Liège

At the foot of Ardennes on the river Meuse, it has been a prominent urban centre since the Middle Ages, but really blossomed during the industrial revolution, when it grew to become Belgium's third-largest metropolis, after Brussels and Antwerp. Thanks to its strategic position, Liège still enjoys relative affluence and economic importance, in contrast to its fellow Wallon cities farther south.
Despite its size and location in-between some of the most-visited cities in Europe, Liège sees very little tourist traffic. Those who find it along their itinerary might be surprised to find the purported industrial city to be quite green, with wide boulevards, an interesting, if a bit disorderly, mix of architecture from different periods, much greenery and picturesque riverbanks and hillsides. There are also quite a few museums and other points of interest, enough for at least a busy day trip.
Liège has been an important city since the early Middle Ages. It was the capital of the Principality (prince-bishopric) of Liège, which remained an independent state until the French Revolution (around 1789). In the 19th century it became an early centre of industrialism. Today it is a large city of 200,000 inhabitants, with a total 750,000 in its metropolitan area. A city heavily shaped by waves of immigrants, Liège has important Italian (making up at least 5% of the population), Spanish, German, Moroccan, Turkish, and Sub-Saharan African communities (the latter being one of the largest in Belgium).
The central area of Liège presents itself as a rather interesting mix of a historic town centre (dotted with a few extremely brutalist buildings from the 1960s and 70s), a rather elegant new town with wide boulevards, tall apartment buildings (some Art Deco), narrow street with small businesses, a few pretty parks, and a few interesting shopping arcades. The outskirts of Liège consist mainly of 2 very distinctive areas: large industrial complexes sprawling on the river's bank in the north and the south (with the cities of Seraing and Herstal) and working-class areas in the east and the west with mainly spare green neighborhood for healthy people.
Liège is located just at the beginning of the Ardennes, which makes the landscape of the south very different than the rest of the city, with high hills and abundant forests (Sart-tilman and beyond).

• Tourist office

  phone: +32 4 221 92 21
  address: Féronstrée 92

By plane

• Liège airportSpecialising in freight (7th biggest cargo airport in Europe), the airport sees mainly seasonal holiday charter flights to destinations around the Mediterranean. Regular passenger connections are provided by some airlines seeking opportunities to capitalize on local business interests (and charging accordingly). Reaching the city centre with public transportation is a bit tricky. Check the TEC (local city bus) website for further information.

• Brussels Airport is your most likely point of entry into Belgium. To reach Liège, take the train to Louvain/Leuven, or Brussels-Nord and change for Liège.
• Brussels South Charleroi Airport, located in Charleroi, is an alternative for low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and WizzAir. From the airport, take the city bus Line A (stop is outside of the departure hall), which costs €6 one way to Charleroi-Sud (south) train station, then the train to Liège-Guillemins. Train departs once every hour from 5:00. Last train leaves at 23:00. The trip takes approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Maastricht Airport is also close to the city. Ryanair has some service from the city (a lot less than Charleroi though). Transportation to Liège can be done by taking a bus to Maastricht station, then taking a train.
• Frankfurt Airport has a thrice daily direct high-speed train link to Liège-Guillemins. More frequencies can be found if you make a stop in Cologne.

By train

Liège-Guillemins is the main station, located on the southwest part of the city.
Thalys and ICE high-speed trains serve Brussels, Paris, Aachen, Cologne and Frankfurt. Beware that unlike most train stations in Belgium, Liège-Guillemins is not a walking distance away from the city centre (20-25min). You can take a bus which cost €2 one way, or taxi which cost around 8-10 euros. The cheapest alternative being changing to another train that's heading to the station called Liège-St-Lambert. The fare of this trip is included in your ticket to Liège-Guillemins. The trip takes around 6 mins.
From Brussels, intercity service runs at least hourly and takes about 50 minutes from Brussels Nord. From Brussels Airport, take the airport shuttle to Leuven and take intercity service from there. From the Netherlands, connect in Maastricht. Trains run at least hourly and take about 30 minutes.
Once you are at Liège-Guillemins station, you can get to city centre by changing to a train heading for Liège-St-Lambert, or by taking the number 1 or number 4 bus just outside the station to Place St-Lambert. Another alternative is route 48 which takes you to the Opera. Note that all routes run both ways at the stop of Liège-Guillemins station, make sure to take the buses that have either "Pl. St-Lambert" or "Opéra" on their destination sign.

