Dender and a walking trip along the Canal du Centre

You can paddle about 4 miles on the Dender between the weirs/locks of Geraardsbergen and Idegem and cross the nearby lakes at De Gavers (kayak pier and kayak rentals at youth hostel 't Schipken). From behind the locks of Geraardsbergen you can paddle 2 miles towards Deux-Acres.

In the fall of 2004 I went for a 2-days trip to Belgium in order to see the boatlifts in the Canal du Centre (Centrumkanaal). In a distance of only a few miles tha canal drops 73 meters. To make this possible they made use of a British invention, the boatlift. The first boatlift was made near Anderton. I was there a few years ago. But for the Canal du Centre four boatlifts and a pair of locks were needed. In the end of the 19th century the work was completed and now 350 ton ships could sail from the rivers Maas towards the Schelde. Only a few years ago a new canal was made parallel to the old canal, but with one giant boatlift enabling to carry 1350 ton ships. I was hoping to take my kayak to both canals and make a round trip. Of course I would have to carry the kayak passed the boatlifts. But unfortunately I had to find out this is not possible. The sides of both the old and the new canal are too hight to get a kayak into and out of the water. Also in the old canal there are many obstacles: the locks, 4 boatlifts and then a few very low bridges you can't go under. So this trip became a walking excursion. There are information signs all along the old canal between boatlift 1 towards boatlift 4. 

I did not bring my kayak for nothing. I decided to stay overnight in Geraardsbergen, just on the edge of the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. There is a campsite De Gavers , but as it was already early October and I was going to stay only one night I decided to hire a room in the farmhouse Wambashoeve , just outside Geraardsbergen. In the afternoon I went for a kayak trip on the canalized river Dender.

To get to Geraardsbergen you take exit 17 of the A10 between Gent and Brussels, and go south on the N42. Just when you enter Geraardsbergen you turn left towards Onkerzele. After you crossed the bridge turn left on the roundabout. After 1 mile you turn left in the direction Schendelbeke. Just before the bridge you see the youth hostel 't Schipken on your right. Just behind the youth hostel there is a small harbour where you can take the kayak into the water. You can also take the small canal to the right that will lead to 2 lakes. There is a kayak-pier. At the lake is a sandy beach where you can swim. Just enter the area of the youth hostel (the gate remains open), there is free access for local traffic. From here I paddled 3 miles towards the town center. There are locks, and because of the high sides you can not get out to carry the kayak passed the locks. I decided to turn back here. From 't Schipken you can paddle 1 mile in the other direction. There is a weir and locks at Idegem. On the left side it is possible to take the kayak out of the water. On the other side of the locks it is very difficult to get into the water. There is a small edge just above the waterline (if water level is low), but it is slippery when wet.

From the south side of the locks in Geraardsbergen you can easily get into the water at the floating pier. From there you can paddle about 2 miles south towards Deux-Acres. It is a short but beautiful stretch of the river. At Deux-Acres there is a weir and locks. It is very difficult if not impossible to go on the side from a kayak here. 

Center of Geraardsbergen.

GPS startingpoint at youth hostel 't Schipken: Lat 50.794300, Lon 3.902700

Boatlifts in the Canal du Centre

Boatlift 2 and 3 are only 200 meters apart. This is boatlift 3.    GPS: Lat. 50.479700, Lon 4.135700

The boatlifts can be found at the Canal du Centre near the villages Strépy and  Thieu. The nearest town is La Louvière. To get here you head south from Brussels on the A7 (direction Valenciennes, Paris). Take exit 21 to the south. You go under a big aqueduct of the new Canal du Centre and after a bridge you turn right.  When you see another bridge on you right you're near boatlifts 2 and 3. You can walk along the old canal all the way towards boatlift 1 (about 2 miles), or go the other way towards boatlift 4 (about 2 miles). Near boatlift 4 the old and the new canals merge, and form here it's half a mile towards the new boatlift (ascenseur). It really is a nice walk along the canal. A number of signs along the canal give various historical and technical information. With some luck, you can see the boatlifts in action, as they all work.

The big boatlift in the new canal is about half a mile from boatlift 4. You can visit the new boatlift and take the elevator to the top and have a nice view over the canal and the engine room. There is an exhibition "The land of the geniuses", but this was rather disappointing. You pass through various rooms with slide shows, but the spoken explanation is hardly understandable. But also there is some information about the building of the boatlift, and on another floor you can see some fossiles they dug up.

Above the new boatlift seen from the old canal. From the hill on the right, an aqueduct leads towards the boatlift.

Another place of interest , is the boatlift of Ronquieres. This is not really a boatlift. A sort of train carries the boats nearly a mile 70 meters uphill where they can sail further on the next section of the Canal- Charleroi-Brussels. To get here exit the A7 at exit 20 and head north on the N534. The road leads along the canal, so you really can't miss the look-out tower which is part of the structure.

Ronquieres

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