Your tour will either begin or end at the Packhuskajen Quay in central Göteborg adjoining port magazines, regular shipping and the Maritime Centre. While here you can enjoy the scent of the salty sea, listen to the screeching gulls and study the city´s peerless opera house from the water.

This superb institution in the city of Trollhättan uses words and pictures to describe the history of the Trollhätte Canal. The museum is housed in a store-house built in 1893. A picture-lovely walk lets you study the old locks and the modern ones, the latter capable of accepting boats up to 88 metres long.

Moose or Elk Mount lies on Hunneberg and near to Halleberg, both legendary mountains at the southern tip of the inland sea Vänern. The museum provides information about the moose, king of the forests, in a building constructed ecologically using timber from the immediate area. Its very size and timbers create a singular atmosphere.

The old episcopal seat Läckö was built in 1298 on a promontory on lake Vänern. The castle was rebuilt in Baroque style during the 1600s. After standing empty for 150 years, the castle is now undergoing a new renaissance including a rich cultural life and efforts to return the edifice to its former glory.

The city grew up in the 1300s around the Vadstena Cloister in a lovely location on the shore of lake Vättern. The cloister church was consecrated in 1430 after being built according to the saint´s specific instructions. King Gustav Vasa built the palace that stands today in the 1540s. The city is an idyllic town with cobbled streets and low wooden houses.

The creator of the canal, Baltzar von Platen, founded Motala Werkstad in 1822, thus starting Swedish industrialism. While here you can visit his grave or take a tour through the Motala Motor Museum - a historical document created by enthusiasts and filled with old cars, mopeds and motorcycles in historical settings.

It takes eleven locks to lower the boat in a slow, dignified pace to lake Roxen. While walking the boat down the lock stairway is an unforgettable experience, those wishing to stretch their legs have time to visit the Vreta Monastery or to take a swim in the lake itself.

During the Hansa period, this was one of Sweden's most important cities. Here the canal flows past the foot of the Ramunderberget Mountain through the centre of town. The cafes and ice cream stands along the canal make this the natural place for holiday walks and boat people passing through.

The fortification is documented as early as the 1200s and served for several centuries as a vital part of the defence of Söderköping. In the surrounding water contain unique Viking pole barriers.

The summer idyll "at the end of the world" is mentioned in the 1300s. In this wondrous setting you can enjoy a sweet, savoury punch traceable to the society life that flourished at this seaside resort during the late1800s. Manufacture of a "Superfine Old Arrac Punch" began and continued until 1917. It is this punch that forms the basis for today´s recipe.

A complete picture of one of Sweden’s first cities grows apace. After having served as a living and trading community for more than 250 years, it was abandoned some 1 000 years ago. Today Birka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Arriving or leaving this Venice of the north by boat seems wholly right. There are few cities in the world that offer the same folk life and lovely views from on deck. Should you begin your trip on the Skeppsbrokajen Quay, this is where you´ll meet your fellow passengers. If this is your destination, you´ll exchange addresses and say goodbyes after an unforgettable journey together.