Kastelletleden

The Kastelletleden, also known as the Vaxholmen Ferry, is a passenger cable ferry in Sweden’s Stockholm archipelago that takes passengers on a short route from the town of Vaxholm to the Vaxholm Castle, a historic fortification on the island of Vaxholmem just off the coast.

This electrically-powered vessel uses a supply cable attached to the shores to propel the ship forward. The power cable is lowered to the bottom of the channel when the vessel is docked at Vaxholm Castle to allow sea traffic to pass without striking the it.

The Vaxholm Castle was constructed in the 16th century to defend Sweden from sea attacks. It withstood assaults from the Danes in 1612, and the Russians in 1719. Today, the structure is home to the Swedish National Museum of Coastal Defense.

The Kastelletleden was built in 1967, and was reconstructed to run on electrical power in 2015. Passenger service continues today, with the Kastelletleden running from May to September, taking passengers on the 200-meter trip up to four times each hour.