Sweden’s most beautiful waterway, the Göta Canal from Sjötorp by Lake Vänern to Stockholm, takes you through green forests, along sparkling lakes to picturesque homesteads in a breathtaking rural landscape. Anyone who longs to relish the silence of intact and untouched nature is definitely in the right place here and a bike trip is one great option to take it all in.
I often post about my love for outdoor recreational activities. So when my wife and I started our little bike trip from Sjötorp to Norrkvärn (10 km) the other day, I was thinking: this is a perfect example of what I mean when I talk about charging your batteries! As always we both have our Nokia mobile phones at hand to capture some of the highlights and of course I gladly share some with you – along with some educational facts of course – click photos to bigify & enjoy: Left: Biking is a popular activity – Right: Well maintained bike paths make this a real treat
The Göta Canal:
Celebrating its 175th anniversary in 2012, Göta Canal is Sweden´s construction accomplishment of the millennium. Built between 1810 and 1832 under the leadership of the famous engineer Baltzar von Platen – employing some 58,000 soldiers as laborers – it’s 190 km long, passing through no less than 58 water locks and reaching a total elevation of 92 meters above sea level. All along the canal you’ll find an abundance of sights and attractions, lush, scenic vistas and many charming towns and villages, all embedded in a unique canal atmosphere. Left: Canal town, Lyrestad – Right: Charming lock keeper cottages Panorama view of the Swedish countryside Left: Still of the original hand cut stones – Right: The locks have room for some fairly large vessels
You can rent boats, canoes and kayaks in many places along the canal. The old labor road along the canal is one of Sweden´s most popular bicycle routes, and there are also many attractive hiking trails along the way. Us with the rented bikes at Sjötorp
The rental bikes are sturdy and comfortable, with broad wheels that roll smoothly on gravel and grass alike. They are equipped with baskets and a luggage rack on the back so you can have as much or as little as you like with you on your trip. Canoes & Kayaks
Norrkvärn – a miniature version of the canal:
In the area surrounding the Norrkvärn lock, we see a miniature version of Lyrestad’s church tower within a model of the Göta Canal. The mini canal is a working model of Väster Götland part of the Göta Canal and a popular area for families with children: Children learn through exploration at the mini canal
The models are made of solid building materials so the children (all ages LoL) can play in the water, sail boats down the canal and learn through experiencing it firsthand. The mini canal includes locks, a waterfall and buildings from the local area and invites to play and experimentation. Oh and by the way, this is all free – there is no admission to enter the Norrkvärn Park. They can follow the route or sail their boats through the locks.
MS Bellevue of Mariestad:
Many tourists negotiate the canal in their own vessels, but there are also tours with classic canal ships available, offering cozy scenic cruises with fine onboard accommodations and restaurants. Of course you can also choose shorter cruises between the many historically and culturally interesting sites along the shores. My wife DianeCA shot a film with her Nokia of one of them: Bellevue of Mariestad. Including some of the photos, I made a movie out of it – enjoy:
So if you want to see the idyllic heartland of Sweden from a unique perspective, a voyage on Göta Canal is highly recommended! You can easily understand how this part of Sweden has a special place in the heart of this Norwegian. Although we have been coming here for over 10 years there is always something to experience anew. If you need more info or booking, Mariestad Tourist Office gives excellent service!
The message of over 200 000 Norwegians in Oslo showed their love and support this evening: With torches and roses, we give the world a message. We do not let the fear break us!
This tragedy has also brought the people of Norway together. Today hundreds of thousands, maybe millions streamed out into public areas to show their support for those who have lost loved ones and to show that we will meet this challenge with love and a greater strength than anyone could imagine.
Photo of Oslo City Hall square – borrowed from Morten Stokstad
Many of you will recognise Oslo City Hall, here it is with over 200,000 people bearing torches and roses to show their solidarity. It brings hope of a strong and peaceful world which will not be afraid no matter what challenges we face.
