Boating in Europe Belgium

Belgium has an extensive (1600km) network of inland waterways criss-crossing the country from North to South and from East to West.

The principal commercial routes such as the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and the Albert Canal remain very busy and are not so good for pleasure boating as the Merse, Sambre, Lys and Schelde rivers and the smaller canals such as those in West Flanders, the Blaton-Ath Canal and the newly restored Canal de l’Espierres.

A typical one week return cruise,  covering 160km with 14 locks would start at Nieuwport  and take in Bruges, Ypres and Veurne,  while in a fortnight you could cruise from Nieuwport to Bruges, Gent, and  Oudenaarde before returning to Nieuwport via Bossuit, Kortrijk, Deinze and Bruges.

Contacts:
Service Public Federal Mobilite et Transports (Authority)  (www.mobilite.gov.be)

Office de Promotion des Voies Navigables, rue Forgeur 2, 4000 LIEGE, Belgium.