Sashuis (Lock keeper's house)

The Lake of Love may often steal the show, but do be sure to take some time to check out the Lock keeper's house as well. Here, in the south of the city, a number of streams used to converge to form the River Reie, which made its way – right through Bruges – to the sea. To control the water level in the city, locks were built in the 12th-13th centuries, which gave way to the current Lock keeper's house in the 16th century. Did you know that this building regulated the water management for the Bruges canals until the 1970s? These are closed today, but you can still see the reservoir holes where the water flowed through.

Since 2022, these historic premises have been the home base for ‘Handmade in Brugge’, an organisation that supports artisanal and creative Bruges producers. In addition to a craft store, you can still find the drive mechanism that operated the sluice gates. Feel free to step inside!