Brussels–Charleroi Canal
The Brussels–Charleroi Canal (French: Canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, Dutch: Kanaal Brussel-Charleroi), also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Freycinet gauge, and its Walloon portion is 47.9 kilometres (29.8 mi) long. It runs from Charleroi (Wallonia) in the south to Brussels in the north.
| Brussels–Charleroi Canal | |
|---|---|
The course of the Brussels–Charleroi Canal | |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 65 km (40 mi) |
| History | |
| Construction began | 1827 |
| Date completed | 1832 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Brussels, Belgium |
| End point | Charleroi, Belgium |
The canal is part of a north–south axis of water transport in Belgium, whereby the north of France (via the Canal du Centre) including Lille and Dunkirk and important waterways in the south of Belgium including the Sambre valley and the sillon industriel are linked to the port of Antwerp in the north, via the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal, which meets the Brussels–Charleroi Canal at the Sainctelette area of Brussels.
The Ronquières inclined plane is the canal's most remarkable feature and a tourist site.