Build Your Own Timber Raft and Explore Klarälven
Have you ever dreamt of drifting down the river on a timber raft you’ve built yourself? On Klarälven, the river that cuts through the heart of Värmland, you can do just that.
“It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long, and the top stood above the water six or seven inches,” says Huckelberry Finn, as he describes the raft he and Jim used to travel down the Mississippi River in Mark Twain’s classic novel about their adventures.
The novel is a favorite among many adventurers, igniting dreams of exploring beautiful riverscapes by raft. And while Värmland’s Klarälven river bears little resemblance to the Mississippi delta, its stunning natural beauty lends itself well to this kind of slow, contemplative travel.
In the olden days, Klarälven dictated life in much of northern Värmland. Many of the province’s older settlements were established along its banks as this was where the most fertile land could be found. The water gave life, but it could also take it away. The river was an utterly uncontrollable force when it flooded, at times washing away entire villages.
Starting in the 1700s, log drivers used the powerful river to transport timber and pulpwood to sawmills or pulp factories. When logging was at its peak in 1957, about one million cubic meters of timber floated on the river. When it ceased in 1991, Klarälven was the last Swedish river to have log driving.
Thanks to eco-tourism company Vildmark i Värmland you can still follow in the wake of Värmland’s historic log drivers. The company offers visitors the chance to not only learn the art of building your own timber raft using logs and rope, but then experience the joy of traveling down Klarälven Huckelberry Finn-style on your own raft. There are various packages to choose from, allowing you to spend anywhere from a day to a week or more exploring the river. Camp under the stars in a tent or upgrade to a cosy cabin. There’s even an all-inclusive option where a chef prepares your meals.
You’ll start at Klarälven Campground or in Branäs, from where the river meanders in a unique pattern of regularly occurring bends for some 100 kms. During this stretch, the otherwise fast-running Klarälven slows down to a comfortable speed of about 2 km per hour. This slow pace, coupled with the meanders, has created a whole series of beautiful sandy beaches which make for very pleasant stops.
Let yourself be carried by the current while contemplating the generations that have admired these same, timeless landscapes before you.
To learn more, visit https://www.vildmark.se/en/
