Mülheimer Schleuse, Lock on the Ruhr in Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany

The Mülheimer Schleuse is a lock on the Ruhr, 12.6 km from its mouth, on the Schleuseninsel in central Mülheim an der Ruhr. Its single chamber is 63.42 m long and 5.64 m wide, with a lift of 4.95 m, and it is the only lock on the river that passes boats through two weirs at once, the Kahlenberger Wehr and the Broicher Schlagd.

This lock was built in the 1840s as an upgrade to an earlier structure from the previous century. The construction reflected the engineering advances needed to handle growing river commerce with larger vessels.

The lock is a themed stop on the Ruhr region's Route of Industrial Culture. On the Schleuseninsel it stands beside the Wasserbahnhof, the Kahlenberg hydroelectric plant and Haus Ruhrnatur, so a visit combines shipping technology with river nature. Fish passes at the Kahlenberg weir, the Broicher Schlagd and the power station let fish bypass the barriers.

The best views come from the riverbank paths where you can watch boats passing through the lock in action. The site is easy to access during daylight hours from several viewpoints along the water.

The lock manages water flow at two separate weir locations at once, making it a hub in a larger water management system. This dual function shows how engineers once controlled complex river conditions.