Pardubice Sluice, Navigation lock on the Elbe River in Pardubice, Czech Republic

Pardubice Sluice is a navigation lock on the Elbe River in Pardubice that allows boats to move through changing water levels. It operates with a single chamber and multiple control gates that manage the water passage between different elevations.

Construction of this lock began in 1964 and was completed a decade later as part of efforts to improve river shipping routes. The project included plans for additional features that would use the water flowing through the structure.

The lock is named after Pardubice, the city on the Elbe it serves, and its weir, chamber and small hydro plant form one complex at river kilometre 130.783. The plant is unmanned and its output is regulated automatically by the upper water level, so the flow of the Elbe sets the pace of work here.

The best way to view the lock is from nearby bridges or the riverbank where you can watch the operation. Keep in mind that the area around the lock is actively used for shipping, so visiting during quieter times gives you a better experience.

The small hydroelectric plant by the left bank was the first in the country with a large horizontal turbine set, and it brought a series of technical difficulties. Its Kaplan turbine, at a head of 3.9 m and a flow of 62 m³/s, reaches 1.93 MW, and the plant runs unattended.