There are many ways to cross a canal

Regular locks in canals can already be quite fascinating to look at. But there's always a bigger, more spectacular version to be found...

In the past, a system of 17 locks was used to tackle the height difference of approximately 45 metres in the Marne-Rhine canal. You can imagine what a lengthy procedure this must have been - each journey taking around 10 hours to pass this point.
But in 1969 the plan incliné (inclined plane) of Saint-Louis Arzviller was installed in Moselle (France), to overcome the height difference in a more time-saving manner. A boat enters the compartment, to be either dragged up or down the ramp in a sideways manner. To make this procedure take place, a counterweight of 900 tons (!) is needed.