stop off at friendly cafés alongside the canal. There are good accommodation options along the entire length of the canal and plenty of cycling packages and bicycles to rent.
Photographer: Roger Borgelid
Attractions along the canal
Stop off in some of the lovely villages you pass through - they have activities, events and attractions for almost everybody’s taste. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Karlsborg Fortress, where you can take part in the exciting guided tour called Raiders of the Lost Gold Reserve.
- Forsviks Bruk is a living museum where you can watch people work at Forsviks shipyard, smithy and mill.
- Norrqvarn Hotell & Konferens. Spend the night in the magic tree stumps and mushrooms, play in the Children's Mini Canal and enjoy good food and drinks at the outdoor terrace on the pier.
A historic masterpiece
Small wonder that Göta Canal is called the canal of opportunities - Baltzar von Platen’s masterpiece of construction was inaugurated in 1832 and joins Västerhavet with the Baltic Sea. Around 58,000 Swedish soldiers spent 22 years digging through rock, moraine and clay, for the most part using spades. The canal is 190 km long in all, of which 87 km are man-made.
The fairway is kept open from the beginning of May to the end of September, but the areas around the canal are very lively all year round. There is a more detailed article here that describes everything you can experience along the Göta Canal.
