Fewer ferries and more tranquility – Discover the unknown Kinda Canal

Sure, the Stockholm archipelago is beautiful in the summer, but then you haven’t discovered the Kinda Canal yet. You can easily take the train here and go on a kayak tour along a canal where peace and harmony will meet you instead of large Finnish ferries.

To Kinda Canal you can travel from Stockholm in just 2 hours, and suddenly you have arrived at a place completely different from the city’s stress and congestion. Take the train to Linköping and then hop on a train that quickly takes you to the scenic Rimforsa where you can start your paddle back to Linköping.

The Kayak Experience

From Rimforsa you can start the kayak tour along the canal which is a total of 5 miles if you paddle all the way to Linköping. Along the way, you pass lakes like Järnlunden and Stora Rängen with several small pleasant islands that can be explored or where you can take a coffee break. Kinda Canal also has 15 locks that are still operated by hand, just as when the canal opened over 150 years ago, and all of these can be experienced during your kayak adventure.

The nature surrounding the canal is something special, beautiful landscapes, meadows, dense forests, and greenery await you as you glide along the water. You will also pass the mighty baroque castle Nya Slottet Bjärka Säby and Sturefors Castle which are beautifully situated by the water.

As you approach Linköping you paddle through beautiful nature that slowly but surely changes to more civilization before paddling into Linköping’s canal district, just a stone’s throw from Linköping travel center where you arrived by train.

On naturkartan you will find a map with the canoe route that can be followed along the canal, from Rimforsa all the way back to Linköping.

Accommodation

At Rimforsa Strand you can stay comfortably to then start the kayak adventure. Right next to Lake Åsunden is the hotel and here you can also enjoy a meal in their restaurant, enjoy a sauna or try some of the other activities they offer.

Read more on their website.

Vårdnäs Hotell och Stiftsgård is located right by Kinda Canal and is a perfect stop along the way to Linköping. The tranquility, and nature as tools for recovery, is what awaits you at Vårdnäs. Here you can also eat in their restaurant with a view of the canal where the focus is on local and locally produced food.

Read more here.

Rent a kayak

A major advantage of paddling in Kinda Canal is that you don’t need your own kayak. Here you’ll find several different companies where you can rent kayaks and accessories for your adventure. Contact information can be found below: