ascenseur n°4 Canal du center

The boat lift No. 4 of the Canal du Centre is one of the four historic boat lifts on the old Canal du Centre in Belgium.

These lifts, located between La Louvière and Thieu, are remarkable examples of industrial heritage and hydraulic engineering, dating from the late 19th century and early 20th century. They are so special that they were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1998.

The four boat lifts of the Canal du Centre were built between 1888 and 1917 to overcome the height difference of 66.2 metres on this canal. Boat lift No. 4, located in Thieu, was the last of the four to be built and was completed in 1917.

Boat lift No. 4 is the largest of the four historic lifts on the Canal du Centre. This makes it not only impressive in terms of scale, but also in terms of technical complexity. The lift spans a height difference of 15.4 metres, making it slightly larger than the other lifts, which each span height differences of 13.3 to 15.4 metres.

Willem Vandenameele