You will encounter locks in all sizes and varieties. The old ship”s elevators at Thieu are working unesco classified monuments. The passage of the new elevator is sensational: it takes you, together with the barge, more than 70m up in less than 15 minutes. The necessary cultural highlights are provided by the cities Tournai, with 100 towers and 1000 bells, and Oudenaarde, known for ancient artistic wall carpets. Let you surprise by the beauty of Castle Beloeil with its royal parc gardens.

You will not easy forget the passage of Charleroi, with its heart of steal. At the confluence of the rivers Samber and Maas, Namur welcomes you. This capital city of Wallonia, the French community, has a rich history, well shown in the citadel and the many monumental buildings. Another pearl  at the border of the river Maas is Huy.  A walk uphill is really breathtaking! Liège is a mixture of old and modern, culture and industry, with many nationalities make this an impressive lively city. This tour ends in Maasmechelen. With the influence of the meandering river Maas, the rich mining history and the nearby border with the Netherlands will this village surely meet your wishes. May be you find a treasure in the shopping center Maasmechelen Village?

This tour can be combined with bike rides, only for experienced bikers. The signposting is seldom and the hilly landscape can be challenging for untrained bikers.

• fr: Maasmechelen mining history with garden villages, outlet shopping
• sa: Liège shopping and cultural city, aquarium
• su: Huy mediaeval city on the river Maas
• mo: Namur cultural city on the rivers Maas and Samber, mediaeval citadel
• tu: Charleroi in the heart of steel
• we: Thieu view the old and new boat lifts
• th: Blaton look at the locks stairway and/or bike ride to the castle of Beloeil
• fr: Tournai Belgians most ancient city
• sa: Oudenaarde cultural city and visit also archaeological Ename
• su: Oudenaarde goodbye ca 10.00