Klaralven River
Sweden'S Longest River System, Slow And Sandy Through The Varmland Forest, Where Visitors Build Their Own Log Raft And Drift Downriver For Days A Summer Trip Popular With German And Dutch Families · Stollet, Varmland County
The Klaralven is a long, slow river that runs through the forests of Varmland in western Sweden. It rises in Norway, where its upper course is known as the Trysilelva, and ends in Lake Vanern at Karlstad, and with its Norwegian part it is usually given as roughly 460 km long - often called Sweden's longest river system. In its northern Swedish stretch, between Syssleback and Eksharad, the water meanders gently between sandbanks and pine forest, and this is where visitors do the thing the river is famous for: building their own timber raft from logs and rope with an operator's kit, then drifting downstream at about 1-2 km an hour for one to eight days, sleeping on sandy beaches. Canoe trips are the faster alternative. It is a hit with families, especially German and Dutch visitors. The honest caveats: it is slow on purpose, the water is cold, mosquitoes and rain can wear you down, and the season runs only from about late May to early September.
The upper Klaralven valley in northern Varmland, between Syssleback and Eksharad, where the timber-raft and canoe trips run, Stollet, Varmland County, Sweden
The river itself is always open and free to look at, walk beside and swim in at your own risk. Raft and canoe trips run with local operators only in summer, roughly late May or June to late August or early September, depending on water levels and the operator - confirm the season. Timber raft trips start on fixed days with a short building session, and July dates sell out months ahead, so book by spring for July and a few weeks ahead for June or August. Canoe hire is more flexible but also busy in July. Getting there: SJ trains run to Karlstad from Stockholm in roughly 2.5-3.5 hours and from Oslo, and Varmlandstrafik buses run up the valley towards Stollet, Syssleback and Torsby, but services are few, so many visitors drive. Karlstad to Stollet is about 110 km, roughly 1.5 hours. Operators usually arrange the transfer back from the finishing point to your car.