The Waterpoort is Sneek's defining sight: a twin-towered Renaissance water gate built in 1613, straddling the canal at what was once the southern edge of the walled town. Its red-brick towers, ornate gables and spires belong to the prosperous Dutch Golden Age, when Sneek lived on the trade that passed through this very gate by boat. The structure survives as the only remaining piece of the old fortifications.
The gate is best seen from the canal side, where you get the full reflected effect, or from a passing pleasure boat. There is no entry to the interior, but it is illuminated at night and worth a second look after dark. The plaza in front, the Oosterpoort, is the most photographed spot in town and a natural meeting point during the summer sailing season.