Kinda Canal

The whole fairway is about 90 kilometer from Horn at the southern end of lake Åsunden ut to lake Roxen. There are five lakes in the system Åsunden, Emmern, Järnlunden, Little and Large Rängen and Erlången.
The canal is 45 kilometer long.

Stångån med Linköping i bakgrunden.

From lake Roxen this is the entrance to Stångån and Kinda Canal. © Picture by Bosse Arnholm, 1977

Total length
Total elevation
Number of locks
Max boatlenght
Max width
Max draught
Max free height
Max speed

90 km
50 m
15
24,5 m
4,5 m
1,5 m
3,09 m
5 knots

Alla slussarna
All locks
History in short:
The first plans about a canal here were presented in the mid 18th century. A first attempt to build it were performed in the early 19th century, but the first works started in the mid 19th century and in 1872 the canal was ready for use.
The total cost was 1 300 000SEK.
The main use was transport of construction material, pitch. tar and wood to Linköping, but it was also used for an extensive timber driving. In 1907 1 061 sailing ships and barges, 1 440 steamers and 205 timber bundles passed the canal.
Transports on the canal actually stopped in the early 20th century but timber driving continued until 1951.
Since then the canal has only been used by sightseeing boats and pleasure boats.
Over time the canal has been renovated several times, but all locks are still hand operated.
The canal company has a website.

The canal system also have the Rimforsa canal connecting lake Järnlunden to lake Åsunden and Skedevi canal lake Ämmern to lake Åsunden. I hope to find more information about these canals soon.

From Hycklinge at the canal's most southern point you can transport your boat to the Baltic Sea.
© Picture by Olle Sewerin, 2003

Postcard of the canal boat Kind during lockage. The card was posted in 1975.

Old pictures of the canal from Linköping


This is a postcard from 1948. The picture was shot by the photographer Svante Leonard Rydholm.The little ferry on the picture is now replaced by a bridge.	This is a picture from 1911. Stångebro (Stångebridge) at right was used by the main rail road and the separate bridge at left was used by a local rail road. This picture belongs to Anders Fransson's collection.	This picture of the pavillion at the Asklund Tobacco Factory was shot in 1906. This was between Stångebro and Drottningbron (The Queens bridge). A few years later the pavillion was moved up into the garden, when the canal got new quay and walls.

Sources: Brochures and website of the canal company, Nordisk Familjebok 1911, charts over the Kinda Canal published by Kinda Kanals Vänner.
As part of the Projekt Runeberg Cervus' old book guide for tourists on Kinda Kanal has been made available on Internet.

Do send comments or further information to Bosse Arnholm!

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Total length	Total elevation	Number of locks	Max boatlenght	Max width	Max draught	Max free height	Max speed
90 km	50 m	15	24,5 m	4,5 m	1,5 m	3,09 m	5 knots