Segment: Locks
Episode: Grand European ep 10
Air Date: 16th February 2020
Presenter: Trevor Cochrane

The rivers throughout Europe use an ingenious lock system to help ships pass through difficult bits of the river.

• The Viking longships are specifically designed not just for the passenger’s comfort, but for the environments that they cruise through.
• This cruise travels along 4 waterways, and through 68 locks between Budapest and Amsterdam.
• Europeans have been using locks since the 14th century as a way to transport ships between waterways that have different altitudes, waterfalls, rapids or dams.
• A lock device is used for raising and lowering ships between stretches of water at different levels on river and canal waterways, with their distinguishing feature being a fixed chamber in which water levels can be varied.
• The main Danube Canal is home to some of the highest locks in Europe, some up to 25m high. They work using gravity, not pumps, with each lock either raising or lowering the ship to meet the water levels on the other side.
• The Viking ship is perfectly designed for fitting through the lock – long and low.
• Watching the lock process is a fascinating part of the Viking river cruises. The experience of passing through the engineering marvels is incredible – sometimes you could even reach out and touch the walls.
• The door to the lock is opened as the vessel approaches. The ship gently eases in, and the door closes behind it. Water from the higher side of the river is released into the chamber, raising the water level.
• Once the water reaches the correct level, the gate on the other side opens, allowing the ship to travel through. The water is then released from the central chamber to allow the next boat through.