Why you should explore Sweden's longest canal by bike

Running through southern Sweden between Mem on the Baltic coast and Sjötorp on Lake Vänern, the Göta Canal is the stuff of childhood drawings: rust-red cafes, green meadows and blue skies reflected in mirror water. Completing the picture are white, mid-sized cruise ships, some of which are over 100 years old.

Historically, these were the most popular form of transport here. Spanning 118 miles, 50 bridges and 58 locks, the canal was built in the early 1800s for freight. Following rail upgrades in the late 19th century, it opened to visitors looking for a specific type of travel — one that moved no faster than five knots.

Since 2023, the Göta Canal cycling trail has offered an active alternative. It follows the waterway along a flat, car-free towpath, occasionally diverting along quiet country roads. It’s a path so scenic, it was named Cycle Route of the Year at the 2025 Fiets en Wandelbeurs cycling and hiking fair. Roughly midway, the trail’s split by a ferry ride over Lake Vättern. A weekend is ample time to explore its more rural western half, stopping at quiet hamlets and canalside museums.

Day 1: Forge & Fortress

Morning

The 19th-century garrison town and fortress of Karlsborg on Lake Vättern was built to repel potential Russian invaders and is still used by the Swedish military. Tours take you into the fortress’s underground passages, where smoke and cannon sounds simulate the fury of battle. Beyond this, anyone can wander the 250-acre grounds; check out the history museum and 1869 church, with its chandelier made from over 200 bayonets. Afterwards, pick up a bike from one of the establishments offering rentals, such as Karlsborgs Camping, and set off on the cycle route. The trail plunges into the pine forests surrounding Lake Bottensjön.

Afternoon

After five miles, you’ll arrive at the former industrial town of Forsvik. Here, 600-year-old Forsviks Bruk is one of Sweden’s oldest industrial sites, now an open-air memorial to the machines and materials that shaped the country. You’ll find the likes of a water mill and a foundry, which has been repurposed into a theatre for local productions. Refuel with a coffee and slice of cake at the on-site Kafé Ada, then it’s back in the saddle. The next section of the route hugs the shore of Lake Viken, which winks at you in silvery flashes between spruces.

Evening

After 19 miles, you’ll finally meet the canal at the village of Tåtorp, home to the only manually operated lock on the cycle route’s western half. Continue for 10 miles, cow parsley and blue speedwell flowers whipping by at your side. The town of Töreboda is a good place to stop for the day. Check in at guesthouse Pensionat Prästgården, which has apartments in a former bridgekeeper’s cottage where you can watch canal life flow by. The Pensionat’s garden ‘taverna’ serves up Italian dishes with a Swedish twist: pasta with gin sauce or pizza with local mushrooms.

Day 2: Cakes & crafts

Morning

Set off on what’s perhaps the loveliest section of the route. The canal runs constantly next to you, the air is pine-scented, the light radiant on summer days — and locks are an attraction, not an annoyance. Next to each are yellow lock-keeper’s cottages, many of which have been given new leases of life. In the hamlet of Hajstorp, Hajstorps Slusscafé is a former cottage converted into a hostel and cafe that uses organic, locally sourced ingredients. Try its Hajstorps bakelse cake, a sponge with berries and almonds, and don’t forget your påtår (complimentary coffee refills, common in Swedish cafes). Opposite is museum and artisans’ showroom Hantverk Kring Kanalen. Get a photo of its flower-framed door, then head to the first floor to learn about early 20th-century canal life. The shop sells jewellery and hand-thrown ceramics.

Afternoon

After 10 miles in the saddle, you’ll reach Sjötorp, where the canal meets the shores of Lake Vänern. Rows of parasols and elevated fast-food vendors give this red-roofed village a seaside feel. Stop for some locally caught, panko-crumbed zander fish and chips from restaurant Perssons i Backen, washing it down with Mariestads beer, brewed just 12 miles away. Then, start retracing the route to Töreboda. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across one of the three classic ships that still cruise the canal. The oldest, Juno, was built in 1874 and announces her presence with the clang of a bell and the clatter of birch fenders.

Evening

On your way back, savour the landscape as birches and oaks turn gold in the evening light, meadow warblers begin to sing and frogs leap across your path — you might even see elk swim in the canal. Look out for the white, 19th-century homes where the canal’s engineers once lived, and ell stones (distance markers) scored with looping cursive numbers. On returning to Töreboda, grab a bench on Brasserie Krubb’s outdoor terrace, festooned with filament bulbs. The rotating seasonal plates may include skagen (prawn salad on bread) with dill, and salt-baked pollock with earthy beetroot, brown butter and a white wine sauce.

Six more Fika-friendly spots

1. Mallboden Cafe & Vandrarhem

Indulge in all manner of stacked waffles at this former industrial workers’ residence in Motala, right by the northeastern shore of Lake Vättern. Sweet options include the signature Göta Canal, topped with ice cream and raspberry ‘boats’. For something savoury, try the skagen, served with prawns.

2. Cafe & Grill Borenshult

Also found near Motala, right by the Borenshult locks, this diner’s red-and-black retro furniture, chequerboard floor and jukebox invoke nostalgic Americana. The menu follows suit, with the likes of barbecues, burgers, nacho platters and soft-serve ice cream. Alternatively, you’ll find more Swedish options like meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberries.

3. Forsviks Café & Mat

Lock-watching is a curiously Swedish pastime. Try it for yourself at this red-roofed former lock-keeper’s residence in Forsvik.The outdoor seats bring you within touching distance of Juno and her fellow canal boats, while the broad menu spans fruit tarts and flans, ice creams and pizzas.

4. Café Visthuset

This cafe and bike hire shop occupies a wood-beamed former visthus (food storehouse) dating back to 1890, a short walk from Töreboda Bridge. It serves traditional lunches — try the smoked whitefish with potato salad — and fika favourites such as chokladbollar (chocolate oat balls).

5. Tåtorps Trädgårdscafé

You’ll struggle to find a prettier spot for a sweet treat: this glass-panelled cafe sits in a grassy garden under the shade of apple trees, right on the edge of Lake Viken in Tåtorps. Expect organic coffee with homemade bread; in summer, there’s also an organic breakfast with eggs, bread, tomatoes and cold cuts.

6. Café Baltzar von Platen

Named after the Göta Canal’s founder, this nautical-themed cafe sits at the canal’s end in Sjötorp and rewards your efforts with doorstop-sized skagen and cream-filled cakes. Pair your trip here with a visit to the Canal Museum, set in an old harbour warehouse next door. You’ll find the equipment that was used to dig the canal over 200 years ago, as well as old wrecked boats, drawings, letters and more.