Karl Johan staircase
Seven locks.
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The Berg Locks are a series of consecutive locks on the Göta Canal at the village of Berg, north of Linköping in central Sweden, about 10 km from the city centre in a straight line. Together they are called the Great Lift, because passing boats are raised or lowered a total of 28.8 metres. The flight is made up of a lock staircase and two double locks. The Karl Johan staircase has seven locks in a row that raise or lower boats about 19 metres, and its keepers' house was built around 1815. Next comes the double Oscar lock, with a rise of 4.9 metres and a keeper's house from 1843, and finally the double Berg lock with 5.5 metres, the last of the series counting from Lake Roxen. The stone lock chambers with their white gates step down a green slope towards Lake Roxen below, beside an old yellow lock keeper's house and tall trees. After the Karl Johan staircase lies a man-made basin that feeds the locks with water and doubles as a guest harbour. Visitors stroll the canal banks to watch boats climb the locks one by one during the summer boating season, and relax in the cafés and gardens nearby. Outside summer, when the boat traffic stops, it is quiet.
Seven locks.
Below.
Old and yellow.
Berg, north of Linköping, Göta Canal, Sweden
In the summer boating season.
28.8 metres in total.