Söderköping on the Göta Canal: Churches, Museum and Trails

When looking for a hotel in Söderköping, it’s worth choosing a location based on the themes you want to shape your stay. The Göta Canal runs right through the town; churches, historic quarters and the town history museum offer other points of interest. The trails also vary considerably in length and character. Consider whether the canal, local history or a walk should be the main focus of your trip.

The Göta Canal and trails on Ramunderberget

The Göta Canal runs right through Söderköping, where you can watch the locks in operation from close by. The Göta Canal Trail also runs directly through the town and along the entire canal. As a cycling route, it is 220 kilometres long in total: it starts at Söderköping/Mem on the Baltic Sea and ends at Sjötorp/Mariestad on Lake Vänern. This gives you two distinct options: watching the locks in town or cycling a long route along the canal. When planning your days, you can weigh up whether a stay by the canal is what you have in mind or whether you want to tackle the entire route.

The trails also differ when it comes to walks and hikes. Hälsans stig is an easy-to-walk, four-kilometre circular trail in central Söderköping. Borgbergsleden on Ramunderberget is longer at nine kilometres and somewhat more challenging, with several steep sections. Their length, location and character give you different points of reference when choosing a route. From the lock area, 318 steps also lead up to a viewpoint on Ramunderberget. You can factor this flight of steps into your plans as a separate activity.

Local history, from historic quarter to museum

In the Drothemskvarteren, small, low wooden houses on small plots and narrow lanes still evoke medieval Söderköping. The character of the area comes from the interplay between its buildings and streets. One precise historical reference point is the year 1235, when a Franciscan monastery and its associated monastery church were founded in Söderköping. The present-day Drothems kyrka, by contrast, dates from the late 13th century and includes, among other things, a medieval altarpiece. These details offer different insights into the town’s history, rather than linking it to a single period.

The Söderköping Town History Museum traces the town’s development from the Early Middle Ages to the present day. It is housed on the first and second floors of the town’s oldest school building; there is no lift. The content and the building each offer a different focus: the exhibition covers a long span of time, while its location is rooted in a historic school building. If you’re planning a museum visit, you can take both into account—the period covered by the exhibition and the fact that the rooms are on upper floors with no lift.

When to visit and getting around

Söderköpings Gästabud has been held every year since 2006 and usually takes place on the last weekend in August. If you’d like to combine your trip with the festival, check the exact dates for the year of your visit. The usual timing is a helpful guide for planning, but be sure to check the specific dates.

The E22 also runs through Söderköping. It is another local point of reference, alongside the canal, culture and trails.

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