Liège

A major Walloon city on the Meuse, known for the 374-step Montagne de Bueren and Calatrava's railway station, with Spa, the F1 circuit and the Blegny-Mine World Heritage site nearby.

Liège is the largest city in Belgium's Walloon region, set at the confluence of the Meuse and the Ourthe. From the Middle Ages until 1795 it was the capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, and in the 19th century its coal mines and steelworks made it a pioneer of the Industrial Revolution on the Continent, so the city combines an ancient old town with the rugged character of an industrial city. The old town lies on the left bank of the Meuse: the Prince-Bishops' Palace, the Place du Marché with its Perron column, Rue Hors-Château and the 374-step Montagne de Bueren are all close together, and climbing to the Citadel hill gives views over the whole city. Along the river, the Grand Curtius museum, St Bartholomew's Church and the Sunday La Batte market form another route, while to the south are the Calatrava-designed Liège-Guillemins station and La Boverie museum. Liège waffles, Liège meatballs in syrup sauce and péket (juniper gin) are must-tries. Liège also makes a good base for the Blegny-Mine World Heritage site and Val-Dieu Abbey to the east; to the southeast lie the Ardennes, with the spa town of Spa, the Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit, the Coo waterfall, the High Fens plateau and the caves and wildlife park at Aywaille, all within an hour's drive. By train it's about 1 hour from Brussels and about 1 hour from Cologne, and about 2 hours 15 minutes from Paris by high-speed train. The weather is best from April to October; the Outremeuse festival on 15 August and the Christmas market in December are also lively. Allow 2–3 days: one for the old town and one or two for the Ardennes. Public transport to the surrounding sights is infrequent, so driving is more convenient.

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