We read "Köpmannebro" on the village sign by the bridge, so we've come to the right place. The idyllic village on the west coast of Vänern consists of a few houses, lots of forest and a lock. This lock is the gateway to one of the most extraordinary waterways on the continent.
The 250 kilometre long Dalsland Canal begins in Köpmannebro and leads through a sparsely populated mountain landscape all the way up to Norway. An Albin 30, our charter boat, is moored in the upper lock harbour and we want to sail to the northern end of the canal in a week.
Sten Nilsson, head of the charter company "Bernstensailing", is waiting for us. Sten charters out his boats in co-operation with the canal administration, Dalslands Kanal AB. "The Germans always bring everything with them," jokes Sten as we load the provisions and various drinks from the boot into the boat after the handover. It turns out to be true, as there are no shops open nearby and the next largest town, Åmål, is 38 kilometres away. Well provisioned, we cast off in Köpmannebro.
Downloads:
download
