Dals Långed - charming by the Dalsland canal

Dals Långed is a small town along the Dalsland Canal. We did not have high expectations, but were surprised by idyllic lakes, charming locks and a village that lives thanks to initiative and a school for handicrafts.

Dals Långed in Dalsland

When you die, you go to Kramfors. But if you've been naughty, you get to stay in Dals Långed.

The quote above is taken from a revue number by Hasse and Tage, if the Bengtsfors municipality's tourist office is to be believed. It should of course be taken with a large dose of humour and love, but is it really that bad? We hadn't read up on it, but instead drove to the nearest caravan park.

Dals Långed is located in Bengtsfors municipality in Dalsland, next to the Dalsland canal.

Camping site and sauna in Dals Langed

There is a caravan site in Dals Långed, and it's really nice. There are a total of eight pitches on gravel, with service in the form of electricity, toilets, the possibility of filling water and emptying the toilet tank. The price is 150 SEK/day (2020). Just below you have a view of the water. Occasionally a train passes behind the car park, but it is so rare that we could not possibly be disturbed.

On the waterfront there are several nice houses with a sauna, which you can rent. You can take the regular staircase down or the "fun" one, with stumps to jump on. At the bottom there are tables and benches and a hammock. The place is beautiful and peaceful, and we learnt that the local development council is behind the initiative. We immediately fell in love with the place!

Industrial history in Dals Långed

In the middle of the 19th century, a saw and a mill were established in Dals Långed, but this was soon outcompeted by a large wood grinding mill started by Carl Fredrik Waern at Baldersnäs Herrgård. The business later developed into a paper mill, and has now been moved to the Duni plant in Skåpafors. To utilise the water flow in the Upperudsälven river, a power plant was started in 1909, and in 1984 it was bought by Vattenfall.  

Arts and crafts

We spoke to several locals and quickly realised that much of Dals Långed today revolves around the Steneby School of Arts and Crafts, which is run as part of the University of Gothenburg. Thanks to the school, many talented young people come to the town from both the rest of the country and the rest of the world. The influence of all these young artists and craftsmen means that the atmosphere in Dals Långed is perhaps a little different from other small towns around the country.

Things to see and do in Dals Långed

Thanks to Stenebyskolan, an annual art walk is organised during the Ascension weekend every year. Other attractions and places to visit in the local area include:

• Baldersnäs manor house with restaurant and activities
• Dalsland activities with various adventure activities
• The rock carvings of Högsbyn from the Bronze Age
• Falkolts Dalslandskrog with Dalsland specialities
• Lästvik Manor with a gallery, craft shop and activities

By the time we got to Dals Långed, our holiday was coming to an end, and we didn't get to see as much as we might have liked. However, we went on a bike ride to check out all the locks in the area!

Mustadfors lock station

We first cycled to Mustadfors lock station, which is located in the lake Långbrohöljen (also called Katrineholmshöljen). It is the ninth lock in the Dalsland Canal.

The village has a history that goes back 3000 years. There are rock carvings that tell the story of life at that time, and one of the carvings shows a man doing a backwards flip on a ship. "It seems to have been a fun time," says the tourist office. Yes, perhaps?

At the end of the 18th century, the Katrineholm mill was founded here. The town could have been named Katrineholm, but that would have been tricky for the post office because there was another town with that name. The Norwegian company O. Mustad & Son bought the mill and started manufacturing horseshoe stitches. The town was named Mustadfors.

Today, horseshoe stitches are still made here, and the company is run by the seventh generation of Mustads. There is also the cosy little lock, which you can take a look at.

Dals Långed lock station

The Långed locks consist of a lock system of four lock chambers, with a level difference of 13.1 m. The system starts with a single lock and continues with a short stretch of canal to a double lock, after which it follows a stub of canal to the last single lock.

We have looked at many locks during this trip, in the Göta Canal, the Trollhätte Canal and the Dalsland Canal, but nowhere have they released as much water as quickly as they did here.

Långbron lock station

Långbron lock has a lock chamber and leads from the lake Långbrohöljen to Laxsjön. There is also a nice little ice cream parlour here. If we had not just bought ice cream at Handlar'n, we would definitely have done it here.

Dinner at the campsite

When we came back to the site after our bike ride, we talked for a while with some of our nice site neighbours. Then we had dinner (perch in cream sauce and new potatoes) overlooking the water. It is not stupid to travel with a motorhome!

See more in the neighbourhood

The main attraction in the neighbourhood, which is not to be missed, is the aqueduct in Håverud. You can also take the opportunity to visit Bengtsfors. If you want to follow the whole channel from the beginning, you can start in the Köpmannebro and Upperud.

Have you been to Dals Langed?

Please tell us about your visit!

Facts about Dals Långed

• Municipality: Bengtsfors municipality
• County: Västra Götaland County
• Landscape: Dalsland
• Population: About 1500 (2019)
• Sights and destinations: Dalsland Canal, Baldersnäs Manor and Högsbyn rock carvings.
• Activities: See lockage in the Dalsland canal, canoe hire, Dalsland activities with horseback riding and zipline, and dinner at Falkholt's Dalsland restaurant.
• Read more: You can find more information at Western Sweden.

Facts about Mustadfors lock station

• Location: In the lake Långbrohöljen
• Number of lock chambers: 1
• Level difference: 3,1 m
• Time consumption: 15 min

Facts about Dals Långed lock station

• Location: Dals Långed
• Number of lock chambers: 4
• Difference in height: 13.1 metres
• Time consumption: 60 minutes

Facts about Långbron lock station

• Location: From lake Långbrohöljen to Laxsjön in the Dalsland Canal. 
• Number of lock chambers: 1
• Level difference: 0,3 m
• Time consumption: 15 min

Finding Dals Långed

• Car: From Gothenburg via Uddevalla (about 170 km) and from Karlstad via Åmål about 120 km.

History of Dals Långed

• 1850s: A saw was built and later a mill. These were later closed down when a wood grinding mill was founded. It was a subsidiary of Baldersnäs that founded the grinding mill and the initiator was the future Minister of Finance Carl Fredrik Waern.
• 1860s: The Dalsland Canal passed through Dals Långed and a lock station was built here.
• 1884: Dalsland's first paper mill was started on the advice of manager Alexander Halling.
• 1888: A sulphite pulp mill was started.
• 1898: The Mustadfors mill, which produced horseshoe stitches, was established at the Mustadfors lock, which is today within Dals Långed.

20th century

• 1902: The sulphite pulp mill burned, and initially there was no rebuilding.
• 1906: The sulphite pulp mill was rebuilt, but production stopped after a few years.
• 1909-1910: A hydroelectric power station was built.
• 1918: AB Billingsfors-Långed was formed by merging with Billingsfors Bruk.
• 1930s: The depression caused difficulties for the mill and production was switched from newsprint to other types of paper. The Stenaby school was founded.
• 1940s: During the Second World War, there was a shortage of blue and paper products were produced to replace tin cans.
• 1943: A bleachery was built.