- Address: 605 96 Söderköping, Sweden
- Phone: +46 141 20 20 50
- Website: gotakanal.se
- Opened: September 26, 1832
- Length: 390 km
Panama , perhaps, is the most famous state on whose territory an artificial shipping route is laid. But the Panama Canal is not the only such creation of man. Of course, their scale and significance is somewhat smaller, but the fact of their existence should not be ignored. For example, in the northern latitudes the most famous and longest is the Goeta.-channel in Sweden .
More about attractions
The Goetah Canal is a navigable through road from the Baltic Sea north of the 58th parallel to the Kattegat Strait. The western pier is the city of Gothenburg , and the eastern one is Söderköping. The general system of the Goethe-channel includes the Trollhete Canal, which allows vessels to bypass a group of waterfalls on the Goethe-Elv River, and the lower part of the river itself to the city of Gothenburg. The plan for the construction of the Göta Canal in Sweden consisted of 190 km of work, connecting the Mem Memorial Castle from the Baltic and Lake Roxen, Buren, Vättern and Vänern .Canal Construction
The first ideas about navigation between the Baltic Sea and the Kattegat Strait were expressed by Bishop Hans Brask in 1525, thus offering substantial savings on the customs duties of the Hanseatic League. The project of the channel belongs to one of the architects and engineers of Scotland Thomas Telford. But until the XIX century the idea did not develop.
Merit for the organization of the project, incl. obtaining significant financial and political support from the Crown, belong to the Rear Admiral and member of the Government of Sweden, Count Balzar von Platen. He managed to draw the attention of the new King Charles XIII to the importance of the event, received the support of the government and became chairman of the board of the Goeta Channel in Sweden. More engineers and builders, as well as machinery, were brought from the UK.
The canal was inaugurated on September 26, 1832 and became a strategic transport destination in Sweden in the 19th century. Its importance began to gradually fade only towards the end of the twentieth century, when the road and rail connection between Stockholm and Gothenburg became the main cargo transportation. Today the Goethe-channel in Sweden is a popular tourist route of the country.
Goethe-channel in Sweden in figures
When planning your trip on the channel, you should know that:
- length of the channel - 390 km;
- the maximum depth is 3 m;
- The width of the channel varies from 7 to 14 m;
- there are 58 locks here;
- vessels pass vessels not exceeding 32 m in length, 7 m in width and less than 3 m in draft;
- The construction of the Göta Canal in Sweden lasted 22 years, the countdown goes on April 11, 1810;
- 87 km of the canal were pierced and exploded;
- the channel was built by 58,000 soldiers from 16 regiments;
- Total labor costs for construction amounted to 7 million person-days, based on the working shift of 12 hours;
- the total budget for the construction of the channel is about € 2.4 million.
How to get to Goethe-channel?
The tourist season of navigation on the canal is open from May 4 to September 30. You can sail independently on your own ship (yacht) or as part of a tourist group. The most popular destination is the transfer from Gothenburg to Kattegat Strait. The cost will depend on the chosen route and type of vessel. It includes parking on all the wharves of the canal. The average duration of such a journey is 7 days.
Along the whole canal is the most popular bicycle route in Sweden of excellent quality. Also on the beach all over the city, many mini-hotels have been built for travelers wishing to admire the beautiful yachts from the window of their room.