Vättern

Where is Vättern?

Countries on its shores: Sweden.

Middle of the lake: 58.40° N, 14.60° E

The story behind it

The water of Vättern is so clear and clean that it is good enough to drink. The lake is up to 128 metres deep; the southern part is much deeper than the northern part. Arctic char live in the cold water, and people here call them Vättern char. Salmon and whitefish swim here too. In the south lies the island of Visingsö. Towns such as Jönköping, the largest, Motala, Vadstena, Hjo and Karlsborg stand on the shore. The river Motala ström carries the water to the Baltic Sea. Since 1832 the Göta Canal has linked Vättern with Vänern, so boats can travel between the two big lakes. Every year in June, cyclists race around the lake in the Vätternrundan: a ride of about 300 km that starts and ends in Motala. Some 20 000 people take part.

Find it on the globe

Vättern is there as a small blue dot with its name, right on the water. From far away the planet is only a blue ball; detail arrives as you zoom in, and this one appears once you are close enough. Open it on the globe.

It sits at its real coordinates, not near them — the same numbers listed in the facts above. Switch off the layer for this kind of place and it disappears again; the buttons for that are down the right-hand edge.