Berg locks - Göta Canal’s greatest attraction
Göta Canal’s greatest attraction is Berg Locks. During the summer thousands of boats pass along the Göta Canal and it really is a spectacle to see how the water mass streams through the locks. The fantastic Carl Johan staircase, with its 7 connected locks raises or lowers the boats a full 18.8 meters between Lake Roxen and Berg Guest Harbour, and is also the longest lock staircase in the Göta Canal. In Berg there are two more double locks, the Oscar lock and the Berg Lock.
Boats on the Göta Canal 2019
Boat traffic on the Göta Canal
The Göta Canal is open to boat traffic 11 May - 15 September 2019, but Berg Locks are worth visiting at any time of year.
Leisure craft
Ship ahoy! If you have your own leisure craft it is almost a given that at some time in your life you will travel at your own pace along the Göta Canal. Imagine bobbing along with the waves at a few knots and enjoying the boating life in this harbour idyll, lowering anchor and discovering all the sights in the surroundings!
Prices and booking
In order to be able to travel with your own boat along the Göta Canal you need what is called a canal ticket. Prices vary depending on the size of your boat, the length of the stretch you want to travel, and when in the season you travel.
Cruise Boats on the Göta Canal - Berg Locks
Getting the opportunity to see the big cruise boats navigating up or down the great Carl Johan lock staircase is magical. The captains that handle some of the large cruise boats are clearly experienced, it shows. But it can also be really entertaining to watch the less experienced captains on their leisure crafts as they navigate the locks along the Göta Canal. Berg Locks attract many spectators and if you are in luck, you will see the classic canal boats Wilhelm Tham, Diana or Juno navigating the locks up and down the Göta Canal.
Tours with cruise boats on the Göta Canal and at Berg Locks
A fantastic way to experience the Göta Canal is from the water. Why not take a cruise on the beautiful stretch Berg – Borensberg? The cruise takes 3.5 hours. The return journey is by boat, bus or bicycle. If you don’t have your own bicycle they are for rent from the Cafeterias in Borensberg or Berg. M/S Wasa Lejon plies the stretch Berg Locks – Borensberg – Berg Locks (departing at 10.00 from Berg) during the period 11 May – 15 Sept. 2019. Only one selection is presented below – there are many cruises all summer!
As well as M/S Wasa Lejon the stretch is plied by the classic passenger boats M/S Diana, Juno and Wilhelm Tham.
Rent a bicycle in Berg Locks
Feel the wind in your hair as you make your way along the canal on a bicycle! In Berg Locks you can rent a bicycle at the Cafeteria. Cycle in whatever direction you fancy, the countryside is equally incredible! If you choose to take a day’s outing to Borensberg and back, it will be a trip of about 40 km.
Pre-book your bike
In order to guarantee a bike on site, we recommend that you pre-book your bike at Kaffeteriet Cykel.
Pre-book by e-mail >
Pre-book by phone >
Rent on the spot / spontaneous rental
Contact Visit Linköping & Co's tourist information, Inforpoint, in Berg's locks.
Contact by e-mail >
Contact by phone >
Adult bicycle
1 day = 200 SEK
2 day = 300 SEK
3 day = 400 SEK
4 day = 500 SEK
5 day = 600 SEK
Children adel
1 day = 50 SEK
2 day = 100 SEK
3 day = 150 SEK
4 day = 200 SEK
5 day = 250 SEK
Helmet
1 day = 30 SEK
2 day = 60 SEK
3 day = 90 SEK
4 day = 120 SEK
5 day = 150 SEK
Tourist Information (InfoPoint) at Berg Locks
Welcome to the tourist information point at Berg Locks which is open during the summer. Get personalised help with all the information you need about the area. You can also buy souvenirs or tickets for Ticketmaster events here. In the summer you can also get help from Vera, Bianca and Rickard, come in and say hello!
Places of interest and activities by the Göta Canal – Berg Locks
There is a lot to see and do locally when you are in port in Linköping’s very own oasis – Berg Locks. It’s not just that the surrounding countryside is an experience in itself, but that there are a number of fascinating places of interest for you to discover on your visit.
Carl John lock staircase
The Carl Johan staircase is made up of seven connected locks which lift the boats 18.8 meters. Other locks in the area are named Oscar and Berg. In total the boats are lifted a full 29.1 meters in Göta Canal’s Berg locks.
