Ballum Lock

On the edge of marsh and Wadden Sea

Ballum Lock is located where Brede Stream passes Ballum Dike and flows into the Wadden Sea. From the dike you get a remarkably clear cross-section of the landscape: the Wadden Sea on one side, the embanked fields of Ballum Marsh and the stream on the other.

Birds in the open countryside

The area by the stream mouth is a good place to stand with binoculars. Here, large flocks of shelducks, golden plovers, greylag geese and brent geese can rest, and birds of prey, waders and ducks can also be seen. With a bit of luck, seals may also appear in the picture. The Wadden Sea is also part of UNESCO World Heritage and one of the great feeding grounds for migratory birds on the East Atlantic Flyway.

The lock as a quiet focal point

The lock is not only a viewpoint, but part of the system that controls the water through the Ballum-Astrup dike and protects Ballum Marsh from storm surges. Construction began in 1914 and was marked by the First World War, when much of the work was carried out by French and Russian prisoners of war. Today, it is especially the contrast that lingers: a technical structure in a very large landscape, where flocks of birds and the tides still set the pace.