Kinda Canal

Beautiful canal in Linköping, which is also used by ships

The Kinda Canal is a waterway in Sweden, which, for most of its length, represents a widening of the Stångån River. The canal runs from Lake Åsunden through the lakes Ämmern, Järnlunden, Stora Rängen, Erlången, and Roxen to the Göta Canal.The total length is approximately 80 km, of which 27 km were newly excavated or blasted out of the rock. The elevation difference of 52.5 m is overcome by nine lock systems with a total of 15 locks.Plans for a transport route across the lakes existed as early as the mid-18th century.The first attempt was made at the beginning of the 19th century, when the waterway between Lake Åsunden, Järnlunden, and Stora Rängen was made navigable through a lock near Brokind Castle. Due to miscalculations, the lock fell victim to the spring floods in 1813, just two years after its commissioning. It took some time before the idea was revived.The current connection was built between 1865 and 1871 and was financed primarily
with state funds. The canal was intended to overcome the great hardship that prevailed in the area at that time. The goods transported were logs
and agricultural products.After the railway line from Kalmar to Linköping, today's Stångådalsbana, was completed, the Kinda Canal suddenly lost its importance as a transport route,
as the railway followed its course. Since around 1940, there has been no freight transport on the canal, and at the end of the 1950s, fixed bridges with a clearance of 3.10 m were built, making passage with larger ships impossible.Today, the canal is of only tourist interest.de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinda-Kanal