Augustów Lock

Augustów Lock is a lock on the Augustów Canal with metal gates operated by hand-crank mechanisms. The structure allows boats to move between different water levels as they pass through the waterway system.

Engineer Konstanty Jodko built the lock between 1825 and 1826 as part of an ambitious canal project. After German forces destroyed it in 1944, it was rebuilt from 1947 to 1948 and has operated since then.

The lock takes its name from the city of Augustów and reflects the engineering traditions of 19th-century Poland. Visitors can observe how this structure connected two major river systems and enabled regional trade and travel across what were then important waterways.

Visitors can view the lock from the canal banks and watch how the hand-crank mechanisms operate. The best vantage point is from the sides of the canal where the gates and levers are clearly visible.

The lock retained its original hand-operated system after reconstruction and continues to be operated manually today. This makes it a rare example of 19th-century technology still functioning in its original form.