I first visited this site back in April without much prep, and, when I did so, learned about some boat tours through the canal. I'm not sure why I have been so fascinated by canals lately, but I had to come back here for the tours.

I could not get the accurate info on which tours will take me where because their website is still full of old info, but now that I actually took some of the tours, I have the accurate, current info.

There is only one boat tour for the old lifts, which departs from the new lift at Thieu in the morning and goes through the old Life 4 only. The boat tour ends at the machine room by Lift 3, and a bus takes you back to the new lift. In the afternoon tour, although you meet at the new lift, a bus will first take you to the machine room by Lift 3, and the boat tour starts from there bringing you and the boat back to the new lift.

But this tour is highly recommended. It went through a lock, a lift (Lift 4), two vertically moving bridges, and one horizontally rotating bridge and ended inside the machine room. The tour guide was exceptionally brilliant and nice. I was the only English speaker, but he personally explained everything to me after he did so in French and Dutch.

I had visited Lift 3 and 2 in April, and this time I even made an effort to visit Lift 1 and the Italian canteen, part of the WHS, where I had dinner. My only regret is that the museum for the Italian canal workers by the canteen was closed in the evening.

Contrary to what I had heard, all the four lifts are still at work today, but only for recreational purpose and not for commercial purpose. If you have your own boat or hire a boat, you can go through all the four lifts for free! The Belgium government decided to make it free in order to promote the water recreation, I was told.

The second tour I took was that of the new lift. Although the new lift is not part of the WHS, this boat tour in which your boat goes up or down at this world's tallest boat lift is also recommended.

Photo 1: Lift 1

Photo 2: Lift 2 & 3

Photo 3: LIft 4

Photo 4: New Lift

As you can see, the Four Lifts all look the same.:) The lock lifts the boats for 5 m, each of the four lifts lifts the boats for 17 m, and the new lift lifts the boat for 73 m. (5+17x4=73)

I can't wait to visit Suez and / or Panama canals!