You are here: 
The Telemark Canal 150 years in 2011
Vrangfoss locks in the Telemark Canal
The canal stretch from Norsjø to Skien was officially opened on May 1st 1861. This will be celebrated all through 2011
It is the leg from Notodden to Skien that celebrates its 150th anniversary. The Bandak canal, that goes all the way up to Dalen, was completed in 1892. Today the whole stretch from Skien to Dalen is called The Telemark Canal.
The waterway in Telemark has been the main source of transportation up through the ages. The roads were in poor condition, therefore transportation over the lakes was the fastest way to transport goods and people.
The canalization of transporting goods and floating timber from upper Telemark down to the sawmills in Skien and Ulefoss made it much easier, not least that now upper Telemark was linked to the open sea.
Today the canal is important for recreation and as a major tourist attraction for Telemark. The passenger boats Victoria, Henrik Ibsen and Telemarken travel between Skien, Akkerhaugen and Dalen in the summer season. The number of private boats are rising and many choose to enjoy the canal by canoe or cycle along the canal banks.