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SAMPLE ITINERARY: For other itineraries see the above trip notes pdf
4-DAY CRUISE: STOCKHOLM TO GOTEBORG
Day 1/ Gota Canal Stockholm - Nykoping B L D
Departure from Stockholm at 9am. Arrive Hammarby lock by 9:30am. This lock is the first lock on your journey and divides Saltsjon from Lake Malaren. From 9:40am to 12:30pm the ship sails on Lake Malaren, which is only 0.3 meters above sea level and is Sweden’s third largest lake. While on Lake Malaren, the ship docks at Drottningholm Castle at 10:30am. Drottningholm Castle, the home of the Royal family since 1981, is on UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites.
This afternoon you will be visiting Sodertalje lock, which is the largest lock in Scandinavia, The archipelago of St Anna and Sodermanland, and the small town of Trosa, which dates all the way back to the 14th century. It was then known as a fishermens’ village. Regular steamer traffic from Stockholm and Nykoping began in 1860, bringing large numbers of summer visitors. In Trosa you will be taken on a guided walk around the canals and alleys (app. 2.5 km).
Day 2/ Stegeborg - Motala B L D
Early morning arrival in Stegeborg. The ruins of the Stegeborg Castle are beautifully situated on a small island overlooking the bay of Slatbaken. The fort dates from the early Middle Ages and was built to guard the inlet to Soderkoping.
From 1am to 4am, the ship docks at Mem. On 26th Sept. 1832, the Gota Canal was inaugurated at Mem amid great pomp and circumstance in the presence of King Karl XIV Johan and his family. You will now go through the first of the 58 narrow locks on the Gota Canal.
10 min stop in Soderkoping this morning. The idyllic town Soderkoping was founded in the early 1200s and was very important during the Hanseatic period. The town also has a long and very interesting history as a spa.
From Soderkoping to the lock Carlsborg Ovre there are nine locks on a stretch of app. 4 km. A nice place to go ashore and walk along the canal.
Cruise Lake Asplangen, 27 metres above sea level.
At Norsholm lock the canal crosses the main railway line between Stockholm and Malmo.
Cruise Lake Roxen, 33 metres above sea level.
Arrive the Carl-Johan lock at 10:30am. The staircase is the longest in the canal with seven connected locks. The convent of Vreta dates from about 1100 and was the first nunnery in Sweden. Its
importance was later superseded by the convent founded by Saint Bridget (St. Birgitta) at Vadstena. The old convent church at Vreta is one of Sweden’s most interesting, offering many medieval treasures. Today, it is used as a parish church and is therefore not always open to visitors. The tour guide will take you on a walk (app. 3 km, partly uneven) to see
the church and the remains of the convent. As an alternative you can walk along the canal, or take a swim in the warm water of Lake Roxen.
By 3pm the ship has passed all 15 locks in the Berg lock system, and it is time to board for departure.
At Ljungsbro the ship passes the first of two aqueducts in the canal. The Ljungsbro aqueduct was built in 1970.
5:45pm arrival at Kungs Norrby, which was built in 1993 as part of the national route 36.
At Borensberg there is a hand-operated lock. Shortly before the lock you'll pass a small gazebo
leaning out over the canal in a sharp bend known as the “Helmsman’s Horror”, and after that you will see the well-known Gota Hotel, built in 1908.
Cruise Lake Boren in the eveing, 73 meters above sea level.
Borenshult Lock has a staircase of five locks where you might hear the nightingale sing.
Arrive Motala at 9pm. It was Baltzar von Platen who drew up the plans for Motala, and today it is called “the Capital of the Gota Canal”. In 1822 an engineering works, Motala Werkstad, was
established here to serve the Gota Canal and is today considered to be the cradle of Swedish
industry. Here you also find the head office of the Gota Canal Company, responsible for operation and maintenance. Visit the Motor Museum, with its large exhibition of antique cars and motorcycles in authentic surroundings, collection of radios, toys, household appliances and more. You can also walk to see Baltzar von Platen’s grave, about 1 km
along the left side of the canal. Overnight stop.
