Scan Magazine, Issue 108, January 2018

Page 44

Scan Magazine  |  Special Theme  |  Top Destinations to Visit in Sweden in 2018

Nature’s own spectacle – with more than just a splash of entertainment Boasting a Scandinavian Riviera, highly entertaining historical sluices, and a notable reputation within arts and culture, Trollhättan and Vänersborg is a popular holiday destination for both water lovers and fans of technical and automotive design. Whatever you come for, you will be entertained – and likely refreshed by the incredible power of water. By Linnea Dunne  |  Photos: Visit Trollhättan Vänersborg

“Every day at three o’clock in the summer months, the floodgates open and 300,000 litres of water per second is released. It’s quite spectacular,” says Maria Engström-Weber, CEO of Visit Trollhättan Vänersborg. “People come here to experience this alone.” Water has always been central to both Trollhättan and Vänersborg. In the case of the latter, an old marketplace, the waterway was key to the shipping and collection of iron found throughout the county, and the long beaches around 44  |  Issue 108  |  January 2018

These passages caused more than a headache as goods had to be reloaded to continue on land. But it was not until in 1800, after a range of different ideas and more than a few failed attempts, that the first sluice in Trollhättan was completed. The creation was dubbed the world’s eighth wonder and immediately became a popular place to go for a combination of technical enlightenment and a romantic setting. And the name? People thought that there were trolls in the waterfalls, their bonnets (hättor) sticking out like mini islets.

Vänern – Sweden’s largest lake, technically an inland sea – made it a beneficial place to stay both out of agricultural and safety perspectives. The importance of the lake for the position of Vänersborg, which got its town privileges in 1644, as a meeting point and trading hub cannot be underestimated. In 2019, the town will celebrate its 375th birthday.

Wild waterways and peaceful lake lands

In Trollhättan, it was the narrow water passages of river Göta Älv that eventually led to what was to become the town’s pride, also contributing to its name.

Many advancements later, both Trollhättan and Vänersborg still attract visitors thanks to their wild waterways and peaceful lake lands. “I always bring guests in Vänersborg down to the water


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