Bandak–Norsjø Canal, upper part of the Telemark Canal, opened 1892
The Bandak-Norsjø Canal is a waterway in Telemark that links several large lakes between the towns of Skien and Dalen. The system includes 18 locks of varying sizes that raise and lower boats over a total height difference of 72 meters, with the largest lock at Vrangfoss featuring five chambers and lifting boats 23 meters.
The first sections opened in the 1850s, and the route from Norsjø to Bandak was completed in 1892. The project took about 5 years to finish, employing some 500 workers mainly by hand to create this important transport link for goods and people across Telemark.
The canal's name comes from the two lakes it connects, Bandak and Norsjø. The locks and waterway are places where visitors can watch traditional craftsmanship in action as boat operators manually control the gate mechanisms, allowing water to slowly raise and lower vessels.
Visitors can travel from Skien to Dalen or explore individual sections, with boats limited to 6.6 meters wide and masts around 16 meters high. It is wise to allow plenty of time since passing through locks is slow, especially at Vrangfoss where the process takes about an hour.
The canal was once called the eighth wonder of Europe, and historic boats like the Victoria have traveled through since 1882, showing how journeys looked in the past. These slower traditional boat journeys allow visitors to experience the engineering of the locks firsthand without having to operate them.
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