Amstelsluizen, Waterway lock system on Amstel River, Netherlands.
The Amstelsluizen is a lock system on the Amstel River in Amsterdam with three separate lift-gates. The central passage spans about 47 meters, while two narrower side passages allow boats to move between different sections of the city's waterway network.
Mathematician and mayor Johannes Hudde designed and built the lock system in 1673 to control water levels across the city. The system was created to stop salt water from the IJ River flowing into Amsterdam's canals.
The locks stand near the Royal Theater Carré, and together they shape how people experience the riverside in Amsterdam. Visitors passing by notice how water management and cultural buildings sit side by side along the Amstel.
Lock keepers operate the system daily using hydraulic equipment to manage boat traffic. Visitors can watch the locks work from nearby paths and riverside areas, seeing how the gates control water flow between different canal sections.
Small brick buildings next to the locks once collected city taxes from passing boats. One of these structures was converted into a residential space starting in 2021, showing how old functional buildings find new purposes.
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