By car

Liège is the crossroads for several major motorways. Its "ring" has 6 branches in clockwise order:

• the E25, to the south, towards Luxembourg and into France via Metz, Nancy, Lyon
• the E42, to the west, crosses Wallonia via Mons/Bergen before entering France via Valenciennes, Paris
• the E40, to the west, leading to the Belgian coast via Brussels
• the E313, leading to Antwerp and on to the large coastal cities of the Netherlands
• the E25, to the north, with Maastricht a stone's throw away (30 km) and the rest of the Netherlands beyond
• the E40, to the east, entering Germany via Aachen. A second branch (Actually the E42) splits off at Verviers, heading to Trier.

Since it is a fairly large city, many motorway exits are signposted for "Liège". When coming from Germany or Netherlands, follow the E25 to its end, then follow the road signs to the center. If you are coming from Luxembourg, exit at "Angleur" and follow signs to the center, or to continue on to the exit marked "Liège-centre". Finally, coming from Paris, Lille, Brussels, or Antwerp, follow signs to Luxembourg until you reach the exit marked "Liège-centre." When coming from Flanders, Liège is named as "Luik."
There are a number of covered car parks situated conveniently in the centre costing €2.20 an hour.

By bus

Liège is well-connected by bus, notably in the Eurolines network on rue des Guillemins, near the train station.

By boat

Individuals arriving with their own boat are welcome at the port des Yachts.
Many organised cruises departing from Maastricht stop in the center of Liège, on the right bank (quai Marcatchou to quai Van Beneden).

By car

Unlike most Belgian cities, Liège has no inner ring built along the path of the old city walls. Instead, the main streets were laid out along the old branches of the river, which makes their organisation a bit obscure.
Leave your car in one of the city-center parking garages, especially if you have no map of to your destination.
Here are the main routes for cars:

• the motorway E40-E25 that crosses parts of the city
• the Boulevards "d'Avroy" and "de la Sauvenière", the main route between the center and the train station
• the Quais "de la Meuse" and "de la Dérivation", which link to/from the two branches of the E25

By bus

TEC is the main bus company. Most lines converge towards one of the city-center bus "terminals." These terminals are located at Place Saint-Lambert, Gare Léopold, Place de la République Française, and around the Opéra/Theater (all the four are very close to one another). The names of these five sites are used to indicate the direction of the bus, according to the line taken.
Several other lines leave from the train station Liège-Guillemins. Among them, two lines link the station with city center: the #4, a circular line (direction "Bavière" to go from the station to the center, direction "d'Harscamp" for the reverse trip), and the #1 which runs train station to city center and on to Coronmeuse. There also is a few lines that start from the intersection of the Boulevard d'Avroy and the "Pont d'Avroy", the main shopping street. Unfortunately, however, few lines run after midnight.
More and more bus stops now show the waiting time for the next bus on each line, and many busses are equipped to display the next stop and adapted for people with reduced mobility. Nevertheless, be aware that the next stop screens are not always synchronised with the bus stops. For people using a bus line they're not familiar with, ask the driver to warn you when you are arriving at the bus stop you are looking for. You can ask for a free printed version of each bus schedule at the terminal of the line.

By bike

Travelling by bike in the city center is easy, but the hillsides can be a bit steep (between 5 and 15%). Reaching the higher neighborhoods will require a bit of training and a multi-speed bike!
Cycling paths are regularly added and improved, though the main roads remain a bit dangerous. Most one-way streets can be travelled in the opposite direction by cyclists. A map of cycling paths is available at the tourist information office. In addition, there's a "Ravel" (a path for walkers and cyclists) along the right bank of the river Meuse.

• La Maison des Cyclistes

By foot

Most of the areas in city center are easily accessible on foot, and walking provides an interesting perspective on the city itself. The trip from the train station at Guillemins to the city center requires a bit more timeL about 30 min.

