Hjälmare Canal – Sweden's Oldest Navigable Canal

The Hjälmare Canalis Sweden’s oldest man-made waterway still in use. Since the 1630s, the canal has connected Lake Hjälmaren and Lake Mälaren. It was originally built to facilitate the transport of goods—primarily iron—between Bergslagen and Stockholm.

In total, the canal is nearly 14 kilometers long, stretching from Notholmen in Lake Hjälmaren to Gravudden on the Arbogaån River. Along this stretch, there are nine hand-operated locks that are still operated today in exactly the same way as they were in the 17th century. 

A canal cruise or the road?

Today, recreational boats make up the majority of traffic on the canal, but passenger ships also operate here, offering regular tours during the summer. Would you like to experience the Hjälmare Canal by water? Then you can book a cruise onthe M/S Gustaf Lagerbjelke. The cruises depart from Örebro and Hjälmare Dock and also include Lake Hjälmaren, the Svartån River, and the Örebro Canal with its lock.

So you can take a boat on the canal, but if you’d rather follow the canal path on foot or by bike, you’re in for a lovely trip. Be sure to stop at the locks and watch the lock operators work hard to help the boats pass through. Along the canal, you can also swim, fish, and paddle—and during the summer season, there are several places that serve food and coffee.

Eating and Drinking Along the Hjälmare Canal

Hjälmare Dock, the canal’s dry dock, is the hub for exhibits and boats to admire. Right on the canal isthe Hjälmare Canal Café, where you can enjoy sweet and savory waffles, sourdough pizza, Götlunda ice cream, and much more. There are also a number of RV parking spots right by the water.

A short walk along the canal will take you to Lake Kvarnsjön. Here you’ll find a cozy swimming spot with a sandy beach and a dock. In the summer, you can also visitRestaurant Kvarnfallet. In the newly renovated former mill building, you can enjoy a summer lunch featuring Hjälmargös or another delicious dish from the menu, or stop for coffee and pastries or a refreshing ice cream. Kvarnfallet also hosts shrimp feasts in the evenings and summer concerts featuring well-known artists. 

Tip! When you're at Hjälmare Docka, be sure to visitHällby Farm, with its cider press and farm store, as well asLoppan's Garden, with its café and flea market.

A Little More Channel History

The canal’s history dates back to the time of Gustav Vasa, in the mid-1500s. It was then that the first plans to avoid customs duties in the Öresund began to take shape. Construction, however, did not begin until 1629—and was completed ten years later.

The Hjälmare Canal has played an important role in Sweden’s industrial history. Iron, grain, and lumber were transported here from Bergslagen to Stockholm. And on the return trip, other products were brought to merchants in Örebro and the mills in Bergslagen. In the 20th century, traffic was brisk, but competition from the railroad led to a decline in freight transport, which eventually ceased entirely in the 1970s. 

Since 2025, AB Göta Kanalbolag has owned and operated the Hjälmare Canal. A number of renovation projects have been completed and will be carried out in the coming years.