S/S Trafik is one of Sweden’s oldest and best-preserved steamboats. She made her first trip in 1892 connecting the west and the east side of Lake Vättern and has done so ever since. In the fast world of today, she serves as one of Hjo’s major tourist attractions by offering visitors a glimpse of yesteryear.
The steamboat S/S Trafik was built back in 1892 and, at that time, she transported goods and passengers between Hjo and Hästholmen on the other side of Lake Vättern.
However, over time she only operated in the summer and, in 1959, services across Lake Vättern stopped altogether. Trafik was laid up in the harbor and even sank to the lakebed for a few weeks because she was in such poor condition.
Then “Sällskapet S/S Trafiks Vänner” (Friends of S/S Trafik) was formed. The association bought the steamboat in 1972 and began restoring her at the shipyard in Sjötorp.
Finally, in 1977, she could return to Hjo harbor and today she is considered one of the best-preserved steamboats in Sweden and is even listed. Furthermore, in 2013, the boat was awarded the Working Life Museum of the Year.
During the summertime, the old steamboat from 1892 Trafik operates June to August. You can make a day-trip to Vadstena and Ödeshög on the east side of the lake Vättern. Or you can choose to visit Island Visingsö.
Steamboat S/S Trafik is also offering jazz cruises where passengers can enjoy a magical evening on board listening to live music while cruising the waters of the lake.
