Vänersborg () is a locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,591) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which was dissolved in 1998. Since 1999 Vänersborg has been the seat of the regional parliament of Västra Götaland County. The city is located on the southern shores of lake Vänern, close to where the river Göta älv leaves the lake. History A marketplace was established at Brätte at the southern end of Vassbotten (southernmost part of Vänern), south of modern Vänersborg, by the end of the medieval period. The settlement developed with paved streets lined with houses and farms and it was granted town privileges in 1580. The site, however, became unsuitable for trans-shipment of goods due to silting of its harbour and it was difficult to protect. Consequently, in 1644, the town was moved 3½ kilometres north to Huvudnäset, and the new town of Vänersborg was established, despite the reluctance of its inhabitants. The name "Vänersborg" means "fortress at Vänern". It comes from the fortlet which was built in 1644 for the new town's protection. The coat of arms is also from 1644, depicting a golden ship (a bojort) with two Swedish flags. Around 1800, Vänersborg had a population of 1,500 inhabitants. Vänersborg was the point at which freight was transshipped from lake ships to below the Trollhättan Falls (and vice versa) where ships could continue unhindered to Gothenburg and beyond. In 1778, the King Karl Canal was opened between Vänersborg and Trollhättan, shortening the overland portage and in 1800, the new Trollhätte Canal and its locks allowed shipping to move between Vänern and the sea. The waterway between Vänern and Gothenburg enabled the town's importance to grow further. In 1834, most of the town's wooden houses burnt down. It was rebuilt in a grid pattern, unique to this day. The Torpaskolan (secondary school) was opened in 1965 and replaced in 2011 by the Nya Torpaskolan. The Arena Vänersborg was opened in 2009. Climate Vänersborg has a cold oceanic climate. It also has a relatively wet climate for being in Sweden, having an average precipitation of between 1961 and 1990. In the early part of the 21st century, precipitation further increased. Differences between summers and winters are smaller than in many other inland areas of Sweden, being moderated by its proximity to Kattegat and