What is the city of Liege, Belgium famous for? Belgium. Liege: sights of one of the oldest cities in Europe. Entertainment and attractions of Liege

Liege is the largest city in Wallonia and the 3rd largest municipality in Belgium.

Its history begins from the times of the Roman Empire. Since 550, the settlement of Leodicus was located on the lands of modern Liege. After 155 years, an event occurred that served as the beginning of the existence of a new city. In 705, the local bishop Lambert was killed. Later he was recognized as a saint and a temple was built in his honor. This contributed to the formation of the city.

In the 9th century, Liege was the center of a bishopric. In the 10th century it became the center of the principality. It was included in the Holy Roman Empire, from which it withdrew in 1789.

Liege became the largest steelmaking center and center of the coal industry as part of Belgium in the 19th century.
Today it is modern city, with a developed industry, storing important architectural monuments. Liege is sure to please all history buffs. And for those who just want to relax in a beautiful ancient city, Same.

Climate and weather

Liege enjoys comfortable warm weather throughout the year. Winter here is never cold and summer is never hot. The average daily temperature in winter is about -2 °C, and in summer the thermometer reaches an average of +15 °C. The most comfortable time to travel is spring and summer.

Nature

Liege is located at the confluence of the river Meuse and Ourthe. The nature in this city is not very diverse. However, local residents decorated Liege with beautiful floral ensembles and park areas.

Attractions

The sights of Liege are concentrated in the historical center of the city.

Since it was the administrative center of a bishopric for most of its history, many of its monuments are of a religious nature.

The central attraction is the palace of the prince-bishops, built in 1526. The building is made in the Gothic style. The first version of this palace was proposed back in the 11th century, and modern look he acquired it only in the 16th century. The attraction is located on central square Liege - on the square St. Lambert's.

A favorite place for tourists is the beautiful fountain Platform, which until 1697 was a simple column.

One of the oldest and beautiful churches Liege - church Saint Barthelemy. It is a Romanesque style building dating from the 11th century.

Another 11th century church is no less beautiful. — Saint Jean. It was built in the Gothic style. It contains a sculpture Madonnas, made by the famous Delacroix in the 16th century.

The oldest religious building in Liege is the church Saint Martin. However, she did not keep her original appearance, since it was destroyed and rebuilt many times.

The history of Liege is illustrated by exhibits in the Museum of Archeology and Art.

The Transport Museum is also popular among tourists, where various types of urban transport in Belgium are presented.

Since Liege is an armory city, it cannot do without an arms museum, which is considered the second largest in Europe.

Literature lovers will be able to visit the House-Museum of the writer and native Liege by Georges Simenon.

Nutrition

You can save a lot of money on food by visiting local pubs. Prices for food here are very low, but beer is highly valued. In many establishments, when you order a glass of this foamy drink, you will be given a plate of sandwiches as a gift. Among traditional dishes Liege salad is famous. It is prepared from potatoes, green beans and ham.

In the heart of Liege there is a restaurant Baragan. The house's signature dish is grilled meat, and in addition to it you can order a glass of wine from South America or Australia.

The restaurant will offer you refined Asian cuisine "Shanghai". This establishment is recognized as the best exotic restaurant in Belgium. Dinner here will cost you 20-35 €.

You will find original Belgian beer in the restaurant Le Vaudree. About 900 of its different items are presented here.

The restaurant prepares a lot of elegant dishes for guests. Le Bruit Qui Court. It is located in a bank building built in the 19th century. The highlight of the restaurant is its original interior.

Accommodation

The most prestigious three-star hotels: Husa De La Couronne Liege, Best Western Univers and Campanile Luik. The cost of living in them ranges from 49 € to 265 € per day. In four star hotels Jala, Ramada Plaza Liege City and Alliance Liege room rates range from 71 € to 470 € per night.

Entertainment and relaxation

A taste of Belgium can be felt in the club Maison du Peket. It is located in Old Liege, next to Place Saint Lambert. For alcoholic drinks, you can order local liqueur here "bake", which tastes similar to German schnapps.

You can spend an unforgettable night in a 24-hour club Carre. It has reasonable prices, great music and is always full of young people.

A great entertainment would be a boat trip through the Old Liege area.

You can have a great time while shopping or going to the cinema.

