Belgium has a dense network of inland waterways crossing the country's two regions Flanders and Wallonia from east to west and north to south. Much of the total length of about 1600km is now a unified high-capacity network thanks to the vision of Gustave Willems, a former minister of transport and president of PIANC, who in the post-WWII years conceived and promoted vigorously the plan to rebuild all the main routes to European Class IV standard.
This massive undertaking has recently been completed, 50 years later, with opening in 2002 of the last link on the Canal du Centre, including the giant 73m high barge lift at Strépy-Thieu. The old line, with its four hydraulic lifts now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is being kept open for recreational boating and trip boats…

Information on the network: http://www.mobilit.fgov.be/