Telemark Canal

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Telemark Canal
Telemarkskanalen.jpg
The Henrik Ibsen in a lock at Vrangfoss staircase locks
Physical characteristics
Source 
  elevation72 m (236 ft)
Length105 km (65 mi)
Fjagesund Bridge over the Telemark Canal Fjaagesund bridge.jpg
Fjågesund Bridge over the Telemark Canal

The Telemark Canal connects the towns Skien and Dalen in southern Norway by linking several long lakes in the Skien watershed through a series of 18 locks.

Contents

It originally consisted of two canals. The Norsjø–Skien Canal, with locks in Skien and Løveid, was built in 1854–1861 and linked Skien with Norsjø lake. The longer Bandak–Norsjø Canal was opened in 1892 by the Minister of Labour Hans Hein Theodor Nysom. [1] It extended the canal from Norsjø lake through Flåvatn and Kviteseidvatn (Kviteseidvatnet) lakes to Bandak lake. In Europe, this canal was seen as "the eighth wonder" at the time it was finished. The Bandak–Nordsjø Canal was mainly built for transport of goods and passengers, log floating and to prevent flooding. Log floating is no longer practiced, due to the closing of Union, a local paper factory. An eastern section gives access from Norsjø lake to Notodden via Lake Heddalsvatnet.

The Telemark Canal consists of 18 locks, is 105 kilometres (65 mi) long and has a total difference in elevation of 72 metres (236 ft). The biggest staircase lock is Vrangfoss, which has five chambers and a lifting height of 23 metres (75 ft). The riverboats Henrik Ibsen and Victoria travel with tourists from Skien to Dalen via Kviteseid. Victoria has traveled the Norsjø–Skien Canal since 1882, and the Bandak–Norsjø Canal since its opening.

The canal was selected as the millennium site for Telemark county. It was also features in the Telemarkskanalen – minutt for minutt slow television documentary in 2012. [2]

The Bandak-Norsjø Canal was made a National Cultural Heritage in June, 2017.

List of lock chambers

There are 18 lock chambers at 8 different locations.

LockLift heightChambersLock passage time
Skien5 m120 min
Løveid 10.3 m335 min
Ulefoss 10.7 m340 min
Eidsfoss 10 m230 min
Vrangfoss 23 m560 min
Lunde 3 m115 min
Kjeldal 3 m115 min
Hogga 7 m225 min

Maximum traffic dimensions

DimensionMeterFeetRemarks
Mast height1652.5Limited to 12.8 m at Ulefoss–Dalen
Length31.4100
Width6.621
Draft 2.58
Telemark Canal from Skien to Dalen. The canal to Heddalsvatnet is not shown, but connects the north end of Norsjo. Map of Telemarkskanalen.jpg
Telemark Canal from Skien to Dalen. The canal to Heddalsvatnet is not shown, but connects the north end of Norsjø.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skien</span> Municipality in Telemark, Norway

Skien is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Grenland, although historically it belonged to Grenmar/Skiensfjorden, while Grenland referred the Norsjø area and Bø. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Skien, which is also the administrative centre of the whole county. Some of the notable villages in the municipality include Åfoss, Hoppestad, Klovholt, Luksefjell, Melum, Kilebygda, Skotfoss, Sneltvedt, and Valebø.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nome, Norway</span> Municipality in Telemark, Norway

Nome is a municipality in Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Midt-Telemark and historically part of the Grenland region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Ulefoss. Other villages include Bjervamoen, Ulefoss, Helgja, Flåbygd, and Svenseid.

Grenland is a traditional district in Telemark county, in the south-east of Norway. "Grenland" has referred to varying locations throughout history. In modern times, Grenland refers to the areas of the municipalities of Skien, Porsgrunn, Bamble, and Siljan. Sometimes the municipalities Kragerø and Drangedal are also considered to be part of the area. The region encompasses 1,794 square kilometres (693 sq mi) and has 122,978 inhabitants (2004), which translates as 12% of the area and 64% of the population of Telemark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norsjø</span> Lake in Telemark, Norway

Norsjø is a lake in the municipalities of Skien, Nome, and Midt-Telemark in Telemark county, Norway. The 58-square-kilometre (22 sq mi) lake sits at an elevation of 15 m (49 ft) above sea level.