Historic Centre

is a major square in the centre, where a number of key sights may be found. It was the site of Gothic Cathedral of Our Lady and St (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-et-Saint-Lambert), representation of religious power, torn down at the start of the 19th century after the revolution of Liège and today memorialized by metal columns and a design traced on the ground. At Place Saint Lambert 9-17, admire the neo-classic façades, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

• Palace of the Prince-BishopsComposed of the Palace of Justice (classic façade at Place Saint Lambert 18) and the Provincial Palace (lateral neo-gothic façade at place Notger 2). This palace is the heart of the city, and represents the political power of the old Prince-Bishops of Liège.

• archéoforum

  phone: +32 4 250 93 70
  an underground archeological site with the remains of the three (successive) cathedrals on the site, as well as a building from Roman times.

• Hôtel de ville de Liège

  address: place du Marché, 2
  Perron, and houses along the market square. The town hall, is an elegant classic building. It was built in 1714, during reconstruction after the French attacks in 1691. It can be visited on rare occasions only, except for the "salle des pas perdus" - "room of lost steps" which is freely accessible. The houses on the square, with their charming blue stone and brick faces, date from the same period. The Perron, symbol of the city's freedom, is at the center of the square above the fountain that acts as its support. The perron is one of the symbols of the city and was used to render justice.

Other sights in the historic city centre include:

• Hôtel d’Ansembourg

  phone: +32 4 221 9402
  address: Feronstrée 114
  Now a museum (Musée d’Ansembourg), is worth visiting for the well-preserved original interior

• Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Liège

  phone: +32 4 238 55 01
  address: Parc de la Boverie 3
  The old museum in the city closed down and moved to Boverie Parc with its works by regional painters since the Roman times.

• Curtius Palace

  phone: +32 04 221 68 17
  address: Féronstrée 136
  This imposing 8-story building from the start of the 17th century was the store of a rich arms merchant, art and history collections

• Hôtel de Hayme de Bomal

  address: quai de Maestricht 8 and rue Feronstrée 122
  was an official building under French rule and twice welcomed Napoleon.

• Saint Barthélémy Church

  phone: +32 4 223 4998
  address: rue Saint Barthélémy 2
  was the last of 7 "collégiales liégeoises" to be built, near the end of the 11th century. Recently renovated, it is home to the masterwork of the Liège goldsmiths from the Middle Ages: the baptismal fonts from the old parish church of the cathedral.

• Museum of Wallonian Life

  phone: +32 4 237 9040
  address: Cour des Mineurs
  is an ethnological mueseum hosted in an old convent

• Museum of Religious Art

  phone: +32 4 221 4225
  address: rue Mère Dieu 1
  will be integrated into the future Museum Grand Curtius, but can now be visited separately

• Montagne de BuerenClimb the imposing staircase of 373 steps framed by small houses and gardens, or opt for the smaller streets and stairways leading up to the Citadel's slopes. From the top, you'll have a lovely view of the city, from the Palace roofs to the ancient watchtower.

• La Cathédrale Saint Paul de Liège

  phone: +32 4 232 61 31
  address: Place de la Cathédrale 1

• Collégiale Saint-Denis de Liège

  address: Rue Cathédrale, 6
  former fortified collegiate church with 12th century tower

• streets Hors Château and En Feronstréeare worth a visit for the architecture of the large villas and more modest houses, most dating to the 18th century

• streets Fond Saint Servais, Pierreuse and du Péryare typically quaint and lead up to the remains of the old citadel, with an ancient well, a monument commemorating the Second World War, and in particular a superb view over the city.

Outremeuse

On the opposite bank of the river, the Outremeuse district has few memorable buildings, notably the Rue Roture, but a welcoming atmosphere. It was historically a working-class neighbourhood, so the buildings tend not to be as grand as those on the other side of the river. Also the most-visited museum complex in Liège and Wallonia, comprised of the Aquarium, the House of Science, and the Zoology Museum, all housed in a neo-classic University building.

