IJmuiden Sea Locks

Amsterdam is not on the sea: it reaches it through the North Sea Canal, cut in the 1860s and 1870s straight across the dune belt to IJmuiden, with locks at the seaward end to hold back the tide. Those locks have been rebuilt repeatedly as ships grew, and the Zeesluis IJmuiden, opened in January 2022 after some five and a half years of construction, is the largest in the world - five hundred metres long, seventy wide and eighteen deep, big enough for the largest cruise ships and bulk carriers, and it replaced a lock of 1929 that had become the constraint on the port. Viewing points on both banks let you watch ships lock through, which takes time and is oddly compelling. There is a visitor centre. The IJmuiden pier, the beach and the fishing harbour are beside it, and Tata Steel's works dominate the skyline north.

What to look for

• The largest sea lock in the world - five hundred metres, opened in January 2022.
• Ships locking through - the process watched from viewpoints on both banks.
• A canal cut through dunes - the 1870s route that gave Amsterdam a sea connection.
• A working port - fishing harbour, pier and the steel works on the skyline.

When to go

April to October. Half a day.

Good to know

Locking is slow and the timing of large ships is not published - you may wait. Viewpoints are exposed. The setting is heavily industrial with the steel works close, which some find grim.

Nearby

Zandvoort is south; the Kennemer dunes are between them.

Key facts