Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Swedish Destinations Not to Miss in 2017
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 TrollhättanVänersborg. “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. The long beaches around Vänern – Sweden’s largest lake, technically an inland sea – 68 | Issue 96 | January 2017
made it a beneficial place to stay from both 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 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. 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.
Wild waterways and peaceful lake lands 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 with wooden cups, because you can actually drink the water and it tastes good!” Engström Weber enthuses. “A lot of people come here mainly for the peace and quiet though. Vänern has 22,000 islands, so they come with their own boats and