• The main buildings of interest in the district are:

• Convent "des Récollets"

  address: rue Georges Simenon 2, 4, 9-13

• Saint Nicolas Church

  address: rue Fosse-aux-raines 7

• Sainte Barbe" hospice

  address: place Ste Barbe

• stable of the Fonck barracks

  address: boulevard de la Constitution

• Bavière hospital

  address: boulevard de la Constitution

• Destenay school

  address: boulevard Saucy 16

• Physiology Institute

  address: place Delcourt 17

Grétry Museum

phone: +32 4 343 1610

address: Rue des Récollets 34

Museum of Tchantchès

phone: +32 4 342 7575

address: rue Surlet 56

dedicated to the city mascot who is also the main character for the local marrionnette theaters

Maison de la Science

phone: +32 4 366 50 15

address: Quai Edouard Van Beneden 22

Aquarium-Muséum de Liège

phone: +32 4 366 50 21

address: Quai Edouard Van Beneden 22

Departing from the amphitheater along the quay, a bateau-mouche (covered boat) offers river tours, from 1 Apr to 30 Oct (11AM, 1PM, 3PM and 5PM, €6, +32 (0)4 221 9221 et +32 (0)4 366 5021).

Outside Liège

• Basilique Notre Dame de Chèvremont

  phone: +32 4 365 04 36
  address: Rue de Chèvremont 96, 4051 Chaudfontaine

• Visit the Carré District, where you can celebrate or party on any day, at any time. It's the preferred district of students, alternating shops and cafés, many of which allow dancing (sometimes on the tables!).
• The Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Opera, and Theater de la Place head up the cultural life in Liège.

• Philharmonic Orchestra

• Royal Opera

  phone: +32 4 221 47 22
  address: Place de l'Opéra

• Theater de la Place

• Liège is the European city with the most theaters per person. Liège has an international reputation especially for its marionnette theaters, whose performances often involve the traditional folklore character Tchantchès in an unbelievably wide range of situations. The most-known marionnette theaters can be found at:

• Museum of Wallonian Life (Wednesdays and school holidays at 1430 and Sundays at 1030, Cour des Mineurs, +32 (0)4 237 9040, open even when the museum is closed.)
• Museum of Tchantchès (Oct to end Apr, Sundays at 1030 and Wednesdays at 1430, rue Surlet 56, +32 (0)4 342 7575)

• Theater Al Botroule

  phone: +32 4 223 0576
  address: Rue Hocheporte 3
  literally, "in the belly-button"

• Theater Denis

  phone: +32 4 224 3154
  address: Rue Sainte Marguerite 302

Theater Mabotte

phone: +32 4 233 8861

address: Rue Mabotte 125, Seraing

Movie theaters include Le Parc and Le Churchill for European films; Le Palace and Kinepolis for big-name blockbusters; and soon UGC Longdoz in the future "media city".

Le Forum

address: rue Pont d’Avroy 45

a small but exceptionally-decorated venue, offers concerts, comedy performances, etc. Country Hall (in the outskirts) is a relatively new venue for huge shows and sporting events.

Le Trocadérois the most Liégeois of Parisian cabarets, or the most Parisian of Liège cabarets, depending on how you look at it, while two other venues (La Bouch’rit and le Comiqu'Art) offer dinner-show combinations.

La Zone

phone: +32 4 3410727

address: Quai de l'Ourthe, 42 - 4020

is the place in Liège for alternative and underground music and arts. Opens only on events, check their program on the web before going there. Non expensive bar with plenty of soft drinks, beers and wine.

Watch football ie soccer at Standard Liège, who play in First Division A, the top tier of Belgian football. Their home ground is Stade Maurice Dufrasne, capacity 27,000; it's on the river bank 2 km south of city centre.

• There are numerous other sports clubs including no less than three rowing clubs. RCAE, a university club but open to everyone, offers a range of sports from parachuting to spelunking. The sports fields at Xhovémont, Cointe or Sart Tilman are ideal for practice. The ice rink, dating from the water exposition of 1939, is in its last seasons before being moved, while a new swimming pool with modern facilities including a diving tower will soon be constructed in the center. (The previous one is being converted to a museum.) Other pools are spread throughout the city, notably in Outremeuse.
• For those who prefer a calmer sport, cycling or jogging is perfect along the quays of the Meuse. The woods at Coteaux de la Citadelle, Chartreuse, and Sart Tilman are all close, as are the magnificent countrysides of the Ardennes (with Condroz, Hesbaye, and Herve lending themselves particularly well to hiking and mountain-biking).
• A circuit is dedicated to Simenon (author of the Maigret stories), and a museum will be opening shortly.

