Discover Berg: Locks, art and cycling routes

In Berg, the Göta Canal reveals itself in several ways: boats pass through locks, art adds its own touches by the water, and cycling routes offer another way to plan your trip. If you’re travelling together, you can shape your stay around what interests you most: watching a boat pass through the locks, focusing on culture, or getting active along the canal.

Locks and the canal in motion

Carl Johans slusstrappa consists of seven interconnected locks. They raise or lower boats by 18.8 metres between Lake Roxen and Berg’s guest harbour. Visitors can watch boats being raised or lowered through the flight of locks. The flight was built between 1815 and 1818; Berg’s locks also include two double locks. Both the visible process of passing through the locks and the structure of the complex are among the area’s distinctive features.

Several canal cruises depart from Berg each day for nearby islands and places. For the canal boat trip between Berg and Borensberg, allow for a different kind of time planning: the one-way journey takes about three and a half hours. Check the timetable for your travel date if you’d like to include this route in your day’s plans.

Art and history by the canal

The sculpture Dubbelgångaren stands on a pier in Lake Roxen below Carl Johans slusstrappa. Made of rusty iron, it is almost nine metres tall. As a permanent art installation along the Göta Canal, it adds a cultural experience to the view of the lock area. Its material and height give the work a distinctive character.

Vreta Abbey Church, a medieval church dating from the 12th century, offers a different historical perspective. The ruins of Vreta Abbey lie beside the church at the entrance to Berg’s locks. Together, the church and the abbey ruins provide two distinct points of interest for anyone interested in the area’s history as well as the activity on the canal.

Water, harbours and seasonal activities

Bergsbaden is a swimming spot on Lake Roxen. The two guest harbours also give a clear sense of Berg’s connection to the water: the lower guest harbour on Lake Roxen has ten visitor berths, while the guest harbour in the lock area has 40. For guests travelling by boat, these are two different sizes that are easy to distinguish.

If you’d like to plan another activity, Berg has two outdoor shuffleboard lanes available on a drop-in basis. The activity is seasonal, so check the dates for your travel period. It offers a different way to spend your time than a canal trip or a bike ride, without losing sight of the locks and Lake Roxen.

Cycling stages and choosing holiday accommodation

The stage details also provide practical guidance for cyclists. The fifth stage of the Göta Canal cycling route runs between Berg and Borensberg. The sixth stage starts or ends at Berg’s locks. The cycling route section between Berg and Borensberg follows a gravel towpath that is closed to motor traffic. The details therefore distinguish between stages, as well as specifying the path surface and traffic restrictions.

Bicycles can be rented at Berg’s locks through the tourist information office at Kaffeteriet. As this is a visitor service, it’s best to check before your ride whether rentals are available on your chosen date. When looking for holiday accommodation in Berg, it helps to decide first what you’d like to focus on: the locks, art and Lake Roxen offer a stay centred on local discoveries; cycling stages and a canal trip also involve specific route and time planning.

Discover more destinations: Roxenbaden, Brokind, Linköping, Vikingstad, Linghem, Ulrika, Sturefors, Ljungsbro.

Go to the main travel overview: Linköping.