Liège City Guide
Liège is in the Ardennes region, on the River Meuse. Liège was independent from the 10th-18th century, and was ruled a by a line of Prince-Bishops. Wander around the winding streets in the old town area to discover Liège's history, visit the museums, or relax in one of the restaurants and cafés.
London to Leuven via Eurostar and Belgium trains takes about 3½ hours.
What to do and see in and around iège
Outremeuse
Outremeuse district is across the river from the centre of Liège and is known as the working class district of Liège, where the true Liège natives live. Visit the traditional puppet shows telling the story of the Prince of Outremeuse - Tchantchès, or relax in one of the numerous cafés, restaurants or bars in the area.
Place St Lambert
Place St Lambert is the centre of Liège, and was originally the site of a huge Gothic cathedral which was destroyed in 1794. The former palace of the Prince-Bishops of Liège is on the Square, it was built between the 16th and 18th centuries, and you can visit the courtyard of the Palace, and the building is now Liège's "palais de justice".
Place du Marché and Perron
Just off the Place St Lambert is the Place du Marché. Place du Marché is home to Liège's symbolic fountain - Perron - which represents the freedom of the city. You can watch the world go by from one of the cafés and bars on the north side of the square, or visit Liège's 18th century Town Hall south of the square.
Montagne de Bueren
Climb the 406 steps to the top of the Montagne de Bueren for fantastic views over the city of Liège and the surrounding countryside. Local legend claims that Liège soldiers were led up the hill by Bueren to defeat Charles the Bold who took the city in 1468, however the steps were only built in 1880 to allows soldiers posted at the garrison at the top of the hill to visit the town safely.
Curtius Museum
The Curtius Museum is housed in Curtius Palace which was home to the 17th century Liège gentleman Jean de Corte (whose latin name was Curtius). The museum contains an eclectic collection Liège objects including coins, medals, prehistoric and roman archaeological finds, and decorative arts from the Roman occupation until the 18th century.
Arms Museum
The Arms Museum in Liège is the second largest arms museum in Europe, it owns over 13000 arms related objects, although only a selection are on display at any time. The building itself was built between in 1779, and Napoleon Bonaparte stayed in the house on two occasions. Highlights of the collection include 15th century firearms, a prehistoric axe, and Napoleon memorabilia.
Museum of Walloon Art and Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Walloon Art contains art from Liège, Hainaut, Namur, Luxembourg and Walloon-Brabant from the 16th to the 21st century. The collection includes works by Magritte, Meunier, and Delvaux. The Museum of Modern Art contains over 700 works by French and Belgium artists from 1850 to the present day, highlights include works by Picasso, Monet, Gaugin, Corot and Baudin.
Saint Barthelemy Church
The twin towered St Barthelemy Church is east of the centre of Liège, and dates back to the 12th century. The church is famous for its Baptismal font which was cast in brass and copper in the 12th century by Renier de Huy. The font is considered a masterpiece of the region's art.
Namur
40 minutes from Liège by train
Namur is the capital of the Wallonia region, wander around the historical winding streets of Le Corbeil area, or take a cable car to visit the historical citadel at the top of the hill. Namur has numerous excellent restaurants, great bars and nightlife, and good museums including the Treasures of the Oignies Priory and Namur Art Museum.
Huy
20 minutes from Liège by train
Huy is one of the oldest towns in Belgium, but was badly damaged by Louis XIV's armies in the 17th century. Huy was originally a thriving market town famous for trading in tin, copper, and wine, and for its metalworks (including the work of Renier de Huy who created the Baptisimal font in Liège). Visit the gothic church in the centre of Huy, with it's beautiful stained glass windows, and 12th century shrines.
Spa
50 minutes from Liège by train
Spa was the original health resort, established in the 17th century and reaching the peak of its popularity in the 18th and 19th century when it was known as the Café of Europe. Visit the thermal spa for mud and water treatments, and taste the mineral water at Puhan-Pierre-le-Grand.
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