Tournai — Scheldt / Escaut

About This Anchorage

Tournai (Doornik in Dutch) is one of the oldest cities in Belgium and the oldest city in the country still inhabited — with a recorded history going back to the Romans (as 'Turnacum', 4th century AD). The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Tournai (12th–13th century) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the great Gothic cathedrals of northern Europe — its five towers dominate the city skyline above the River Scheldt. Tournai is in French-speaking Wallonia — the southern part of Belgium — and has a distinctly different character from Flemish cities: more relaxed, less tourist-crowded, with exceptional Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The approach by water from Ghent via the canalised upper Scheldt is a long journey (45nm, multiple locks) through the rolling Flemish and Walloon countryside — genuinely off the beaten track for inland waterway cruisers. The Belfry of Tournai (72m, 1187) is the oldest belfry in Belgium and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hazards

• !Long approach (45nm from Ghent, multiple locks): allow 2–3 days from Ghent with lock stops
• !Upper Scheldt locks: 8–10 locks between Ghent and Tournai — plan lock schedule carefully; locks close in evenings
• !Scheldt river flooding: upper Scheldt can flood in autumn and winter — check water levels before passage
• !Limited cruising yacht traffic: Tournai is off the main Belgian waterway circuit; local knowledge of upper Scheldt is helpful
• !Jurisdiction change: Tournai is in Wallonia — SPW (not Vlaamse Waterweg) has jurisdiction; VHF channels and regulations may differ

Skipper's Tips

• →The Cathedral of Notre-Dame (UNESCO) is one of Belgium's great architectural achievements — the transept architecture (12th century) is unlike anything else in Belgium; allow 2–3 hours and take the tower tour
• →The Tournai Grand Place (main square) has a different character from Flemish towns — the Saturday morning market is a Walloon cultural experience; local Tournai cheese and charcuterie are excellent
• →Tournai receives very few visiting yachts — you will likely be the only cruising boat; the locals are genuinely welcoming and the harbour master (if present) will come to greet you
• →The Belfry (72m, UNESCO) is adjacent to the cathedral — the view from the top over the Scheldt plain and into France (the border is 8km west) is remarkable
• →Plan the upper Scheldt passage carefully: use the ANWB Wateralmanak for lock schedules and current depths; the river is navigable throughout summer but lock maintenance closures occur

Nearby Anchorages