Thank you for all the kind thoughts and support which has been pouring in to my blog and facebook account. I really feel the support of my friends all over the world. Let me end with a quote from one of the survivors of the massacre: “If one man can show so much hate, think how much love we can show together”
The bomb in Oslo ripped through the very heart of power in Norway and 25 miles northwest a gunman opened fire at a youth camp on Utøya Island. The explosions turned the ordinarily placid Scandinavian capital into a scene reminiscent of terror attacks in Beirut or Baghdad, blowing out windows of several government buildings, including one housing the office of the Norwegian prime minister. Even worse: at the camp, of about 600 politically active youths (most 15 and 16 years old), more than 80 were killed in a related attack on Norway’s greatest treasure – our children.
I often say – when important things happen in Norway; since my blog is about our history, culture, and traditions, it would be a disgrace not to post about it. Contrary to what I normally report about, this tragedy – the most violent event to strike Norway since World War II – will of course stand as a dark milestone in our history.
From bad to worse at Utøya Youth Camp
Even as the police locked down a large area of the city, a man dressed in police uniform and initially identified himself as a police officer entered the camp on the island of Utøya, encouraging the youths to gather round for information. He said it was a routine check in connection with the terror attack in Oslo, and when the crowd gathered he opened fire. Almost 700 young members of the Labour Party panicked and many jumped in to the water to escape or went into hiding on the island, which has no bridge to the mainland, so many could not flee in time.
Taken in 2010 we were in this area for our fall photo hunt. Here is the way the fjord should look – peaceful and safe.
How could this happen – in Norway?
We’re suffering two shocking violent attacks which no one imagined could happen. However, there was a lot of wild speculations on who could be responsible for a lot of reasons – e.g.:
Norway is a member of the NATO alliance and has a small fighting contingent in Afghanistan. It was one of several countries named by Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of Al Qaeda, as potential targets for attack. In 2006, Norwegian newspapers reprinted Danish cartoons that angered Muslims by lampooning Muhammad. Norway has also historically been a frequent participant in peacekeeping missions and a host for diplomatic talks, including the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians. It seemed natural to look to the outside world to stand behind such a horror.
All these speculations were proven wrong when the gunman (who also appears to be responsible for the bombing) was captured: he was an ethnical Norwegian, extreme right wing and his motives seem to be political. Still it’s unreal, since political violence is virtually unknown in a country known for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize and mediating in conflicts, including in the Middle East and Sri Lanka.
Norway will be recognizable again!
As I have often written, Norway is a democratic society with a great deal of openness. Our people and political leader’s value closeness to the common man, an availability not seen many other places in the world. We will not compromise our values because of violence. I have spoken several times with Norway’s Prime Minister at social events without the need to be checked by security. Since my office is located in the same district as the bombing – I often see our politicians when I pass them on the streets. In spite of recent events, and we will watch out for becoming too naive, but we will stand together and protect the individuals rights, show consideration and respect for our fellow countrymen and hold on to our ideals. In spite of this attack we will be even more open, more tolerant and more democratic if it is possible. Let me quote the leader of the youth party who were on the island: “You will not destroy us. You will not destroy our democracy or our ideals for a better world”.
To all my friends from all over the world: Thanks for your concerned notes, mails, text messages and phone calls. My family and I are all safe and appreciate your thoughts and well wishes.
Sailing with M/S Marianne from Mariestad, known as The Pearl of Lake Vänern, to Sjötorp (the beginning or end of Göta Canal), is on our top 10 must do list for summer vacation. We often save this adventure for when we have guests visiting us at our vacation home like last year with my FIL (click to read the story) and this week with my sister and parents. As always with my Nokia N8 mobile phone at hand, I tried my best to capture some highlights from the tour + stops and I gladly share it with you.
Let’s start with some passengers you might recognize on board, leaving the harbour of our vacation town, Mariestad: M/S Marianne on Lake Vänern: Lake Vänern is Sweden’s largest inland body of water, and the fourth largest in Europe. There are more than one hundred tributaries, the main ones flowing into the northern part. Lake Vänern drains into the Kattegat Sea (the Atlantic) via the Gota River and the combined area of these two bodies cover 10% of the total area of Sweden. About 139 Km (80 miles) long and 70 Km (43 miles) wide, it is a significant cruising area in itself, with numerous guest harbours and natural harbours with wonderful sand beaches.