Purchases

When you arrive in Liege, you should definitely buy locally made waffles. Since the city specializes in them, they are sold in every cafe here. To buy waffles as a gift, visit the store Maison Massin- here they are the best in Liege.

The locals make equally delicious chocolate. The best chocolate stores - Galler And Pierre Marcolini.

There is a Russian grocery store in Liege "Teremok". It is open from 10:00 to 20:00. The store is located 5 minutes from Gyume Station.

In total, there are about 5,000 shops in Liege for every taste and income. Here you can always buy everything you need.

A real concentration of clothing stores and restaurants can be found in a part of the city called Le Carré. Many boutiques are located on the boulevard d"Avroy And St Gilles street.

Transport

There are no trams or trolleybuses in Liege. As public transport Only buses perform. Their work starts at 5:30 and ends at 23:00.

In addition, air and water transport are developed in Liege. Thanks to this, the city is considered a center of water, road and air routes.

Connection

Liege has a well-developed mobile and metropolitan network. Mail works without problems. Internet available.

Safety

Liege is a fairly calm city with a low crime rate. However, pickpocketing still happens here from time to time. Tourists are advised not to carry valuables with them or leave them in crowded places.

Residents of Liege closely monitor the cleanliness of the city, therefore it is prohibited to throw out garbage in the wrong place. For violation of cleanliness rules there is a fine, which can be up to 150 €.

Business climate

Liege is one of the centers of heavy industry in Belgium. Mainly developed: non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, chemical, glass and rubber industries, clothing and coal production, metalworking and mechanical engineering. Crystal production is well established.

Real estate

A luxury house of 300 m2 in Liege can be purchased for 585,000 €. Housing of the same size, but in a less prestigious area, can be purchased for 350,000 €.

Renting a two-room apartment in Liege will cost you 230 € per month, a three-room apartment - 310 €.

The price of real estate directly depends on the area where the building is located, renovations and the age of the property being offered.

At the head office tourist office In Liège (or at its branch at 35 Place Saint-Lambert) you can purchase a set of maps and booklets detailing all upcoming cultural events and important attractions.

You don't have to carry cash with you, because all major restaurants, shopping centers and entertainment venues accept international standard cards for payment. However, at the market and in small cafes you will have to pay in cash.

Checks are often carried out on the city streets, so when going for a walk, take your identification document with you.

It is considered a sign of good manners in restaurants to leave a tip for service.

Therefore, we can easily say that there are attractions here on almost every corner.

Ors-Château and En Feronstry, the streets of Volieres and the Fondation Saint-Servais, the church of Saint-Servais and the chapel of Saint-Roch, medieval houses in the Mosan style, Place du Marché and Place Saint-Lambert, and, of course, the famous staircase of Montagne du Buren, which is often called a staircase of 400 steps (although in fact there are 373 in total), the Outermeuse district with its Haussmannian buildings, the Boulevard of the Constitution and the Place du Congress, the Market Square and old citadel... The historical center of Liege, in principle, can be explored in one day, but in fact, having imbued with the spirit of this stunning place, you will look at its unique buildings for as long as you happen to live in this romantic and tough, so different and so unique city.

It will take more than one week to see all the attractions in Liege. And after long walks, you can happily relax in the Cotto Gardens or in the Dina Deferme Garden.

Liege has many cathedrals and churches - this is to some extent explained by the fact that until 1789 the city was under episcopate rule. You can see an amazingly beautiful bronze font from the 12th century. The Church of Saint-Jean is considered the most beautiful of Liege churches, it is known both for its rather rare octagonal shape and interior decoration, including stunning paintings and a wooden sculpture of Our Lady by Delacroix dating from 1523. The Church of Saint-Martin was founded in the 10th century, burned down at the end of the 13th century and was completely restored in the 15th century.

– Cathedral Liege, today it houses the shrine of St. Lambert. Also noteworthy are the churches of Saint-Christophe, Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Denis, and the College of Evangelists of Saint-Jacques. The neo-Byzantine Synagogue on Rue Leon Frederic is also very beautiful.

“Main” - located in the ancient palace of Curtius and two neighboring buildings. The 8-story building was built at the beginning of the 17th century and was used as a storage facility. The other two buildings once housed a hotel, famous for the fact that Napoleon stayed there twice.

In the old building convent There is an ethnological museum on the Cure des Minors. One of the most visited museums is also the Aquarium, which displays more than 2,500 species of fish. The same building houses the Science Museum and the Zoology Museum. These places will be very interesting for children.

