Day trips groups - Tour on Norway's oldest canal - Experience Northern Europe's highest lock system

The Halden Canal

Tour on Norway's oldest canal - Experience Northern Europe's highest lock system

A boat trip on the Haldenkanalen is well worth taking. Experience the idyllic Halden Canal - Norway's oldest canal. It measures eight miles from Skulerud (formerly Akershus) in the north to Tistedal (formerly Østfold) in the south, and has an exciting history of canalization and logging. Many allow themselves to be fascinated when the boat is transported through the locks, where you can experience the power of the water when 10,500,000 liters of water change places. A quiet journey through beautiful and open countryside, where one can experience large lakes, narrow canals and lush forests. Maybe you'll be lucky enough to see both beavers and ospreys on your journey. During the idyllic journey, you can enjoy dining with all rights on board.

The Halden Canal was built in the years 1852–1860 and consists of 5 lakes, 3 lock sites and 8 locks. The largest of the locks is Brekke locks, which with its 4 locks and lift height of 29.5 meters is Northern Europe's highest lock system. The canal is a Norwegian natural and cultural gem, as well as a memorial to the great canal builder Engebret Soot.*

The area has one of Norway's most attractive steamboat environments, and several boats ply the canal.

Three of these go on a schedule time or can be chartered.

M/S Brekke  runs on scheduled times during the summer.

DS Turisten The very queen of the Haldenkanalen. A lovely steamboat with room for 66 people. This was built in 1887, then sunk in Femsjøen in 1967, raised in 1997 and restored and put back in the canal in 2009. The boat can be chartered and will use limited scheduled traffic.

DS Engebret Soot is the world's oldest propeller-driven steamer still in operation. It has its home port in Ørje, but can also be chartered from other places. It is a lovely steamboat from 1862, and takes 30 people. This will undergo extensive repairs in the summer of 2022, so unfortunately it will not be available either.

DS Hans runs saturday and sundays in july and first half of august in Ørje.