Day 3/ Motala - Lake Vattern B L D
5:45am departure from Motala. Cruise Lake Vattern, 89 metres above sea level, Sweden’s second largest and also deepest lake (128 metres deep).
Visit Karlsborg Fortress from 8 am to 10 am. Karlsborg Fortress was initiated by Baltzar von Platen and built 1819-1909. The guided tour is a journey through time and space, full of surprises and special effects.
Forsvik has a very interesting industrial history. The lock, built in 1813, is the oldest one in the canal. The impressive iron bridge dates from the same year. In the lock we are greeted with songs and flowers by the Kindbom family, a religious group.
Through two narrow, wood-lined passages and small lakes full of water lilies, the ship steers out into Lake Viken.
The beautiful Lake Viken (91.8 metres above sea level) serves as a water reservoir for the western section of the Gota Canal. If you are lucky you might be able to see the Osprey couple that nest in the same tree here every year.
At Tatorp there is another hand-operated lock. From here on you will be going downwards!
An obelisk marks the highest point (91.5 metres above sea level) of the canal. This part of the canal is called the Berg Canal and originally had a sharp bend which was straightened in 1930-33.
The railway line between Stockholm and Goteborg crosses the canal in Toreboda. Toreboda also proudly presents Sweden’s smallest ferry, ”Lina”, which travels back and forth across the Gota Canal.
Hajstorp is a lock system consisting of four locks. In 1822 the western section of the Gota Canal was
inaugurated at Hajstorp. Here you can see the old home of the Canal Engineer. If you want to stretch your legs this is a good place, Hajstorp to Riksberg lock app. 4 km.
At Sjotorp there is a set of eight locks, and also the remains of some old shipyards. Visit the old warehouse, where the Visitors’ Centre and the Sjotorp Canal Museum are located. Here you can see old pictures of Sjotorp, the interiors of several old ships, a large collection of ships’ engines, etc. There is also a map of all the sunken ships in the Lake Vanern. It is also possible to take a walk along the locks.
Cruise Lake Vanern, 44 metres above sea level, Sweden’s largest lake and the third largest lake in Europe, after the Ladoga and Onega lakes in Russia.
Day 4/ Trollhattan - Goteborg B L
Cruise the the impressive lock staircase at Trollhattan from 7am to 8am. This staircase consists of four locks, and has a total drop of 32 meters. Of the three parallel lock systems here, only the biggest one (from 1916) is still in use.
The lock at Lilla Edet, built in 1916, is the last lock on our journey. The original lock was opened in 1607 and was the first lock in Sweden.
Visit New Alvsborg Fortress from 1pm to 2pm. The fortress was built in the middle of the 17th century and played an important part in the Nordic war in the early 18th century. Today it is a popular tourist attraction, situated right at the inlet to Goteborg. The tour guide will take you on a guided walk around the fortress (uneven ground).
Arrival in Goteborg at 2:30pm. The cruise ends at Packhuskajen 10, near the spectacular Opera House and the Maritime Centre in Goteborg.
PRICES INCLUDE:
• Cruise on Gota Canal in chosen cabin category
• Fullboard
DEPARTURE DATES 2010:
4-day cruises with M/S Juno, M/S Wilhelm Tham or M/S Diana:
* Departures from Goteborg on Apr 30; May 20,27,29; Jun 5,7,16,25; Jul 4,13,22,31; Aug 9,18,27; Sep 5
* Departures from Stockholm on May 24,31; Jun 2,9,11,20,29; Jul 8,17,26; Aug 4,13,22,31; Sep 9
6-day cruises with M/S Wilhelm Tham or M/S Diana:
* Departures from Goteborg on Jun 6,14,19,27; Jul 2,10,23; Aug 5,18,31
* Departures from Stockholm on May 30; Jun 12,20,25; Jul 3,16,29; Aug 11,24; Sep 6
2-day and 3-day cruises with M/S Diana: Please inquire about itineraries and departure dates. These 2-day and 3-day cruises do not include Stockholm or Goteborg.
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