Bengtsfors lock, Dalsland Canal
Bengtsfors

Lock chambers: 2
Elevation: 3,5 m
Duration: 25 min

Opening hours

On the west side of the north end of Bengtsbrohöljen, you will enter the canal at Bengtsfors, where there is a double lock just inside the mouth of the canal.

There are waiting jetties both below and above the double lock. South of the southern waiting jetty is a mooring buoy for keelboats with a depth of more than 1,4 m (the southern waiting jetty is only 1,4 m deep). Immediately above the upper lock is a road bridge that is opened by the lock keeper. Halfway between the upper lock and Lelång is another bridge with a 5,60 m clearance, which is opened by the lock keeper. 

Buy your lock tickets here

History

The community in Bengtsfors was rather small until the late 19th century. When the Dalsland Canal was opened in 1868, the population rose slightly and with the expansion of the railway a few years later, the community grew even more. 1926 was a memorable year for Bengtsfors. The Dal Västra Värmland Railway, DVVJ, was almost complete and the quiet community had grown into a small market town. In 1926, the town had, strange as it may sound, exactly 1926 residents. 

Today, DVVJ is a stretch of railway where you can travel by train along the Dalsland Canal to Mellerud or pedal a cycle trolley along an equally picturesque path to Årjäng. 

While in Bengtsfors, take the opportunity to visit Halmens Hus and Gammelgården on Majberget. Halmens Hus is a vibrant museum depicting the straw handicrafts that are so typical of the region, and Gammelgården is an old homestead and open-air museum with a fabulous view of Lake Lelång.