The Canal du Centre in the Walloon region of Belgium is famous for four old and remarkable hydraulic boat lifts, which are still in operation today. The 4 boatlifts in the Canal du Centre were built in the late 19th and early 20th century. They are still in their original state and are the only hydraulic boatlifts in the world still in operation. When the Canal du Centre was completed in 1888, industry in Walloon got what it wanted. Coal mines attracted new factories in the Central area, the Borinage and the Charleroi area. There was plenty of fuel available. An industrial revolution took place, factories and mines produced at full speed. The Eco Museum lies in the mine landscape of Bois-du-Luc, where you can smell the evidence of past 'black times'. The mine itself closed on 30 June 1973 because the owners saw no future in it. Oil and natural gas had replaced coal.
Together with the Canal du Centre they represent a good example of the 19th century industrial landscape. Officially designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, this site is to be safeguarded for the future as a testimony to its enduring past.