The Fontinettes boat lift: an immersive visit with the S-Guide automatic headset

Located in Arques, in northern France, the Fontinettes boat lift is a monument of industrial engineering that made its mark on the history of river transport from its entry into service in 1888. Transformed into a museum, this historic site can now be explored with the S-Guide, a fully hands-free headset audio guide developed by Sycomore.

A 19th-century industrial legacy

Designed to ease the passage of boats between two water levels of the Neufossé canal, the Fontinettes lift allowed vessels to overcome a difference in level of more than 13 metres in just a few minutes — a feat for the time. Thanks to ingenious hydraulic systems, the caissons carried the boats from one level to the other with impressive mechanical precision.

This innovative mechanism boosted river trade between the industrial cities of the north and the rest of the country for nearly 80 years, before being replaced by a modern lock in 1967.

A renovation for a living museum

After its closure, the lift was decommissioned and left abandoned for several years. Recently, it underwent a complete renovation, aimed at preserving this industrial heritage and turning it into a living museum.

The transformation included the addition of an interpretation centre installed aboard a barge, moored in one of the lift's former caissons. This educational platform covers the history of the site, the importance of river transport in the 19th century, the evolution of engineering techniques and the transition to modern locks, in an engaging way: models, historical documents and video animations make the subject accessible to all audiences.

Sycomore's S-Guide: a fully automatic audio guide

To enrich the visit, the S-Guide accompanies visitors throughout their exploration, without requiring any manual interaction: its automatic triggering activates according to where they are, allowing them to stay fully focused on their surroundings.

Entirely hands-free, it offers maximum accessibility, whether for older visitors, families with children or international visitors, with content available in three languages: French, English and Dutch.

The S-Guide does more than provide factual information: it transports visitors into the past through sound effects and fictional testimonies that recreate the atmosphere of the lift in its working days. Voices such as those of the lift's last keeper and a bargewoman recounting her memories offer a vivid, moving narrative, weaving together personal history and the broad sweep of industrial evolution.

An original, educational visit experience

Fictional stories, realistic sound effects, innovative guiding technology and an on-board interpretation centre: a visit to the Fontinettes boat lift is an experience not to be missed for lovers of history and industrial heritage. Renovated and reimagined, the site embodies a successful fusion of history and technology, enriching our understanding of the past while captivating the present.