Events

• The Feast of the Assumption (15 August) is celebrated here by the entire city and countless visitors.
• The celebrations of 15 August in Outremeuse welcome more than 300,000 people each year.
• The fair, held since the city was established, has become a fun-fair. It takes place from the first weekend in October to the second weekend in November (6 weeks).
• The Christmas Village, one of the biggest and oldest in the country, has more than one million visitors each year.
• The Celebrations of Wallonia (2nd weekend in September), the nuit des Coteaux (night events in the historic center), the Secret Gardens and Corners Day (la journée Jardins et Coins secrets - 3rd Sunday in June), and the heritage days (les journées du patrimoine - end September) are other key dates in Liège.
• The Festival of Walking, in the second half of August, offers urban walks.

A university city with some 80,000 students, Liège has plenty of educational possibilities.

• University of Liège (L'Université de Liège) . With 17,000 students and links to numerous foreign universities.
• Le pôle mosan is a platform regrouping more and more of the écoles supérieures of the region.
• Le FOREM (FORmation et EMploi - training and employment)
• L'Union des Classes Moyennes also offers classes for adults
• Le Centre J has lots of useful information for young students

• Sunday morning market at la rive gauche
• The Marché de la Batte is where most locals visit on Sundays. The one of the longest markets in Europe stretches along the Meuse River by the Université de Liège and attracts many visitors to Liège. The market typically runs from early morning to 2 o'clock in the afternoon every weekend year long. Produce, clothing, and snack vendors are the main concentration of the market.
• Flea Markets at Saint Gilles (every Saturday morning on Boulevard Louis Hillier) and Saint Pholien (every Friday morning on Boulevard de la Constitution) also attract many visitors.

Typical purchases

• Val Saint Lambert crystal, now sold throughout the world, makes an exceptional gift in the "splurge" category.
• The tourist information office sells local artists' products including scarfs with medieval motifs and ties with contemporary artistic designs.
• Marionnettes of "Tchantchès", a character from local folklore embodying the Liégeois attitude, are available in the 6 marionette theaters in the city.

Other typical purchases are food and drink products:

• As elsewhere in Belgium, pralines (filled chocolates) and the numerous cheeses and beers are a must.
• Local products include "Herve" cheese (with a strong smell!), "Sirop de Liège" (made from a mix of apples and pears and typically used for cooking/baking), and cider (the alcoholic kind).
• "Pèkèt" (genièvre) is an alcoholic beverage available in countless varieties.
• For sweets, you can't go far without encountering the famous Liège waffles, smelling of cinnamon and sugar. They're best when freshly-cooked, though the pre-packaged variety also exists and has spread to many other countries.
• Other sweets are available depending on the season: boûkètes (dark crêpes with raisins, eaten with brown sugar) are mainly available for 15 August and at Christmas, while lacquemants/lackmans (dry waffles filled with a mix of sugar and other sweets) are found at the fairs.
• If you find them, try "cûtès peûres" (baked pears), which unfortunately seems to have disappeared from the street vendors.
• Liège coffee (café liégeois) is originally from Vienna but was rebaptised by the Parisiens to show their support for the heroic resistance in Liège at the start of the first world war.

Shopping in city center

The best options for shopping are around Place Cathédrale and Place Saint Lambert, and in particular at Vinâve d'Ile (Celio...), Saint-Michel (Van den Borre, Delhaize, C&A), the Opera Galleries (Zara, Springfield) and the Saint Lambert Galleries (FNAC, Média Markt, Inno, Champion), as well as along the roads towards the center (rues Féronstrée, Saint-Gilles, Puits-en-Sock in Outremeuse, Grétry in Longdoz...)

Shopping outside city center

Several large commercial centers are located on the outskirts of the city:

• Belle-Ile

  address: Quai des Vennes 1
  North-American style shopping mall with Carrefour on site

• Médiacité shopping centre

  address: Boulevard Raymond Poincaré 7
  126 stores

• Hypermarkt Carrefour HERSTAL

  address: Rue Basse Campagne 1, Herstal
  Large supermarket. Has a small international section (Italian,Spain,USA,UK,Asia,North Africa) for those missing things from home.

