Inland Waterways of Belgium

Publisher: Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson, 1st ed., £27.50
Publication Date: 2005

The Belgian Inland Waterway network offers fascinating cruising, but it is under appreciated and under used by pleasure craft. This excellent new guide, the first to be published in English for over 40 years, should go a good way to remedying this.

The guide is a product of much detailed research based on 2 full summers of relentlessly thorough cruising, and provides comprehensive cruising information, coupled with very readable place by place accounts of the history, culture and what is worth seeing or visiting, plus in some cases, what is worth eating or drinking.

The navigation information is particularly helpful, with lock by lock summaries of mooring possibilities, and helpful warnings about inadequacies in the means of securing the boat in the lock. Port and harbour details are similarly thorough and include information about local shopping possibilities and where appropriate, public transport.

The overall layout is logical and easy to read, although just occasionally the description could have been usefully clarified by a fuller use of the terms ‘left bank’ and ‘right bank’.

The text is well supported by good maps and plans and there are numerous colour photographs. Overall this excellent publication sets a new and very high standard by which future waterway guides will be judged. - RE