Håverud

Håverud is the only place in Europe (as far as we know!) where boats, cars and trains can meet all in the same spot, at different levels. The Dalsland canal aqueduct was an ingenious solution to a major problem. It seemed impossible to build a canal and locks here due to the soft rock and the deep valley where the river gushed forth. The man responsible for the project, Nils Ericson, recommended than an aqueduct should be built over the most difficult section, and that the upper part of the canal should be placed on a shelf on the mounting - and that is how it was done! The aqueduct is a 32.5 m-long metal chute which is held together with 33 000 rivets. It was opened by King Karl XV in September 1868.
Håverud has been home to an iron foundry since 1872, which later became the paper mill Håfreströms AB. This company moved to larger premises in the neighbouring community of Åsensbruk in the 1970s. But the site was soon filled with craftsmen, exhibitions, a tourist agency, a restaurant, smokehouse, language centre, café, and so on. A number of passenger boats depart from here - you can book trips on the Dalsland canal on these.