A relatively new museum, opened in 1985 in the building of a former tram depot, which tells the history of public transport in Liege, starting in 1875, when the first horse-drawn tram appeared in the city. Another fairly new museum is the Museum of Walloon Art, abbreviated as BAL. It is located on Ors-Chateau in a building built in the 70s of the last century. It houses a permanent exhibition representing a collection of paintings from different periods, and also hosts various exhibitions.

There is something to see in Liege besides churches and museums. One of business cards a city can also be called a building railway station, designed by the famous architect Santiago Calatrava. The Perron fountain on the market square, named after the medieval fort destroyed in 1468, attracts tourists. Another famous fountain is located opposite St. Paul's Cathedral - this is the Virgin and Child, made by the Liege sculptor Jean Delcourt in the mid-12th century.

- one of the European countries of the provincial format, which annually attracts more and more attention from tourists. It would seem like a small country, but so interesting and rich in history, which has carefully preserved many monuments, ancient buildings and religious buildings. There is beautiful parks and world-famous museums. One of the diverse places that travelers first flock to is the city of Liege. Let's tell you more about it.

Getting to know the city of Liege in Belgium

Let's start with the fact that Liege is The largest city Wallonia (a region in), whose history dates back to the times of the Great Roman Empire from the settlement of Leodicus. Its eventful history has led to the fact that today it is a very modern city with a well-developed industry, as well as the third largest municipality in Belgium. The image of the old city does not prevent him from keeping up with the times. The production of crystal and weapons, coal mining and metallurgy are well developed here, and in the last 10 years tourism has been given particular importance.

The administrative center of the province of Liege of the same name in Belgium is located at the confluence of two rivers: the Meuse and Ourthe, about one hundred kilometers from. According to the census in 2006, 194 thousand people lived in the city; today this figure has long exceeded 200 thousand citizens. Residents of the city are well educated and speak fluent German, Dutch and French.

Climate and weather in Liege

The geographical location of the country is such that comfortable and pleasant weather persists here all year round. Winter in Liege is never cold and frosty, and summer is never sultry and hot. It was noted that average daily winter temperatures are around -2 degrees, and in summer about +15. The peak tourist season in the city of Liege is spring and summer.

Sights and entertainment of Liege

Some of the old red brick and bluestone houses still remain in the city. But if you want to visit some interesting objects in addition to walking around the historical center, we suggest you pay attention to the following:

• Palace of the Prince-Bishops, Place Saint-Lambert;
• Gothic Church of St. Martin;
• weapons museum;
• Ansembourg Museum;
• City Hall;
• Perron fountain, etc.

In small European cities, bustling life is usually concentrated in one place for general convenience and order, and the city of Liege is no exception. Branded clothing stores, most cinemas, restaurants and cafes are located in the so-called “Le Carre” square. It is located between the streets Pont d'Avroy, Vinave d'Ile and de la Casquette and the boulevard de la Sauveniere. There are always a lot of people here, noisy and festive, as promotions, competitions are periodically held, or residents are amused by theater actors.

Historically, the gastronomic preferences of the residents of Liege are an interesting mixture of the cuisines of all their neighbors, but, of course, the French left a special mark. Among all the diversity, it is worth noting L"Héliport, Michel Germeau, Il Etait Une Fois, but you can easily find restaurants serving Italian, Chinese, Japanese cuisine and some others.

In most local pubs, when you order a large glass of beer, they will bring you a Liege salad or sandwiches as a free treat. The thing is that the foamy drink is highly valued here, and tourists take advantage of this to try to save on food.

As for accommodation, as elsewhere, in Liege you will find excellent quality, from prestigious to modest and cozy. We recommend the four-star hotels Ramada Plaza Liege City and Alliance Liege, as well as the three-star hotels Husa De La Couronne Liege and Best Western Univers. Tipping is always welcome and is considered a sign of good manners.

Like many European cities, Liege is considered a safe city; the crime rate here is extremely low. But no one excludes the possibility of pickpocketing, so be vigilant and do not carry large amounts of cash and valuables with you; use safes in hotels.

Regarding possible conflicts with local residents or law enforcement agencies, it is recommended to keep the streets clean and use trash cans. For this minor offense for many travelers, a decent fine is imposed. We also do not recommend getting into arguments about politics, criticizing the royal family and trying to compare Belgium with France.

