Fylkeshuset 3706 Skien Norway     Project Manager: Thrond Kjellevold Telephone: 0047 3558 4308 Fax: 0047 3552 9953     E-mail:  thrond.kjellevold@t-fk..no

The Canal Link project - Telemark, Norway 

Project Aims:

• The project will be used as an instrument for community and business development by contributing to increased regeneration and leisure activities along the Telemark Canal.
• To boost appeal to the waterway and thereby increase tourism activity.
• Improve the qualities and services along the waterway which result in contributing to greater satisfaction and quality of life for local communities.
• Put into use abandoned industrial and business sites for new function and activities.
• Positive extended effects for the Telemark Canal and the activities linked to the county's Millenium Site project.

Sub-projects:
Work Package 1: Marketing, resp. Telemark fylkeskommune/ The Telemark Canal
Work Package 2: Mobility - Travel packages concept, resp. Tinn municipality
Work Package 3: Start Harbour Kragerø, resp. Kragerø municipality
Work Package 3: Start Harbour Bamble, resp. Bamble municipality
Work Package 4: Development of the Waterfront, resp. Vekst i Grenland
Work Package 5: Cultural Heritage, resp. Nome municipality
Work Package 6: Business Development, resp. Tokke and Kviteseid municipalities
Work Package 7: Project Management, resp. Telemark fylkeskommune and Notodden Utvikling AS

Results so far:
Website (WP1)
The Telemark Canal has produced a website and brochures directed at small boaters wanting to visit the Telemark Canal.  Website below:

The Telemark Canal - Come experience beautiful untouched nature. An array of exciting activities await you along the waterways of Telemark!

Start harbours - Bamble and Kragerø (WP3)
Guest harbours have been expanded and improved. Bamble and Kragerø start harbours are working on ways to lure their small boater tourists to travel from their guest harbours and further inwards to the upper part of the waterway in order to increase small boater tourism and take advantage of the facilities and services already available along the middle and upper parts of the Telemark Canal.

Clean-up along the waterfront (WP4)
The Canal Link project has resulted in a 'clean up' along the waterway by hundreds of volunteers consisting mainly of youth who have cleared debris from abandoned industrial sites, cleared overgrown lots, picked up litter and other waste which made the waterfront look untidy and uninviting to visitors.

Preserving Cultural Heritage (WP5)
This work package is led by Telemark fylkeskommune and investigates Cultural Heritage along the Telemark Canal. More information about this project can be read here.

Nome municipality has worked closely with the County library in producing a digital photo archive which preserves and illustrates life on the Telemark Canal throughout the centuries.

View the brochure with old photos portraying life as it was a century ago along the Telemark Canal here.

Sauherad municipality is working on a project which shows pre-historic cultural heritage in the their local area (Norsjø). If you would like to read more about this project, click here.

By boat over the mountains to the fjords (WP6)
Travelling by boat  from Telemark and over the mountains to the fjords of the west coast is now possible by Boatlink. Boatlink provides transportation of small boats up to 35 ft. over Mt. Haukeli (Haukelifjell), which has an elevation of 1100 meters, to the fjords of Rosendal in Hardanger.
For details contact: Tokke Tourist Office, Dalen - tlf. +47 35 07 70 65.
View Boatlink brochure - page 2

Kviteseid dock - a meeting point for the community (WP6)
The objectives of this project are to create an attractive and accessible meeting place with green areas near the harbor in Kviteseid centre. In this project, we will upgrade the harbor services and clean up the waterfront area. The harbor area will be made more accessible for (boat) tourists and the local community. A picnic area with new tables, benches and areas for grilling will be installed. The area will be developed for events and other activities. There are plans to build a permanent stage by the boat house and develop bathing and boating activities.  The project will be completed in June 2006.

Package trips for boaters
We are also now working on offering small boater tourists a package trip which combines a visit to the fjords in western Norway, to the serenity of the Telemark Canal and further to the Skagerrak coast.

More information about the Telemark part of the Canal Link project:
View Telemark brochure - brochure2 - brochure 3 - Canal Link activities in Telemark (in Norwegian)
Description of Telemark Work Packages - Plus contact information to work package leaders
Program - Canal Link partner meeting in Telemark (May 05)
Geo-Share map of the Telemark Canal (in draft format)

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