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Sluis
When you follow the Napoleon canal (Damse Vaart) from Damme in the north direction, you eventually end up in Sluis. Sluis lies in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen (Netherlands) and is at present a busy shopping town. Sluis owes its existence - and also its decay - to the silting up of the Zwin. Because of this silting up, successively Damme, Monnikenrede, Hoeke, Muyden and eventually Sluis became the ports of Bruges. This brought great prosperity to all these ports. Nowadays, Sluis is also cut off from the sea. Sluis was the last harbour of Bruges; nevertheless Bruges had to intervene regularly by arms to enforce its rights. Practically all the goods that were imported via the Zwin had to be traded on the markets of Bruges or Damme. Sluis is probably the most Flemish town of the Netherlands; the people from Sluis boast truly on their Flemish roots.

Sluis came to existence in the second half of the 13th century and received its town privileges in 1290. Until 1324 this place was called Lamminsvliet; only after that date did people start calling it Sluis. Pretty soon Sluis became an reinforced town: in 1382, Louis van Male (count of Flanders) had the place fortified. The construction of the castle began in 1385; in 1794, however, it was so heavily damaged by the French artillery that it was torn down in 1820. Other defense constructions have survived till present day. The town center was completely encircled by walls which now have become a very nice walking route. The most impressive gate was the Westgate or "Steenen Beer" (Stone Bear), which was destroyed in 1437 by the soldiers from Bruges, but was rebuilt later on. The fortified town was even more strengthened when the Duke of Parma showed up in the area (80-year war). A last modification was done in 1702 by Menno van Coehoorn(Spanish Succession war).

In 1568, the 80-year war between Spain and the Northern Netherlands started. In 1587, the Duke of Parma conquered the town. Spanish galleys used the harbour as a base and dominated the Zwin estuary for many years. Everything changed when, in 1604, the Spanish governor left the bastion. Prince Maurits of Nassau, settled in the town. The same year he also took the town of Aardenburg. South of Sluis, a line of fortifications was put in place, the access to the Zwin was shut off, town walls were strengthened, fortresses on both sides of the front,... At that time the 7-star-shaped fortifications were built around Damme . The bastion Damme served as a defense bastion for Bruges against hostile Sluis.

A last attempt to connect Bruges with the sea was done by Napoleon. He had Spanish prisoners of war dig a canal between Bruges and Sluis (Damse Vaart). The goal of this venture was to make a link with the Westerschelde in Breskens. Because of Napoleon's defeat, his canal was never finished; the diggers didn't get further than Hoeke. Only in 1858 were the last miles towards Sluis completed. Nowadays the canal is an important tourist attraction for the town.

(from the Internet site of Damme (Belgium)
Sluis (Ecluse)