Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The paddling route
Put in from the quay in the canal basin just below the lock in Söderköping, an old trading town of wooden houses beneath the cliffs of Ramunderberget, and paddle east along the Göta Canal. After about 1.3 km carry round Tegelbruket lock on the bank: canoes may not use the canal's locks. Beyond it the canal runs straight through meadows and woods beside the little Storån river towards the sea, to the harbour basin at Mem, where the canal was formally opened in 1832. Get out on the quay above Mem lock, the last of the canal's 58, with the Baltic inlet of Slätbaken beyond.
It is 5.6 km one way; allow about 1½ hours in a canoe or kayak and 1¾ on a paddleboard, including the portage. The grade is Easy: still canal water, with one carry.
There is no canal fee for canoes. Carry round the lock on the towpath side and keep well away from the gates and the sluices. Canal boats and passenger steamers use the canal in the season from early May to late September: move to the bank to let them pass. Out of season the harbours are shut and winter works can affect the canal. Wear a buoyancy aid and check the conditions before you set off.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap waterways (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- The last few kilometres of the Göta Canal, from Söderköping to the sea at Mem
- One lock, Tegelbruket, to carry round: canoes may not use the canal's locks
- Ends above Mem lock, where the canal meets the Baltic inlet of Slätbaken
- The canal was formally opened at Mem in 1832
On the water
- Put in: Söderköping, canal basin below the lock (quay) 58.48175, 16.32625
- Take out: Mem, canal basin above the lock (quay) 58.47870, 16.41320
- Lock: Tegelbruket · 1.3 km (0.8 mi) from the start · carry round (portage)
- Rules and licences: AB Göta kanalbolag. Check whether you need a licence before you go: on many inland waters in England and Wales you do, and Paddle UK membership includes one for many of them.
- Suits canoes, kayaks, paddleboards.
Getting there
Start: Söderköping, canal basin below the lock. 58.48175, 16.32625
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Söderköping: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Water levels, flow and the weather decide the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; wear a buoyancy aid, check the river levels and the forecast, keep well clear of weirs and powered boats, and don't go out in flood.