The Charleroi-Brussels canal

The Charleroi-Brussels canal was opened in 1832 to transport coal from the Hainaut coalfield to Brussels and Antwerp. Originally intended for inland vessels capable of transporting 70 tonnes of goods, it was widened and deepened several times. Today, boats with up to 1,350 tonnes of material can sail there. Here we mainly see barges loaded with sand, gravel, metal, petroleum products and even grains. Upstream of the lock, on the right bank, the sand can be unloaded from the boats via a quay, to supply a nearby concrete factory.

A few kilometres downstream, in the city of Brussels, near the Place de l'Yser, the canal joins the sea canal from Brussels to the Scheldt (formerly known as the Willebroeck Canal). Together, from the Sambre to the Scheldt, these two canals stretch over a length of 102 kilometers, mainly in the Senne valley.

Coördinatie Zenne-Coordination Senne