In addition to the local foods mentioned above, regional specialities include:

• boulets sauce-lapin, meatballs in a sauce made from Sirop de Liège, onions, vinegar and prunes, accompanied of course by frites - french fries. The boulet even has its own critics and reviews.
• la potée liégeoise, a country dish made from beans, potatoes, and bacon bits cooked together and drenched in vinegar.
• les boûkètes, dark crêpes served at New Year's Eve or other festive occasions
• le matoufèt, a cross between a crêpe and an omelette, made from flour, eggs, milk and bacon bits, and served either salty or sweet.
• la tarte au riz, originally from the neighboring city of Verviers or the area of Tancrémont

Other local recipes are available online.
Prices unfortunately are fairly high, as in most other Belgian cities. Budget restaurants will cost about €12-€15 per person, drinks included, mid-range restaurants between €25 and €50, and splurge restaurants well over that!
For budget solutions, snack shops like any of the sandwicheries or kebab shops offer cheap yet tasty food. A Döner kebab typically costs 3-5 euro, and a sandwich is around 2-4. Note that in Liège all snack shops charge 50 cents for sauce, and usually another 50 cents for vegetables. For example you can see a meatball sandwich for 2 euro on the price list; however, after the sauce and the vegetables it will be 3 euro in total. It is recommended to look for convenient stores for soft drinks as they're over-priced in snack bars.
Obtaining meals outside of conventional times can be a challenge, many restaurant do not serve between 2 and 6 in the afternoon, those that do tend to be full and you can expect to wait some time for service.
There are Northern American fast food chains in the city: A McDonald's is near the Opera, a BigMac meal is about €6, there's a Burger King near the Place Saint-Lambert and Pizza Hut can be found near the Opera and behind the city hall.

Budget

• Délifrance

  address: Galeries St. Lambert and near Pont d'Avroy
  Sandwicherie

• Point Chaud

  address: Place St. Lambert and Pont d'Avroy
  Sandwicherie

• Au Tchantchès

  address: rue Grande Bèche
  Restaurant/Brasserie with traditional decor.

• Café Lequet

  address: 17 Quai sur Meuse
  Local cuisine and ambiance. Try the boulet-frites.

• Le Venetto

  address: rue de la Madeleine
  One of the best Italian restaurants in Liège, limited menu but great atmosphere and unbeatable prices.

• Touch and Go

  address: rue des Carmes
  Specialising in pitas and do-it-yourself salads. Especially popular with students.

• Aux pâtes fraîches

  address: 17 rue Saint-Gilles

• L'Amarante

  address: rue des Carmes

• La Cigalière

  address: 29 rue de la Régence
  Sandwiches, salads, breakfasts, and crêpes - all top quality.

• Amour, Maracas et Salami (français)

  address: 78 rue Sur-la-Fontaine

• C si bon!

  address: Boulevard d'Avroy 238
  Sandwiches, Salades & Catering Service

Mid-range

• Amon Nanesse

  phone: +32 4 250 67 83
  address: Rue du stalon, 1-3

• As Ouhès

  phone: +32 4 223 32 25
  address: Place du Marché 21

• L'industrie

  address: 6 rue Saint Gilles
  nice brasserie specialising in mussels. Menu is in English, but waiters can hardly speak English. Cash only.

• The Kitchen

  phone: +32 4 250 20 74
  address: 139 bd de la Sauvenière
  concept restaurant but friendly and warm

• Le Vaudrée

  phone: +32 4 367 10 61
  address: 109 rue Val Benoit 4031 Angleur
  40 Beers on tap and 1200 Bottles, Fantastic food as well.

• Cafe Lequet

  address: Quai sur Meuse 17
  For the local meatballs, Boulet à la liégeoise.

• Le Vaudrée 2

  phone: +32 4 223 18 80
  address: Rue Saint-Gilles 149, 4000 Liège

Splurge

The area known as "Le Carré" offers numerous options to drink and party 365 days per year, with a young, vibrant, student atmosphere. Also worth a visit: the trendier Place du Marché, and the area around Place Cathédrale, to see and be seen.

