From the top of the flight of locks in Brekke | Getting close to the Brekke flight och locks from downstreams | Turisten in the middle of Brekke flight of locks. This modern Turisten started it's tours on Halden canal 1985. | Turisten in Tordivelen |
© Pictures by Jahn Børe Jahnsen, 1990
Going into Strømsfoss from downstreams | Turisten going downstreams from Ørje locks |
Turisten getting close to Brekke from downstreams. | Turisten getting into the first Brekke lock chamber. | Inside the flrst chamber. | Time for the next lock chamber. |
Getting into the upmost lock chamber. | Turisten leaves Brekke on it's way upstreams. The small steamer Tryg is waiting for passing downstreams. |
© Pictures by Jahn Børe Jahnsen, 2003
Total length | Total elevation | Number of locks | Max boatlength | Max boatwidth | Max draught | Max free height | Max speed |
70 km | 39 m | 3 | 24,0 m | 6,0 m | 1,6 m | 5,7 m | ? knots |
Short history:
The Haldenvassdraget river has for centuries been a river for timber floating from the great forests down to the sawmills at Tistedalsfossen. The canal was built under supervision by the timber floating inspector Engebret Soor to make the floating of the timber easier. The work started 1852 with building the locks at Brekke, and later locks at Krappeto, Strømsfoss and Ørje. The canal was finished in 1878.
The locks are 90 feet long, 19 feet wide and 5,5 feet deep.
The Brekke lock station is famous, lifting the boats 26,6 meters. This is Northern Europes highest lifting for one lock station.
The distance between the Dalsland canal and the Halden canal is only 2 kilometers at the shortest point. Several times there were plans to connect the two canals, but this has so far not come true. Today there are real plans, only the money is lacking.
From 1827 to 1956 there was a timber floating canal between the two mentioned canals from lake Stora Le to lake Øymarksjøen. Plans are to make the old canal navigable for leisure boats.
This page was modified at 12-08-06