Göta Café & Adventure Golf >
Adjacent to Göta Café is the super-modern and architect designed Adventure Golf facility with the beautiful lock setting as a backdrop.
Tours at Berg Locks >
If you want to know more about the Göta Canal and Baltzar von Platen’s incredible masterwork, take a guided tour in Berg! Linköping’s guide club is offering scheduled walks in Berg Locks on the Göta Canal on Saturdays in Summer 2019. If you wish to book a group guide on another occasion that is also possible.
Vreta Abbey Church and ruins >
During high season there are guided tours on certain Wednesdays and Saturdays where you can learn more about Sweden’s oldest known nunnery! Group tours can be booked at Vreta Kloster Pastor’s Office, tel +46(0)13-636 58. Guided tours cost 40kr /person (minimum 500kr), with one group leader free, for more than 30 people two group leaders free.
Cloetta Confectionary Boutique in Ljungsbro >
An absolute must when you are in the area is a visit to Cloetta’s own boutique by the Göta Canal. For larger groups, for example bus tours, please contact the boutique in advance on telephone number +46(0)13-285 375.
Ljung Castle >
The castle is beautifully set in an English park between the Göta Canal and the River Motala. In the unfurnished rooms the visitor gets a taste of the castle’s dramatic and exciting history. The castle is privately owned but is shown in the summer by Ljung Castle Conservation Association.
Kornettgården >
If you long to experience times gone by, visit Kornettgården, a museum which comprises tableaux of past milieus and collections of thousands of items from the end of the 1800s to 1908. Some evenings there is also a summer theatre on the agenda!
Lock Gate Exhibition Göta Canal – Berg Locks
The exhibition “A beautiful history” tells the story of the powerful lock gates that hold back the canal. The lock gates stand on the banks of Berg Locks, and here you will find out more about the technological developments that have affected the locks over the years. All the lock gates have their own stories concerning the different building techniques that have been used during the Göta Canal’s more than 200-year history. The exhibition also includes an indoor section in the high season with the same opening hours as the Tourist Information in Berg.
West of town >
West of town you will find some of Linköping’s most enjoyable ports of call. Timeless ceramics from Ledberg’s Pottery. New baked bread and cosy café at Boställets Wood-fired Bakery. Newly picked tomatoes, vegetables and flowers from the Greenhouse at Rökinge Farm. Rural decor, delicatessen and newly brewed coffee at Hantverksgården Craft Centre. During summer 2019 Bländebo flea market visits ‘West of town’, crammed with old and not so old items.
Shopping
Skattkammaren
Stjärnorpsvägen 8, Vreta kloster
+46 (0)708-34 89 91
Aulikki Handmade Design
Bergs frälsegård magasinet
590 67 Vreta Kloster
+46 (0)76-946 51 45
Häxans Hörna
Stjärnorpsvägen 10, Vreta Kloster
+46 (0)73-593 13 13
The area surrounding the Göta Canal has something for everybody!
Eat by the Göta Canal – Berg Locks
When your stomach starts to rumble, you can enjoy good food at several restaurants and cafés with splendid views over the Göta Canal and Berg Locks. With the company of magical countryside and happy boat travellers it all seems to taste even better in this harbour idyll! Choose between the Canal Inn Belimo, Fröken Jenn’s Café & Restaurant, and Götas Café and Adventure Golf! Of course there is also an ice-cream kiosk by the canal. Bon Appetite!
Accommodation by the Göta Canal – Berg Locks
Does it not sound enticing to have the Göta Canal as your neighbour for a day or two? In Berg Locks you can stay overnight in several different ways. In Berg there is a hostel, cabins and camper stands. Click here to read more >> If you prefer traditional camping there is beautiful Sandvik Camp Site slightly north of Berg, and is exactly what the name suggests, a lovely, almost white sandy bay.
Read more about the Göta Canal
The whole Göta Canal is 190 km long, of which 87 km is excavated canal with 58 locks, and there is plenty to see and do along the way.
On these pages we have only focussed on what Linköping has to offer in this magical stretch of the canal – but there is so much more! If you want to know about the canal, its sights and transport options, visit Göta Canal’s own website. Do you want a cycling holiday, to take another boat, or perhaps walk with a package tour? Everything is gathered around the Göta Canal! Happy journey of discovery.
