Göta Canal Activity Break
The Göta Canal is Sweden's best-known waterway, running 150 miles from Mem to the south of Stockholm to Sjöberg on the lake of Vönern.
The Göta Canal is an incredible technical achievement. Around 54 miles of the canal's total length is manually constructed, with 58 locks. The canal was built between 1810 and 1832 and is really a series of man-made connections between a number of beautiful lakes. At the time, construction cost around £700,000, the equivalent of well over one billion pounds today. The canal workforce consisted primarily of soldiers, 58,000 of whom laboured for a total of seven million 12-hour days. Almost all the heavy excavation work was done manually.
Duration: 1 or more days
Dates/Period: All-year round.
Price: from £79/adult full board for members of Hostelling International, YHA or STF (Swedish Tourist Association). Membership of STF can be arranged through us for approx. £26/adult or £38/family.
Accommodation: 1 to 6-person rooms in environmentally-friendly "House of Nature".
Required: General good health.
An ideal experience for those seeking a combination of relaxation and adventure, this flexible multi-activity package gives you the opportunity to plan your days as you wish to discover the beautiful waters of the Göta Canal.
There is a wide range of activities to try which are included in the price of your stay, including kayaking in the peaceful canal waters, cycling along miles of towpath and biking trails, or why not take a rowing boat and discover your own private picnic spot across the lake? If you haven't tried Nordic Walking before, you should definitely have a go. This stimulating hiking technique has become enormously popular all over the world as an accessible and fun way to keep fit.
The "House of Nature" is a newly-constructed building with light, airy rooms made from environmentally-friendly materials and paints, a tranquil and positive place to return to at the end of your day's activities. It is built entirely of timber and insulated with cellulose fibre. Windows and doors have all been made in local carpenters' shops. The buildings have been cleared of electromagnetic fields and all white goods use the minimum amount of electric power. Calcimine- and linseed oil-based paints have been used for the exteriors, while interiors are treated with beeswax. Meals are taken in the beautiful garden café, where you will be served a selection of local organic produce, from vegetarian quiche to smoked local fish and home-baked bread.
How much you choose to do during your stay is entirely up to you. If you have a particular passion for cycling, you may decide to spend each day exploring a different part of the area on two wheels. Or perhaps you would like a cycle tour one day followed by a kayaking excursion on the lake the next? Maybe you prefer simply to sit beneath the blossom in the garden, watch the occasional canal boat drift lazily by and make the most of the long summer evenings. The choice is yours...