Transport in Liege

It is worth noting that urban transport in Liege is developed simply well, the routes correspond to the schedule and have a decent level of comfort and technical condition. You can also use an almost impeccable taxi service at any time of the day and even rent a bicycle.

How to get to the city of Liege?

A serious industrial city cannot do without a well-developed transport system: four major highways E25, E40, E42, E313 pass through the city. From neighboring regions you can get to the city not only by car or bus, but also by excursion on a river boat.

If you want to start your visit from Liege, then don’t forget about the local one. This direction is very popular among charter companies, incl. from Russia and some CIS countries. By train you can easily reach Liege from Paris, Aachen and Maastricht.

Liege in Belgium is one of largest cities this European country. It is located in the province of Wallonia. The city is quite ancient, the first mentions of it date back to the 8th century, so a large number of attractions have been preserved here.

City `s history

Liege in Belgium has been known since Roman times. Then he was called Leodius. It is famous for the fact that Bishop Lambert died here in 705. His death was a martyr's, so he was canonized.

In 721 the diocese was moved here. The credit for this goes to Saint Hubert, known in Catholicism as the patron saint of hunters.

In the Middle Ages, on the territory of this settlement there was an active struggle between guild artisans, as well as the clergy and nobility. They tried to determine which of them would be the main one in the city.

The turning point in this history came in 1312. The townspeople burned the most prominent members of the nobility right in the Church of St. Martin. By the 15th century, another confrontation emerged in Liege. This time the city managed to successfully resist attempts to incorporate it into the Burgundian Netherlands. At the same time, the Duke of Burgundy did not give up trying. Twice he took part in the destruction of the city.

It is believed that the golden age in Liege began in the 16th century. At that time, the bishop's chair was occupied by Erard de Lamarck. It was then that weapons began to be produced en masse in the city. TO 19th century it became one of the most modern steel and coal mining centers. But soon the confrontation between the townspeople and the clergy escalated again. In 1681, democratic principles of government were abolished. In the 18th century, the Wars of the Spanish and English Succession began. The city was attacked by both the French and the British.

The Liege Revolution, which occurred in 1789, put an end to the rule of the episcopate. Soon after this, the city became the administrative center of one of the French departments called Ourthe.

In the mass movement for Belgian independence, which unfolded in 1830, one of the key roles was played by the residents of Liege. When the period of industrialization ended, the city was carefully fortified, fearing an invasion from Germany. However, the work carried out in 1891 did not save Liege in Belgium from being occupied during both world wars.

Waterway

In large quantities. And it's not just cathedrals and ancient medieval buildings. There are some notable geographical features. For example, the river in Liege, the Meuse, or it is along them that key inland waterways pass.

Local River port has a large cargo turnover. Almost 16 million tons. This figure makes this city in Belgium the third most important and largest port in Europe after Paris and Duisburg.

The Meuse River itself flows not only through Belgium, but also in the Netherlands and France. It originates in France. Flows past Namur and west of the Ardennes. The river in Liege heads north. In the Netherlands it turns near Venlo. Eventually it flows into the North Sea.

The Meuse is home to many important European cities. In addition to Liege, these are Maastricht, Sedan, Rotterdam, Verdun and 's-Hertogenbosch.

The river is mentioned in the famous "Song of the Germans", written to the music of Haydn.

Local Attractions

There is a landmark in Liege that all tourists are advised to pay attention to - this is the Church of St. Bartholomew. It is one of the oldest churches in Belgium and is one of the seven collegiate religious institutions in the city.

The church is located in the center of Liege directly on St. Bartholomew's Square. It is on it that the Way of St. James passes, the famous pilgrimage road that played one of the key roles in the dissemination of cultural values ​​in Liege Square, this is marked by bronze shells that are inlaid into the stones on the pavement.

Architectural features of the church

This church in Liege (in Belgium) was founded in the 11th century. Its solemn consecration took place in 1015. At the same time, construction was delayed. The work was finally completed only in the second half of the 12th century.

The building itself is a sandstone structure, made in the classic Romano-Germanic style. There are two towers on the west side of the church. They were significantly rebuilt and reconstructed already in 1876. Shortly before this, elements of the French Baroque, as well as the neoclassical style, were added here. The architects of that time added two side chapels.

