The Gota Canal, Sweden's Enchanted Waterway
by Eleanor S. Morris

Take a romantic journey on a hand-excavated canal between two beautiful Swedish cities, Gotenborg and Stockholm, and become part of an unmatched history that stretches over three centuries. The Gota Canal meanders through fertile fields and lush forest like a slender ribbon of water.

Three handsome, historical ships, the Juno, Wilhelm Tham, and Diana, have been carefully refurbished and preserved to reflect the times when they were built, from 1874 to 1931. Each fits even the narrowest lock on the canal like a hand in a glove.

You'll experience not only a river, but eight lakes and two seas while ascending almost 300 feet through 66 ingenious locks before returning to sea level.

Along the way the historic town of Birka on an island, with a great Viking musuem.

Along the way, depending upon whether you choose the four- or the six-day cruise, you'll visit a Canal Museum, a Royal Hunting Museum, Lacko Castle, Vadstena Church and Castle, Motala and its Motor Museum, the town of Soderkoping with its cafes and ice cream stands along the canal. Another castle, Stegeborg Castle, defended Soderkoping in the 1200s. Last but not least is the Viking City of Birka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a wonderful Viking Museum.

On board, you'll be treated like an honored guest, with a friendly crew at your service. Cabins are described as "small and cozy," and small they are indeed, with upper and lower bunks and a washstand. But cozy is what you're after, right, so you won't mind going down along the deck to the common restrooms and showers. And things are so engineered on the three decks that we never had to wait for anything.

First class cuisine and fine service make meals a treat, as well as a learning experience--image tasting four
different herring appetizer dishes as part of one meal. And, conversation around the dinner tables with passengers from many different countries adds to the adventure. Onboard guides, as well, speak English, Swedish, and German and are knowledgable about life on and around the canal.

The Salon contains a small library a well as some games, and there's usually a friendly group socializing there. But if you want to curl up with a book, there's a shaded area on the upper deck with lounge chairs.

The canal boat Juno docked at historic castle and church at Vadstena.

But most of the fun is in the adventures along the way as you leave Goteborg on the North Sea behind and head for Stockholm on the Baltic.

Trollhatte Canal Museum and Lake Vanen

One of the first stops on the trip through the canal is Trollhatte. Although it was granted its charter in 1916, numerous ancient finds in the islets in the river within the town point to human existence here for more than 7,000 years. The museum, housed in a warehouse built in 1893, presents a film in several languages telling the story of this part of the canal.

Next, at the southern tip of Lake Vanern we can visit a Royal Hunting Museum before entering the lake. The lake was formed at the end of the last Ice Age, 11,000 to 12,000 years ago. Then, 8,000 years ago, the land rose, cutting the water from the bay and thus forming the lake.

Lacko Castle and Forsvik

Locals at the town of Forsuik serenade Juno's passengers with song and flowers.

Crossing the lake, our canal boat approaches Lacko Castle, built in 1298 as a fortified residence for a bishop. But it was robbed of all it glory in 1681 when it was taken over by the Crown. Its treasure dispersed, it remained empty for 150 years, but it is currently being restored to its former beauty.

We come next to Forsvik, where the lock, built in 1813, is the oldest on the canal. This is a fun town to pass because a group of citizens of this industrial community stand along the banks, serenading us as we pass, and tossing us lovely bouquets of flowers.

Vadstena Church and Castle

Vadstena, established in the 1300s, is a lovely town with narrow cobbled streets and small wooden houses. The castle was started in 1545 by King Gustav Vasa; today it houses the Provincial Archives. The church is dedicated to a local saint, Birgitta, who was canonized in Rome in 1391. Nuns remained there until 1595 when the Reformation closed the convent.

Motala and Soderkoping

Our canal boat glides out from Vadstena to Motala, called "the heart of the canal." The creator of the canal, Baltzar von Platen, founded Motala Werkstad 1822, the start of Swedish industrialism. Take a tour of the Motala Motor Museum before reboarding and headingg to the town of Soderkoping with its cafes and ice cream stands along the canal, makes a refreshing stop. The canal flows through the center of town, which during the Hansa period this was one of Sweden's most impotant cities. A vital part of the defense of the city back in the 1200s when it was built, is Stegeborg Castle. Artifacts dating back to the Viking period have been found here.

Birka

On our way into Stockholm we come to the Viking City of Birka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On an island in Lake Malaren, the town was founded in the 7th Century, and the archeological excavations here resulted in a wonderful Viking Museum which opened in 1996.

There we learned that unlike the Norwegian Vikings who went West, the Swedish Vikings went East, all the way to Constantinople!

If you go, you'll be in good company: Hans Christian Anderson and Henrik Ibsen, as well as King Oscar II, have traveled on the Gota Canal.

For More Information:

• For more information: www.gotacanal.se and for English click on the British flag on the lower right side.