SÖDERKÖPING
58°28'52.0"N 16°19'42.9"E
CRUISES ON THE GÖTA CANAL
Departing from Söderköping’s guest harbour, M/S Athene offers canal trips throughout the summer. Find out more about our trips below.
A three-hour trip on the canal to Slätbaken and back. Lunch and chilled drinks are served on board for those who wish. Runs on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday. Departure at 11:00.
Enjoy a day trip to Stegeborg and back, with lunch and chilled drinks available on board. Trips run on Wednesday & Saturday, departing at 11:00
This summer, M/S Athene offers eight Saturday evening trips. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a tasty shrimp platter while we cruise along the canal. Departing at 18:00.
No one knows who first came up with the idea of digging a waterway across Sweden, but the need already existed in 1429, when Denmark introduced a toll for foreign ships passing through the Øresund. Swedish trading and naval vessels therefore needed a route through Sweden to avoid high customs fees.
After 300 years of debates, surveys, and investigations, the idea finally became a reality. It was Count Baltzar von Platen who, in dialogue with the king, succeeded in getting one of Sweden’s largest construction projects approved.
The first spade was put in the ground in 1810, and after 22 years, the Göta Canal was finally completed. The canal stretches from Sjötorp by Lake Vänern to Mem on the Baltic Sea. Together with the Trollhätte Canal and the Göta River, the Göta Canal forms the boat route between east and west in Sweden.