The Albert Canal, Flemish Albertkanaal, French Canal Albert, is an artificial waterway that connects the two Belgian cities of Liège and Antwerp. The construction of this canal was intended to give residents on the Maas access to the North Sea without having to travel through the Netherlands.
The canal is 129.5 kilometers long.
Along its route, six locks overcome a height difference of around 56 meters. At the Belgian border town of Kanne, south of the Dutch city of Maastricht, the Albert Canal breaks through a mountain massif made of limestone, which is called marl there. The underground Fort Eben-Emael is located in this deep cut. There the canal runs more or less parallel to the Dutch border west of Maastricht.
The Albert Canal is also very important for the drinking water supply of the Antwerp region, as it depends on the water from the Maas, which is supplied via the canal.