Vättern
| Vättern | |
|---|---|
West-to-east view of the lake including Visingsö in the foreground | |
| Coordinates | 58°24′N 14°36′E / 58.400°N 14.600°E |
| Primary outflows | Motala ström |
| Catchment area | 4,503 km2 (1,739 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Sweden |
| Surface area | 1,912 km2 (738 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 41 m (135 ft) |
| Max. depth | 128 m (420 ft) |
| Water volume | 77.0 km3 (18.5 cu mi) |
| Surface elevation | 88 m (289 ft) |
| Islands | Visingsö |
| Settlements | Vadstena, Jönköping, Hjo, Askersund, Åmmeberg, Karlsborg, Motala |
| References | |
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Vättern (/ˈvɛtərn/ VET-ərn, Swedish: [ˈvɛ̌tːɛɳ]) is the second-largest lake in Sweden, after Vänern, and the sixth-largest lake in Europe. It is a long, finger-shaped body of fresh water in south central Sweden, to the southeast of Vänern, pointing at the tip of Scandinavia. Vättern is deep, containing roughly half as much water as Vänern even though it covers about a third as much area; its deepest point is 128 metres (420 ft) below sea level.
Vättern drains into Motala ström through Bråviken into the Baltic Sea, but since 1832 it has also had a downstream connection through the Göta Canal to Vänern and the Kattegat tributary of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has plenty of sources from rivers and small lakes, with the highest located sources being near Nässjö on the South Swedish Highland near the southeastern shoreline.