Boudewijnsluis, Maritime lock in Port of Antwerp, Belgium

Boudewijnsluis is a large navigation lock in Antwerp's port that allows seagoing vessels to move between the North Sea and inland waterways. The facility features massive gates and chambers that regulate water levels to safely accommodate ships of different sizes.

The lock opened in 1955 as a response to the growing need for larger vessels in Antwerp's port operations. It became a key infrastructure that helped establish the port as one of Europe's most important shipping hubs.

The lock stands as a working monument to Antwerp's maritime identity and the central role of shipping in the city's economy. Visitors can watch from the banks as massive vessels pass through the narrow passage, gaining insight into how essential this facility remains for daily port operations.

The lock lies in the Antwerp port area, where the waterway is shared with the older Van Cauwelaertsluis next door. There is no public access to the lock itself, so viewing is from the banks. Ships up to 360 metres long and 45 metres wide use the 10.33-metre-deep chamber.

The lock is 360 metres long and 45 metres wide, with a depth of 10.33 metres, and was inaugurated by King Baudouin, after whom it is named. In the 1960s and 1970s two or three vessels sometimes queued at each side, from sea and from inland, before the Zandvlietsluis opened in 1967.