Aqueduct in Håverud - spectacular by the Dalsland canal

The aqueduct in Håverud is a spectacular construction in Dalsland where road, railway and canal intersect in the air. You can stand for a long time and watch the boats pass through the water-filled metal channel. If you want, you can also join a boat trip from Håverud to Bengtsfors.

The aqueduct in Håverud

The aqueduct in Håverud is a famous sight, and many of us may remember it being mentioned at school. When I (Helena) wrote about the start of the Dalsland Canal in yesterday's post, my mum told me that she remembered a rhyme from her school days. She does not know who wrote it, but is there perhaps someone else who recognises it or knows who is behind it?

Over Dalsland goes a boat

In a gutter made of sheet metal.

Steam train smoke and car odours

Cross the same aqueduct.

Håverud

Håverud is located on the Dalsland Canal in the municipality of Mellerud, on the western side of Lake Vänern.

Aqueduct in Håverud - a 'crazy' project

There are many aqueducts in the world, but none like the one in Håverud. Most aqueducts are constructed as Roman stone arch bridges or with superstructures of cast iron gutters. The aqueduct in Håverud stands out because it is made of sheet metal. It is also crossed by a road bridge and a railway bridge, which does not make the site any less spectacular.

In the 19th century, when they wanted to build a canal to connect the lake system in Dalarna, they faced a challenge in Håverud. The rock walls were steep, the rapids were wild and the early drawings showed that they would have to reload and get past Håverud using a horse-drawn railway.

The engineer Nils Ericson did not give up so easily and presented a completely different, almost crazy, solution. Had he not been such a strong authority on canal and railway construction, the whole thing would probably have been laughed at. But Nils Ericson was not just anyone. He had a good reputation in the industry and had even been an apprentice to Baltzar von Platen himself. They chose to listen!

Nils Ericson suggested building an aqueduct in a long sheet metal channel. The project was carried out and resulted in a 33.5 metre long channel, joined by 33,000 rivets. The aqueduct, along with the entire Dalsland Canal, was inaugurated by King Carl XV in 1868. Since then, not a single one of the 33,000 rivets has had to be replaced. Talk about quality!

Looking at the aqueduct in Håverud

It is really fascinating to look at the aqueduct in Håverud. You have a good view from the road, where you can look down on both the channel and the railway. When we stood here, both small boats and canoes passed by.

If you cross the road, you have a view in the other direction as well. Great views in that direction too, even if it doesn't include any aqueducts.

There is also a small viewing platform halfway up the carriageway. This also offers excellent views.

The "optimal" is perhaps to see both boat and train (or railbus as it really is) passing at the same time. We thought it would be cool in a photo and made sure to get a train timetable. However, the trains only run a few times a day, so you have to be lucky if a boat is going to pass at exactly the same time. We weren't that lucky, but at least we got the chance to stand and watch the tourist boat Dalslandia, while she passed the channel. A clearly entertaining spectacle!

Boat trips between Håverud and Bengtsfors

Another way to experience the aqueduct in Håverud is to take a day trip on one of the canal boats M/S Dalslandia, M/S Storholmen or M/S Nils Ericson. You start in Håverud in the morning and travel to Bengtsfors. There you can take the train (railbus) back to Håverud if you wish. According to several people we talked to, this is a really nice trip!

The locks in the aqueduct

There is not only an aqueduct in Håverud, but also a total of four locks. Here you can watch the locking process and you can also see when the large railway bridge opens.

Glass house and gnome museum

Right next to the locks is the Dalsland Centre with a tourist office and exhibition hall. Here you can eat at Håfveruds Brasseri and you can also rent canoes. There is a glass workshop and you can look at, or buy, glass art. There was also an advertisement for the Santa Claus Museum (!) in Skållerud, where you can see several hundred gnomes, the oldest of which is from the 19th century.

Canal Museum

In the wonderful summer weather, it seemed just right for us to visit. one museum, and we chose to look around the Canal Museum. We paid 50 SEK each to go in here, and it was definitely worth it, we thought.

The museum teaches you about life on the canal in the past, and is beautifully presented with beautiful settings and short texts on the walls that give a voice to the people of the past. We liked this museum!

Camping in Håverud

Håverud's campsite has an excellent location, right next to the canal and aqueduct in Håverud. Another option if you're travelling by motorhome is to stay at the car park in Upperud, about 2.5 kilometres from Håverud. Both sites were full when we arrived, so we parked in a regular car park. During the evening we were joined by another motorhome that could not find a free space.

See more in the neighbourhood

If you want to follow the entire Dalsland Canal, you can start in the Köpmannebro and Upperud, and then proceed to Dals Långed and Bengtsfors.

Have you been to the aqueduct in Håverud?

Did you find it as fascinating as we did?

Facts about the aqueduct in Håverud

• Municipality: Mellerud municipality
• County: Västra Götaland County
• Landscape: Dalsland
• Completion: 1868
• Engineer: Nils Ericson
• The length of the sheet metal trough: 33.5 metres
• Number of rivets: 33 000
• Canal boats operating between Håverud and Bengtsfors: M/S Dalslandia, M/S Storholmen and M/S Nils Ericson
• Read more: You can find more information at Western Sweden

Facts about the locks in Håverud

• Number of locks: 4 (numbers 4-7)
• Level difference: 9.9 metres
• Time consumption: 1 hour
• Technical facts: The lower lock is followed by a short stretch of canal and then a double lock.

Things to see and do in Håverud

• Glashyttan Håverud, Kanalvägen 8-4
• Håfverud brewery, Kanalvägen 4
• Canal Museum, Museivägen 3
• Nordic Santa Claus Museum, Skålerud 7

Finding the aqueduct in Håverud

• Car: Drive north from Vänersborg (about 57 km) or south-west from Karlstad via Säffle (about 119 km).