Vänern

Vänern is the great inland lake of western Sweden, receiving the Klarälven in the north and draining through the Göta River towards the sea. Its waters linked ports such as Karlstad and Kristinehamn with the iron districts of Värmland and Bergslagen. In 1800 the Trollhätte Canal opened a navigable connection between the lake and Gothenburg, allowing vessels to pass the falls and carry inland goods towards the coast without unloading around that obstacle.