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The Bratsberg Line is a 74-kilometre long (46 mi) railway line between Eidanger and Notodden in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It opened in 1917, connecting the Tinnos Line, the Sørland Line and the Vestfold Line; allowing Norsk Hydro to transport fertilizer from their plant at Rjukan to the port in Skien. Since 1991 only passenger trains are operated, using Class 69 stock by Vy.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skien watershed</span>

The Skien watershed is the third largest watershed of Norway after those of the Glomma and the Drammen rivers. The catchment area is 10,780 square kilometres (4,160 sq mi), and the maximum length is 252 kilometres (157 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bandak</span> Lake in Telemark, Norway

Bandak is a lake in the municipalities of Kviteseid and Tokke in Telemark county, Norway. The lake, which is part of the Telemark Canal route, belongs to the Skien watershed. The river Tokke flows into the lake, and the outlet is via the river Strauman, which flows to the lake Kviteseidvatn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Totak</span> Lake in Telemark, Norway

Totak is a lake in Vinje Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 37.26-square-kilometre (14.39 sq mi) lake is located in the Rauland area, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the north of the village of Åmot. The lake is part of the Skien river watershed (Skiensvassdraget), discharging via the river Tokke which flows into the lake Bandak to the south. At 306 metres (1,004 ft) deep, Totak is the 11th deepest lake in Norway. This tremendous overdeepening marks it as a glacially formed lake with characteristics similar to a fjord. Its volume of 2.35 cubic kilometres (1,910,000 acre⋅ft) makes it the 24th largest by volume as well. Totak is Norway's deepest lake; that isn't a cryptodepression. The lake's basin is well over sealevel. The lake is a reservoir that holds water for the Tokke Hydroelectric Power Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dalen, Telemark</span> Village in Tokke, Norway

Dalen is the administrative centre of Tokke Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The village is located at the flat river delta where the river Tokke flows into the west end of the lake Bandak. The village of Eidsborg lies about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Dalen and the village of Åmdals Verk lies about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the south of Dalen.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eidselva</span> River in Nome, Telemark, Norway

Eidselva or Lundeelva is a river in Nome Municipality in Telemark county, Norway. The 7.5-kilometre (4.7 mi) long river is part of Skiensvassdraget watershed and it is an important part of the Telemark Canal system. The river begins at the lake Nomevatnet, just east of the village of Bjervamoen and flows to the east and south into the large lake Norsjø at the village of Ulefoss.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heddalsvatnet</span> Lake in Telemark, Norway

Heddalsvatnet is a lake in Notodden Municipality and Midt-Telemark Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. The 13.2-square-kilometre (5.1 sq mi) lake is located just south of the town of Notodden. The village of Heddal and the Heddalen valley are located to the northwest of the lake.

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Dalen Hotel is a historic hotel located at Dalen in the municipality of Tokke in Vestfold og Telemark, Norway. The luxury Dalen Hotel, once a popular locale for European royalty, is one of the largest wooden buildings in Norway and one of the best preserved hotels of its size from the 1800s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haldor Børve</span> Norwegian architect

Haldor Larsen Børve was an architect from Ullensvang in Hordaland, Norway. Børve started an architectural practice in Porsgrunn in 1889 and designed numerous buildings in Telemark and Vestfold, many of them influenced by Dragestil and the Nordic National Romantic style. Among his best-known works are Dalen Hotel from 1894 and Porsgrunn City Hall from 1904/1905.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eidsborg</span> Village in Tokke, Norway

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Østre Porsgrunn Church is a parish church of the Church of Norway in Porsgrunn Municipality in Vestfold og Telemark county, Norway. It is located in the town of Porsgrunn. It is one of the two churches for the Porsgrunn parish which is part of the Skien prosti (deanery) in the Diocese of Agder og Telemark. The white, concrete church was built in a modern, rectangular design in 2019 using plans drawn up by the architect Espen Surnevik. The church seats about 500 people.

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References

  1. "Telemarkskanalen – Den Offisielle siden for Telemarkskanalen".
  2. Telemarkskanalen – minutt for minutt IMDB

59°17′N9°16′E / 59.283°N 9.267°E / 59.283; 9.267