Groote Zeesluis (Great Sea Lock) Muiden
Muiden
The Groote Zeesluis is a national monumental lock complex dating from 1673 in the centre of the fortified town of Muiden. The lock complex forms the connection between the river Vecht and the IJmeer.
The lock is part of the Dutch Waterlines UNESCO World Heritage Site and today mainly used for pleasure boating. On sunny days, it is great to relax on one of the many terraces around the lock, overlooking the chaotic scenes in the lock and passing boats.
The Groote Ze…
The Groote Zeesluis is a national monumental lock complex dating from 1673 in the centre of the fortified town of Muiden. The lock complex forms the connection between the river Vecht and the IJmeer.
The lock is part of the Dutch Waterlines UNESCO World Heritage Site and today mainly used for pleasure boating. On sunny days, it is great to relax on one of the many terraces around the lock, overlooking the chaotic scenes in the lock and passing boats.
The Groote Zeesluis is a special lock with three lock chambers next to each other. A lock chamber is the space between two lock gates. The lock is 50 metres long and is located south of the Muiderslot lock.
Connection between Vecht and IJmeeru
In summer, water from the IJmeer flows through the Sea Lock into the Vecht. This is because the water in the IJmeer is then higher than the water in the Vecht. Only at very high tides in the Vecht does the water flow the other way round: from the Vecht to the IJmeer. In winter, the water level in the Vecht and the IJmeer is the same.
National monument with a history
The lock was built in 1673 to protect the land from the water of the Zuiderzee. Since its construction, the lock has been refurbished or rebuilt several times. For example, in 1806, when King Louis Napoleon had the lock restored after a visit.
Hollandse Waterlinies UNESCO World Heritage Site
The Groote Zeesluis was part of the Hollandse Waterlinies UNESCO World Heritage Site. Passing water through the lock allowed the land behind it to be submerged (inundated) under half a metre of water. Too deep for the enemy to walk through, the shallow to sail through. A unique defence strategy!
