Göta kanal with my brother

Göta kanal with my brother. Two brothers and one boat. This reportage is about something between Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern in Sweden. It is about a dream and how it came true. Let us present a boat trip and a reportage with the start in Mariestad.

Summer 2025. Suddenly a new opportunity was there. Two or three years before that summer, a dream was born. The idea to travel on the Göta kanal with my own boat was perfect and it could be realized on that summer. The summer was actually one of the better ones and the weather was almost perfect.

As an author and owner of this magazine, I have decided to write a reportage about Göta kanal, Göta Canal in English. The idea of sharing this first adventure and the first experience with you as reader became very important to me. I guess it is so when a dream comes true.

Being a boat owner creates a special feeling. When you then get an opportunity like this, that special feeling just explodes and spreads huge happiness. What contributed to this situation was the fact that my brother suggested to make this trip with my boat and not a hired one.

Mariestad - the town on the coast of the Lake Vänern

My trip started by booking a hotel in Mariestad. That little town with around 17,000 inhabitants is on the coast of the Lake Vänern in Sweden. It is the biggest lake in the whole country. The image below shows a nice place where people can have different activities and also swim in the lake. On the left side, there is a marina for boats. If you want to experience the Lake Vänern you can do it also from a boat which can be wonderful in summer time.

Some more images from Mariestad will be shown further down in this article. Here is one more with the Tidan River though. That little river flows in to the Lake Vänern.

Töreboda - and Göta kanal

The Göta kanal is not that far away from Mariestad. Its western starting point is in Sjötorp on Lake Vänern. The canal floats through another little locality called Töreboda, with around 9,000 inhabitants. It takes around 20-30 minutes by car from Mariestad to Töreboda. The image below shows us the sculpture on the square that gives us a vivid picture of the horse and cattle markets that used to be held there.

The weather in that part of Sweden was perfect. The day started with wonderful sunshine and blue and clear sky. It was around 25 degree Celsius and I prepared the boat as I arrived to the start point.

We decided this place as the start point because there are no canal locks and we could keep moving without interruptions. Between Töreboda and Sjötorp there are 16 canal locks and 10 bridges. With this kind of boat we were not allowed to use canal locks but we managed to pass under the low bridges without waiting for them to open. Normally, bigger boats have to pay a canal fee, but we did not because the boat is smaller than the others.

The boat trip

Our boat trip took some hours. It was 8,4 kilometers long. We took it easy and enjoyed the weather. Swimming in Göta kanal is also a good idea. We actually did it. I was the first one who started with it.

In the middle, the canal is about 3 meters deep, because sailboats and other bigger boats are expected to drive without touching the bottom. The canal is a perfect place for different boats.

The nature all around the canal looked fantastic. It is a typical Swedish environment with wide green and yellow fields. On the one side or even on the both sides of the canal, there are bike paths. We actually saw people riding their bikes and they were happy to see us in a fantastic mood.

Resting on the floating dock

So, the whole Göta kanal seems to offer a great experience, regardless if you are in a boat, a canoe or on the bike. The environment is also very nice for running. Well, during the trip, we saw several places with small floating docks, where it is possible to park the boat, go out and swim or have a barbecue.

On one of those floating docks, we made a break. We ate some snacks and decided to swim together. We also let the boat rest from us and look cool by the dock. Its battery took care of it and protected it from floating away from us.

The experience was great. I just wished we had more time and that we were prepared for some camping. This adventure learned me more about enjoying the life and places like this between Vänern and Vättern - the two biggest lakes in Sweden. The country is beautiful even if the weather often can be very sneaky and disappointing.

The end of the story

Taking a boat on Göta kanal is really an adventure. The nature is perfect and relaxing. At least during our 8,4 kilometers long trip, we experienced only the nicest parts of the surrounding. Thanks to the sunny and relatively warm weather, the first impression was perfect.

Finally, we reached our end point called Wassbacken Hamn. It was our final destination this time. Not only because of the lack of time, but the boat battery needed to be recharged. Normally it manages around 5 kilometers but this time we made 8,4 because we drove carefully in a lower gear. Sometimes, lower speed can be experienced as time consuming, but a trip like this is a relaxing trip without stress.

We arrived in Wassbacken Hamn in the sign of Titanic and took the boat out of the water. The next step was to prepare the car for the home trip.

Some last words

The Göta Kanal first experience has become very inspirational for future plans. It is worth visiting this place if you enjoy being in the nature and if you have an opportunity to do it with an own boat. Let us give you some more images here at the end so you can get a more complete image of this whole adventure. Maybe a new inspiration can be born, like this one at Göta kanal with my brother.

Mariestad - the central part of this town and The mill worker (Bruksarbetaren) on the bike.

Me and The mill worker (Bruksarbetaren) on the bike.

The statue Karl-Erik & Vera in the central part of Mariestad.

The statue of two young girls who adorn themselves outside the city hotel in Mariestad.

Mariestad and the Tidan River in the central part of the town.

The Göta Kanal. Left side of the floating dock. With clouds.

The Göta Kanal. Left side of the floating dock. With sunshine.

The Göta Kanal. Wassbacken Hamn and the end of the story.