The charming M/S Marianne motor ship built in 1897 and it’s enthusiastic crew from the association taking care of this treasure set you in the right mood and take outdoors recreation into a new dimension: Left: The crew on the bridge – Right: A lighthouse by an Iceland Scenery from the boat: On shore and a bridge (Torsö)
Mariestad:
Mariestad lives up to its nick name as “Pearl of Lake Vänern“. It’s the most evocative stopover among the lake towns, known both for its architecture and as a center for exploring the district. It’s famous for the many well-preserved old structures in Gamla Stan (or Old Town), including one building from the 17th century, all of which have survived despite several widespread town fires. The town founded in 1583 lies on the eastern shore of Lake Vänern, taking its name from Maria von Pfaltz, the first wife of Duke Karl (later Karl IX). He also build the dome church, an icon and landmark, easy to spot on our boat trip:
Sjötorp and Göta Canal:
About 10 miles north of Mariestad, at the Göta exit, we arrive at the village Sjötorp. This is the end (or beginning) of the Göta Canal, and the gateway to Lake Vänern:
There are small charming shops by the locks, and a canal museum featuring tools used to dig the canal in the 1800s, a large collection of outboard motors, but probably the most interesting is a collection of items retrieved from the canal (including an old model mobile phone). Shops with ice cream, refreshments, smoked seafood and handcrafts.
The Göta Canal is one of the most remarkable waterways in the world and historically an important communication links between the inland industrial Sweden and the rest of the world. It’s 190 km long, dug out by hand between 1810 and 1832 by some 58 000 soldiers removing 300 000 cubic meters of rock and earth in order to create the three-meter deep and 14-metre wide canal. The construction foreman and certainly the one who promoted the project most strongly was Baltzar von Platen.
Today it is little used for trade but more and more by tourists who are using the canal. Since you can enter from both Stockholm and Göteborg (connection from the Atlantic ocean), they represent all kinds of nationalities: Left: Dutch. German, Danish and Swedish – Right: Even Russian Boats in a lock
A trip like this on M/S Marianne gives our guests a view of our summer paradise in a nutshell. One experiences the city and the country, the lake and canal, not to mention the culture and the history of the Mariestad area. It has the additional bonus of being a recreational day with a 2 hour trip on the water and a chance to explore the local area.
Another good Tour de France day for Norway; Edvald Boasson Hagen won his first ever stage of the Tour and Thor Hushovd remains in the Yellow Jersey for the 6th day in the row! Even more, looking at general classification after stage 6: #1: T. Hushovd and #8: E. B. Hagen – Who can ask for more? – I mean, there aren’t more than two cyclists from Norway in the Tour this year : -)
The world is surprised & impressed and the Norwegians are excited, thrilled and turned nuts this afternoon – It’s all over the news tonight and since my blog is about Norway; our culture, traditions and habits, it would have been a disgrace not to make a post about these two Norwegian Vikings and what they have achieved today:
Thor Hushovd (18 January 1978) riding for Garmin-Cervélo, is up until this year known for sprinting and time trialing and is the 2010 Norwegian and World Road Champion. Thor is now the first Norwegian to lead the Tour de France, and first Scandinavian to win the road race in cycling world road championship. He also won the Green jersey in 2005 and 2009.
Edvald Boasson Hagen (17 May 1987) also considered as one of the biggest rising talents in the sport, being ranked as #3 in the world by UCI as of 31 August 2009. Edvald is the Norwegian Time Trial Champion and now rides for the UCI ProTour team; Team Sky.
I know they have way to go – more than two weeks left of the Tour – but right now, the Norwegians takes one day or stage or even both the yellow and green jersey at the time. I guess you find it wise for a nation with only two participants on this years Tour? And that you can imagine that it taste sooooooo good – today! : -)
Sweden’s most beautiful waterway, the Göta Canal from Sjötorp by Lake Vänern to Stockholm, takes you through green forests, along sparkling lakes to picturesque homesteads in a breathtaking rural landscape. Anyone who longs to relish the silence of intact and untouched nature is definitely in the right place here and a bike trip is one great option to take it all in.
