Göta älv (Gautelfr in Old Norse) is a river in Sweden that originates from lake Vänern and flows into the Kattegat at Gothenburg. It was formed during the last glaciation as a channel for the Baltic Ice Lake to drain into the Atlantic Ocean.
Gautelfr currently has the largest drainage basin in Scandinavia. The Icelandic sagas tell of Viking ships sailing from the Göta älv down the river to raid England.
A Viking shipyard has been discovered on the eastern shore in the area known as Skepplanda, which literally means “ship landing”.