Posts In The “Europe” Category
We’re always up for an opportunity to take in a world-class sporting event, even if it’s a sport that is new to us. So when we heard that a FIM Motocross World Championship contest was being held about twenty miles from Trollhattan in Uddevalla, Sweden, we just had to attend. Last year’s racing drew 30,000…
The first set of locks were completed at Trollhattan in 1800 as part of the Trollhatte Canal to connect Gothenburg on the Swedish west coast with the industry in Lake Vanern. In 1844 a second set of locks was constructed to match the maximum dimensions of the newly-completed Gota Canal, allowing ships to travel between…
The Dalsland Canal was conceived in the mid-1800s to provide a communications route through roadless areas of western Sweden. Only short sections of canal between large lakes would need to be built, so the construction was relatively cost-effective. Haverud rapids, however, were a major obstacle. Nils Ericson, the designer of the Trollhatte Canal and the…
The Trollhattan Falls have been a tourist attraction since the 18th century, but no longer flow since the Gota Alv river was dammed for power in the early 1900s. At scheduled times in the summer, the falls are released as a tourist attraction, sending over 300,000 liters of water pour second gushing into the gorge….
After a busy, but fun, couple of weeks along the Gota Canal, we took it easy for a few days to enjoy some lake cruising on Lake Vanern and catch up on a few boat projects before heading through the Trollhatte Canal and back to sea level. 2,180 sq mi (5,650 sq km) Lake Vanern…
The medieval castle Lacko Slott is a dramatic sight at the south end of Lake Vanern, Sweden. Construction of the castle began in the 13th century as a bishop’s fort and it became a royal castle under King Gustav Vasa in the 16th century. The fortification was expanded and renovated over the next four centuries…
Twelve days after we’d entered at Mem, we exited the Gota Canal at Sjotorp. We likely would have spent a few more days along the canal at a slightly slower pace, but the following day the canal switches from the high season, where locks are individually manned and boaters can pass through on their own…
It’s getting increasingly difficult for the general public to see the details behind large commercial ships and even harder to tour chemical and oil tankers. Partly the crews are busy at work and partly there are safety and security concerns, but the net result is limited ability to see the details behind how these advanced…
The section of the Gota Canal that runs through Lake Viken is among the most scenic, through several narrow one-way channels, and open areas dotted with islets. It also the highest point along the canal, at 301.2 ft (91.8 m) above sea level. On our 11th day along the Gota Canal, we passed through eleven…
Karlsborg Fortress stands on the western shore of Lake Vattern in inland Sweden and was one of the largest fortresses in Europe at 250-acres (100 hectares). The idea was concentrate the Swedish forces in a central location and allow the enemy to move across the land, be tired out by small-scale skirmishes and eventually be…
Vadstena Castle was built as a fortress in 1545, but soon converted into a palace, and is a notable example of Swedish Renaissance architecture. The city also is known for being the site where Saint Bridget of Sweden founded the first monastery of her Bridgettine Order in 1350. Vadstena is a few miles south of…
On our sixth day in the Gota Canal, James turned 60. That day, we passed through 13 bridges and 7 locks, including the 5-flight Borenshult Locks, and rose 51.2 ft (15.6m) to reach Motala at 290 ft (88.4m) above sea level where we stopped for two nights. We celebrated James’ 50th in Hong Kong during…
We enjoyed the peacful jetty in Ljungsbro so much that we decide to stay an extra night and explore the area by bicycle. We pedalled to Berg to visit the canal museum and lock door display, then cycled west to tour the Ljungsbro area. Below are trip highlights from August 7th, 2019. Click any image…
The locks we’ve been through in Dirona have ranged from “full-service”, such as the Saimaa Canal in Finland, where you tie the boat off to a floating pontoon or mooring point and the lock is operated hydraulically by the lock keepers, to “full-manual”, such as the Crinan Canal in Scotland, where boaters operate the locks…
Linkoping, Sweden was founded in the 12th century, when it became the religious center for the region, and is known for its spectacular 13th-century cathedral. The city is a short distance off the main route of the Gota Canal, and an easy visit by tender via the Kinda Canal. On our third day in the…
On our second day in the Gota Canal, we travelled further into idyllic rural Sweden, passing alongside many farms and parks and through ten locks and four bridges. Unlike yesterday, we weren’t alone in the locks, and passed through with a smaller boat in front. Cruising through the canal, with its maximum speed limit of…
The Gota Canal (pronounced “Yota” to rhyme with “Yoda”) was named the Swedish Construction of the Millennium. Completed in 1832, the 120-mile (190km) long canal took 22 years to build using 58,000 workers, has 58 locks and 48 bridges, and rises 301ft (91.8m) above sea level. It is a sister canal to the Caledonian Canal…
Lake Malaren is the third largest in Sweden, stretching 64 nm west from Stockholm. The lake is accessible from the Baltic via locks at Sodertalje, where we toured the Scania manufacturing plant, and at Stockholm. The path through Lake Malaren via these two locks provided a scenic and convenient shortcut for our 100-mile trip from…