Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Top Summer Experiences in Sweden
Quintessentially Swedish
– 190 kilometres of boats, bikes and shrimp sandwiches Think waffles, water, endless cycling paths and children busy enjoying ice cream in the sun. Along Göta Canal, one of Sweden’s largest construction works, you can experience all of this and much, much more. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Göta Canal
Göta Canal was originally built as a transportation route between east and west, from Stockholm to Gothenburg, starting in 1810. It was based on an idea from the 1500s and later became crucial to the defense forces, but today it is a tourist attraction above all else, attracting three million visitors every year. In recent years, the canal has been undergoing somewhat of a facelift, as it became apparent that maintenance had been neglected for some time and the security had to be looked at. “Security is crucial to us,” says Anna Adolfsson, marketing coordinator. “Now the Swedish 68 | Issue 112 | May 2018
state, which owns the canal, has invested 500 million SEK in a project dubbed Göta Canal 2.0 to fund all the work necessary to guarantee that the canal is in top shape and will remain so for future generations. Among other things, visitors during the off-peak season have been able to watch some fascinating projects including an entire house in Forsvik being lifted and relocated and the build of a brand-new canal bank in Söderköping.”
A typical Swedish summer experience The 187th canal season kicked off on 2 May this year, opening the door to pure nature experiences, ferry package deals,
reasonably flat cycling paths along the canal and a long line of cafés and restaurants for pit-stops. “We get all kinds of visitors: families with children who go cycling and stop to look at the boats and chat to the sheep or play a round of mini golf, and older visitors who are fascinated by the history and interested in the technical side of things, or perhaps they have memories of family members who have spent time by the canal,” Adolfsson explains. Nine passenger boats operate on the canal, ranging from classical boats such as M/S Juno and M/S Diana, running between Stockholm and Gothenburg, to those taking passengers on day trips or just out for a couple of hours. Extended cruises come with all-inclusive deals while the shorter trips come with the option of buying a traditional coffee and