I haven't explored all the waterways in Gothenburg yet, but the most important ones beside Göta Elv are Stora Hamnkanalen and Vallgraven (the harbour channel and the moat). The channels and the river carve out an island, which I believe historically was the most central part of Gothenburg. According to wikipedia those channels were made around 1620, there were plans to create a dutch-inspired channel network. The purposes of the channels were to drain the land, provide a harbour, make it easier to defend the city, as well as providing a transportation network. Dutch experts were hired to supervise the work.
Those two channels totally cover some 3 km of distance and creating an island 590000 square metres big - that's not much compared to Copenhagen or any Dutch city, but if I understand the history correct there were more channels that have later been filled up and made into streets with car traffic. Like, "Lilla Bommen" ("small gate") is the guest harbour - it was made in 1640 and was connected to the other channels. It got the name because there was a gate there, boats passing had to pay dues prior to entering the channels. There was a channel "Østra hamnkanalen" (eastern harbour channel) connecting Lilla Bommen with the harbour channel - today there is a street "Østra hamngatan" (eastern harbour street).
Right after the harbour channel meets the moat channel, there is a lock. The channel continues at a higher elevation for some few hundred metres before meeting the river Mölndalsån. I haven't investigated if the lock works or not. Historically Mölndalsån was quite much used for transportation purposes, today not at all.
I already posted some photos from the harbour channel earlier in another post - I wasn't aware that it was the harbour channel, but I did comment that there were very few boats in the channel. Here are some photos from the moat channel.
Unfortunately I forgot to photograph the entrance to the moat channel - it was a quite low bridge. The water level was quite high this day, so my masthead navigation lamp was actually ~1 cm too high. I have had the lantern fixed by some ropes so I could easily slide it from vertical to horizontal position. I lended out the boat for two weeks, now I was suddenly surprised to find the light attached by screws. Anyway, after some cursing I managed to pass the bridge. So, there are no boats at all moored up in the harbour channel, but surprise, surprise, in the moat channel there is actually a small boat harbour!
position: geo:57.702556,11.947871 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:18:46 localtime - full quality
While the harbour channel apparently has several fixed bridges, apparently all the bridges on the moat channel are made - or were originally made - to be opened. I'm not sure if the mechanisms still work today.
position: geo:57.700626,11.959371 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:21:46 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702789,11.952993 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:22:07 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.699863,11.961072 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:22:28 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702598,11.966606 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:26:11 localtime - full quality
Bridge construction work. If you look at the river bank at the starboard side there is a traffic light there. It was not working this Sunday, but when I came back one week later (and going the other way) I got a red light. I had to press a push-button - of the same kind that is used on pedestrian crossings - to get a green light. My son was steering, while I was to press the button, it was surprisingly difficult to push that button, but we had great fun while doing it. Too bad I was out of battery on my phone and unable to take photos.
position: geo:57.701313,11.96547 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:26:49 localtime - full quality
Hm ... did I say all bridges seemed to be possible to open? This one looks a bit fixed ...
position: geo:57.702365,11.967207 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:29:48 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702423,11.967298 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:29:53 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702724,11.968503 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:30:52 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702095,11.965561 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:30:55 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.702415,11.969343 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:31:46 localtime - full quality
The bridge ahead looks very fixed. But that big resturant barge certainly needs bridges to open to be able to get in or out. Well, maybe it will never need to get out and maybe it got in before the bridge behind was built.
position: geo:57.702415,11.969343 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:31:52 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.704429,11.972891 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:35:16 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.704502,11.972878 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:35:18 localtime - full quality
position: geo:57.704582,11.972863 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:35:23 localtime - full quality
The Alfons Åbergs Kulturhus is on the very end of the moat channel; I've been here in my previous post.
position: geo:57.704643,11.972803 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:38:27 localtime - full quality
This photo is from the river itself
position: geo:57.701213,11.933191 (geohack) - 2018-08-26 16:08:32 localtime - full quality
Selected photos available in original quality on IPFS QmT5K7rw3LLbQfrFNFyqHL8uDY1xwow2J8RZY1GwNw6FSd. All photos taken available in original quality on IPFS QmepiFGhGfr3MVxerRiM6zNbGdfEHJKVk9yGjDRfuQP9yx. The CC BY-SA 4.0 license applies on both my photos and the article