Sluis has a rich past. Born from the great flooded Zwin plain in 1140, the first pieces of land emerged above water around 1250.
At the end of the Kaai, in the quay wall, you can see a brick arch of a drainage sluice just above the waterline. Through this, the water of the Aardenburg district was drained into the Zwin. The little stream was called the Lambertusvliet. Houses were built around it and a settlement emerged that was first called Lammingsvliet and later Sluis.
Due to its favorable location at the mouth of the Zwin, Sluis was the designated place to control shipping on the Zwin. With the emergence of a harbor basin outside the city, it was an excellent place to receive ships from the North Sea on their way to Bruges, and thus trade developed in Sluis.
This was the reason for Count Guy of Dampierre to grant Sluis city rights in 1290. In this way, the count could levy taxes and keep developments under control. Sluis grew.
Due to the silting up of the Zwin, Damme and Bruges became very difficult for large ships to reach. As a result, Sluis became the most important port of Flanders. All goods destined for the large and rich trading city of Bruges passed through Sluis. They were transferred to smaller boats and transported to Bruges in this way.
In Sluis, all trade flows came together, such as grain and furs from Germany, wool from England, vinegar and salt from France, southern fruits, earthenware, silk and damask from Spain and Italy.
