Lake Vänern is Sweden’s largest lake by volume and surface area, located in the country’s central region.
Vänern covers about 5,650 square kilometres and is the largest lake in Sweden and the European Union by surface area. It lies between the provinces of Värmland and Västra Götaland. The Klarälven is its largest inflowing river, while the Göta älv carries water from Vänern toward the Kattegat.
The lake was shaped by glacial processes and is divided into major basins by underwater ridges and islands. Its largest island is Torsö, near the eastern shore. Ports including Karlstad, Vänersborg, and Lidköping have supported trade, fishing, and transport around the lake.
Vänern is sometimes confused with Vättern, Sweden’s second-largest lake, which lies farther east and is notably long and narrow. Lake Mälaren, near Stockholm, is smaller but has greater historical importance for the capital’s inland waterway.