Photo: Boberger. Photo: Bengt Oberger · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

S/S Freja af Fryken

Steamship Freja af Fryken from 1868 at the quay in Fryksta, one of the world's oldest steamships with its original engine, with guided tours and an exhibition of finds.

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Limited operations. The ship lies at the quay and does not sail the lakes; visits take place as guided tours on board and in the exhibition of finds.

About the museum

Freja af Fryken was built at Motala Verkstad in 1868. The steam engine had been awarded a gold medal the year before at the World Exhibition in Paris. The ship first ran the Kalmar–Färjestaden route under the name Kalmarsund III, and in 1887 it was sold to Fryken, where it operated as a cargo and passenger vessel.

On 23 July 1896 Freja sank while approaching the pier at Bössviken; of the 17 people on board, six saved themselves. The ship then lay at a depth of 52 metres until the Ångbåtsföreningen Freja af Fryken (Freja af Fryken Steamboat Association), founded in 1993, salvaged her in 1994. The ship was then restored as closely as possible to its original condition, and 97 per cent of the engine could be put back into operation after almost a hundred years on the lake bed.

Today Freja lies at the quay in Fryksta in Kil municipality and is K-marked (k-märkt) cultural heritage. She does not currently sail the lakes, but the association welcomes groups for guided tours on board. The exhibition of objects from the ship and her sinking is shown in Fryksta Clara Elfs Järnvägsmuseum (railway museum). The association plans a Frejahall with a museum, where the boat can be stored and maintained all year round.