Astene-sas

Due to its industrial-archaeological value, the lock complex was protected as a monument by a decision of the competent Flemish minister on November 9, 1994, and the surrounding area with the lock master's houses and towpaths was designated as a village view. The lock dates back to 1861, when a hundred-meter cut was dug to save about 5 km in bends. A dam and a lock were built on the canalized section. The original wooden drawbridge with a portico was replaced in 1896 by the current iron T-shaped drawbridge, a green-painted construction in half-timbering with riveted crosspieces. The brick and natural stone pillars and the basin walls with iron ladders and mooring anchors are still original. The bridge deck is made of metal with a wooden floor. The locks (5.4 m wide, 42.2 m long) with wooden lock doors, reinforced with crosses and wooden sluice gates, are operated manually. The whole constitutes an excellently preserved example of a composite work from the second half of the nineteenth century. At the lock itself, there are also two lock master's houses dating from the 1860s. One of them now houses a small museum run by the non-profit organization Historical Vessels. There is a café where a tasty ship drop is served. At the quay, there are often two historical vessels with upright masts.

LucSl