Vättern

Vättern is the second largest lake by surface area 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. Being a deep lake at 128 metres or 40 metres below sea level at its deepest point, Vättern is about 1/3 the surface area of Vänern but in spite of this contains roughly 1/2 of its water.

Vättern drains into Motala ström through Bråviken into the Baltic Sea, but also has a downstream connection since 1832 through 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.