Most recently, a large-scale restoration of the church was carried out. The work was carried out from 2000 to 2006. During this period, about ten thousand stones were replaced, and the walls of the tower were restored to their original appearance.

Interestingly, many attractions today are kept inside the church itself. For example, a large number of valuable and significant works of art. The baptismal font, made of brass, deserves special mention. It depicts biblical scenes. It is considered a true masterpiece of the Maa school. Its author was most likely a 21st century master named Rainier de Huy.

Animal world

Liege is a city in Belgium that has one of the most interesting zoological museums in Europe. There is also a fascinating aquarium.

These institutions are supervised by the University of Liege. They are located in the building of the Zoological Institute. The aquarium exhibits about two and a half thousand diverse representatives of marine fauna, which belong to 250 species.

All of them are placed in 46 huge tanks filled with water. One of the most interesting and fascinating is the tank in which sharks swim. There is also a large collection of corals that were collected by university scientists during expeditions to Australia on the Great Barrier Reef.

The exhibition of the zoological museum is also rich. It contains about 20 thousand exhibits. Among them, the skeleton of a whale, 19 meters long, stands out.

Mount Buerena

Those who are in good physical shape and confident in their abilities should climb Mount Buerena. It consists of 406 steps. If you make it through this climb, you will be rewarded. From the top there is a beautiful panorama of the entire city.

There is a legend that in 1468 several hundred soldiers climbed this hill to attack the camp of Charles the Bold, who once again captured and destroyed the city. Their expedition was led by a local resident named Buerena.

The plan failed. All the soldiers were killed, and the duke's army plundered the city for several more weeks. True, this story has little to do with reality. In reality it happened on a completely different hill in Liege.

The flight of stairs itself appeared in 1880. This was done so that the soldiers staying at the garrison on the top of the hill could freely descend into the city without fear of small and dangerous alleys.

Cathedral Square

If you go to Liege, you will definitely find something to see there. For example, Cathedral Square, which is an analogue of Central Park.

Music is constantly playing here, and guests are drowned in a cacophony of sounds. Street musicians have long chosen this place; it is considered a point of attraction for tourists.

Museums of Liege

Liege has a large number of museums. The most interesting are the Museum of Walloon Art, the Museum of Metallurgy and Industry, the Museum of Weapons, as well as a unique collection of religious art.

Founded by the Romans, Liege was originally called Leodium and was the northern outpost of the Roman Empire. The city gradually became the center of Christianity; in the 8th century, the center of the diocese was formed in it.

During the Middle Ages, Liege suffered from the confrontation between the nobility, clergy and artisans united in guilds. There was some extreme cruelty: the townspeople burned the nobles in the Church of St. Martin. The city fought hard to resist inclusion in the Burgundian Netherlands. It was ravaged twice by the troops of Charles the Bold, but Liege still survived.

Rise of the city

Only in the 16th century, under Bishop Erard Lamarque, did Liege begin to flourish. The city becomes a center of weapon craftsmanship, attracting the best representatives of this profession. But his quiet life was interrupted by the War of the Spanish and English Succession, and local residents suffered from the actions of both sides.

But, in spite of everything, by the beginning of the 19th century, Liege was turning into one of the first industrial centers in Europe. It has a developed steel and coal mining industry and, of course, weapons production. At that time, Belgian weapons steel and weapons made from it were considered among the best in the world. Even so famous people, such as the famous gunsmith John Browning, came to Liege to learn the secrets of the craft.

Nowadays, the city continues to develop, being an important hub for water and road transport, as well as tourist and training center. The city is home to the University of Liege and the Higher School of the Province of Liege.

Attractions

Of course, the old part of the city is attractive to tourists. Such rare sights as a street that looks like a staircase consisting of 400 steps have been preserved here.

But this is not all that Liege has to offer its guests. Its architectural monuments are for the most part an amazing mixture of different styles. This is due to the fact that city buildings were repeatedly rebuilt due to destruction and simply under the influence of the trends of the times. As a result, descendants were left with unusual and very impressive structures, ranging from the Palace of Prince-Bishops to the memorable fountain in the form of four lions.

There are many museums in Liege with plenty to see. Here you can see not only masterpieces of weaponry, but also numerous ancient objects that take us back to the early centuries of the existence of a Roman settlement.

In addition to spiritual food, this city can offer many material joys. To visit here and not try the luxurious Liege waffles is a real culinary “crime”.