Prince-Bishops' Palace
Palais des Princes-Évêques
The power center of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège for nearly 800 years. Its main courtyard has 60 uniquely carved stone columns, and the building now houses the courts.
The Prince-Bishops' Palace stands on the north side of Place Saint-Lambert. From the 10th century until 1795, Liège was a prince-bishopric within the Holy Roman Empire, and the prince-bishops governed from here. The surviving building is mainly a 16th-century reconstruction in a blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The colonnade around the First Courtyard has 60 stone columns, each with a different form and carved with grotesque faces, which is quite remarkable. Today the palace is used by judicial institutions and its interior is not open to the public. On weekdays, however, you can enter the First Courtyard free of charge (security check required). It is usually closed on weekends and public holidays.
Opening hours
Courtyard accessible during daytime on weekdays
Nearby sights
- Place du Marché & Perron
- Museum of Walloon Life
- Montagne de Bueren
- St. Paul's Cathedral, Liège
- Citadel of Liège
- La Batte Market
- Aquarium-Muséum of Liège
- Coteaux de la Citadelle