• Le Vaudrée 2

  address: Rue Saint-Gilles
  where you can taste a good thousand or so Belgian and foreign beers. Santé!

• La Maison du Péquetmainly serves fruit-flavored versions of genièvre, known locally as péquet.

• Pot au Lait

  address: rue Soeurs de Hasque
  is a café popular with exchange students living in the region.

• Les Olivettes

  address: rue Pied du Pont des Arches
  offers an ambience from an entirely different time.

• Millenniumnightclub.

• La Zone

  address: Quai de l'Ourthe, 42
  is a club for alternative and underground music and culture with a non expensive bar

• Le Sabor Latinois a club opening onto the boulevard de la Sauvenière.

• K-fée

  phone: +32 4 221 38 23
  address: Rue de la Goffe, 6
  Nice little café with good coffee, breakfast and brunch

• Grand Maison

  phone: +32 4 221 38 23
  address: 37 Quai de la Goffe
  Another nice, real coffee-café with breakfast and snacks. (Sit outside in summer!)

In addition, many of the cafés in the Le Carré area are a good alternative, with plenty of dancing and typically no entrance fee.

For a city of its size, Liège has surprisingly few accommodation facilities. This is both due to the city's relatively low popularity as a tourist destination and the fact that it is between 1 to 3 hours from many major cities where business traffic to it originates. You may want to take advantage of the latter yourself and stay anywhere closer or farther and come to the city for the day.

Budget

• Youth Hostel Georges Simenon

  phone: +32 4 344 56 89
  address: Rue Georges Simenon 2
  Located in the middle of the Outremeuse neighborhood, in a superbly renovated old building.

Mid-range

Central

• L'Embrun

  phone: +32 4 221-1120
  address: Port des yachts 16
  A floating hotel that can also be rented out for trips

• Les Acteurs

  phone: +32 4 223-0080
  address: rue des Urbanistes 10
  Two-star hotel

• Le Cygne d'Argent

  phone: +32 4 223-7001
  address: rue Beeckman
  Three-star family hotel near the botanic garden

• Le Petit Cygne

  phone: +32 4 222-4759
  address: Rue des Augustins 42
  Two-star hotel

• La Passerelle

  phone: +32 4 341-20-20
  address: Chaussée des Prés 24
  Three-star hotel

• Hotel Mercure

  phone: +32 4 221-7711
  address: 100, boulevard de la Sauvenière
  Four-star hotel in the center, near Le Carré

• Ibis Hotel

  phone: +32 4 230-3333
  address: 41 place de la République Française
  Near the Opera

Near Palais des Congrès

• Eurotel

  phone: +32 4 341-1627
  address: Rue Léon Frédéricq 29
  Two-star hotel

Near Guillemins train station

• Métropole

  phone: +32 4 252-4293
  address: Rue des Guillemins 141
  Two-star hotel

• Les Nations

  phone: +32 4 252-4414
  One-star hotel

• Hotel Husa De La CouronneThree-star hotel

Splurge

• Le Hors Château

  phone: +32 4 250-60-68
  address: Rue Hors Château, 62
  A charming hotel in the historic center

• Ramada Plaza Liège

  phone: +32 4 228-81-11
  address: Quai Saint-Léonard 36
  City centre hotel on the banks of the river La Meuse, built in a former convent. Free Wifi

Liège is generally a safe city during daytime. However, be cautious at night especially for single females. It is not recommended for women to walk alone in the evenings as many foreign female students have experienced being followed late at night. Robbery is rare but harassment to single females occurs often, mostly verbal but some travelers have experienced assaults in off-downtown area. If where you're staying is more than a 5-min walk off the centre, it is suggested to take a cab (they have a line-ups around The Opera and Pont d'Avroy bus terminal) after 10PM.

• Neupré - World War II Ardennes American Cemetery and Memorial, commemorates the American soldiers who died in Northern Europe during WWII
• Henri-Chapelle - World War II Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery and Memorial. The final resting place for 7,992 American military dead lost during the drive into Germany
• Spa
• Tongeren
• Maastricht
• Aachen