Strömsholm Canal
In 1746, the young Johan Ulfström rode from Grangärde in Dalarna to Stockholm. As he traveled along the Kolbäck River valley towards Lake Mälaren, he couldn’t help but think about the many waterways and lakes in the area. Since his father operated the Ulfva mill outside Uppsala, he had a good understanding of hydraulic engineering. He was also employed at the Bergskollegium (Board of Mines), so he understood the mining industry as well. What if a canal were built along this route instead?
Bergslagen was a region where thousands of horse-drawn carts transported heavy loads of iron each year from local ironworks to be sold worldwide. The transfer of goods usually took place at Lake Mälaren. A canal could be dug to bypass the river’s rapids, and locks could be installed to extend the existing boat transport routes across the large lakes further upstream. This would facilitate the transportation of iron from the mines and ironworks in Bergslagen.
Johan Ulfström thought about it, began sketching out a proposal, and once his vision was clear, he wrote a letter to the Bergskollegium explaining his idea.
Ten years after Johan Ulfström sent the letter, he was commissioned to draft a plan for the proposed waterway. Construction began in 1777 and was estimated to take six years—but it took significantly longer, with the canal not being inaugurated until 1795. The main reason for the delay was the difficulty in securing funding.
Although the canal was not completed until 1795, King Gustav III inspected and inaugurated it as early as 1787, when 16 of the final 26 locks were finished. He traveled in an open sloop from Smedjebacken on Lake Barken down to Hallstahammar, stopping along the way for celebrations hosted by various manor houses along the canal.
He also named the locks after kings, queens, and other prominent figures. The first lock, the one in Semla, was named after himself—Gustav III. He also donated 13,000 riksdaler from his own funds and arranged for the state treasury to contribute 27,000 riksdaler. These funds were crucial for completing the project.
The king was proud and very pleased with Johan Ulfström’s work in leading the canal’s construction, and at Strömsholm Castle, he knighted Johan into the Order of Vasa.
Between 1842 and 1860, the locks were rebuilt, some were relocated, and excavation work was redone where necessary.
The sailing ships, known as “Smedjebackare,” made eight to nine trips per year, carrying loads of 60-70 tons per journey. Many of the boats were built locally at one of the fifteen shipyards along the canal. After the reconstruction in 1860, steamships were introduced. These steamships could tow multiple barges at once.
For over a hundred years, the canal was the main transport route in Bergslagen. However, in the early 1900s, it faced competition from the railway, which had been built along the canal’s route. By the 1940s, its golden age had completely passed, and the last freight transport took place in 1948.
The municipalities near the canal then stepped in to fund a renovation. Even if the ironworks no longer needed it, the canal could still be profitable—for tourism. In 1992, Strömsholm Canal was designated a historical monument.
FACTS
A 100-kilometer-long canal with 26 locks, stretching from Borgåsund at Lake Mälaren to Smedjebacken in Dalarna. Of this, approximately 10 kilometers is man-made canal.
Strömsholm Canal follows the Kolbäck River water system down to Borgåsund and is currently operated by Kanalbolaget, owned by the municipalities of Hallstahammar, Surahammar, Fagersta, and Smedjebacken.
The canal was built between 1772 and 1795 to facilitate the transportation of bar iron from Bergslagen to Lake Mälaren and the shipping port in Stockholm.
Originally, there were plans to extend the canal to Ludvika and Grangärde, as well as to Norberg, with hopes of eventually reaching the Dalälven River and Lake Siljan. However, instead of these extensions, some of Sweden’s earliest railways were built along these routes.
Alongside the Göta Canal, Strömsholm Canal has been one of Sweden’s most important waterways. Across the 26 locks, boats are raised or lowered by a total of 100 meters over the 100-kilometer stretch. At Hallstahammar, the elevation change is particularly significant, measuring 50 meters in total.
In 1784, Ulfström was elected as Member No. 228 of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
There are cycling and hiking trails along the canal. During the summer, it is open for recreational boat passage through the locks.
