Canoe Tours on Svartalven

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The Beaver

Taking a short detour during your trip on Svartälven gives you an excellent chance of seeing beavers. But this has not always been the case. The beaver became extinct in Sweden in the late 19th century and was only reintroduced in 1922. Since then they have flourished in this area and Värmland now has an estimated population of several thousand. See Wildlife Guide

Water > Canoe Tours on Svartälven

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Wilderness canoeing at its very best

Canoeing holidays in Sweden: Svartälven

Starting on the border of the county of Dalarna in eastern Värmland, the Svartälven ("Black River") is one of Sweden's best canoeing waters. From its source, the river runs south through vast areas of outstanding natural beauty.

In places the river does become very narrow, although after passing into the winding river Tvarälven, the canoe tour continues into a number of smaller lakes. This tour requires about 10 land crossings, the longest being about 2 km. A canoe wagon is included in the price to help with the portages.

Photo: Staffan Widstrand

The Svartälven region is a wonderful area for canoeing: the rhythmic "swoosh-slop" as your paddle breaks the surface and cuts through the water, your canoe gliding smoothly forward as you slip in silence through the surrounding forest landscape.

Canoeing on Svartälven is a self-guided wilderness expedition, a voyage of discovery taken at your own pace. The waters may be tranquil and slow-flowing, but this is a real adventure. You will be leaving "civilisation" behind you as you strike out into a world of water, trees and sky. There is no timetable on this trip - you will be deciding yourself what distance you wish to cover each day, and selecting your own camping spot each night. You will choose when to rest and when to push on, when to take a day out to explore the many tributaries flowing into the Svartälven, or perhaps leave your canoe for a while and explore the beautiful surrounding area on foot before returning to the water. The rhythm of your days will be dictated only by your own inclinations.

The canoes you will use on the tour are two-person Canadian canoes - stable, easy to handle canoes with space for luggage and camping/kitchen equipment. No previous experience of canoeing is necessary.

Canoeing in this area of Sweden gives you excellent opportunities for intimate and personal encounters with some of the area's rich, and normally shy, wildlife. Canoeing is a quiet and unobtrusive activity, and you may find that the animals are much less wary of you than they would be if you approached on foot. If you are lucky, and quiet, you may spot a beaver curving gracefully towards you through the water, just its head visible above the smooth glassy surface. As you round a bend in the river you may come across an elk, the mighty King of the Forest, stooping to drink by the water's edge or perhaps striking out skillfully for the opposite bank - elk are excellent swimmers! In the skies above, eagles and buzzards accompany you on you journey, wheeling high in the air, their lonesome keening cries echoing for miles across the treetops.

Each evening you will sit around the campfire, recounting your impressions of the day as the sun dips below the horizon and planning for the day ahead, or perhaps you will retire early to conserve your energy for the morning's paddling - the choice is yours! When finally it is time to crawl into your sleeping bag and close your eyes, let the scents and sounds of the deep forest lull to you sleep until day breaks and it is time to take to the water once more...

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