Visiting Liège in a single day is a reasonable bet, on one condition: the city does not give itself up at random. It stretches along the Meuse, climbs the slopes of the Citadel and hides its historic centre behind a spectacular but outlying station. The right route climbs once, descends once, and never retraces its steps.
Morning: from Guillemins station to the citadel
The day starts at Guillemins station, the glass-and-steel vessel designed by Santiago Calatrava. The building alone is worth the detour, but you then have to reach the centre: allow twenty to twenty-five minutes on foot, or take a bus.
First climb, the most famous one: the Bueren stairs. Its 374 steps, on a slope approaching 30 percent, are named after Vincent de Bueren, a defender of the city in the 15th century. Climb it early, while the air is still cool and the low light cuts across the facades. At the top, the view takes in the rooftops, the Meuse and the Prince-Bishops’ Palace.
If your legs allow, continue along the Citadel hillside paths: this is another Liège, made of garden walls and viewpoints, a few minutes from the stairs.
Midday: the historic heart
Come down towards Place Saint-Lambert. The Prince-Bishops’ Palace, with its courtyard and galleries, occupies the former seat of princely power. A few steps away, rue du Perron leads to the Liège perron, symbol of the city’s freedoms, which locals have always insisted on recovering whenever it was taken from them.
Carry on to Saint-Paul’s Cathedral, then find a table. Two dishes tell the city better than any guidebook: boulets à la liégeoise, meatballs in a sweet-and-sour sauce made with Liège syrup, and a café liégeois for dessert. Allow an hour for lunch, and avoid the most touristy address: the streets behind the square are safer bets.
Watch the calendar: on Sunday mornings the La Batte market takes over the quays and completely changes the rhythm of the day. It is a spectacle in itself, but you then have to shift everything else.
Afternoon: Hors-Château and La Boverie
The afternoon belongs to the other side of the centre, in Hors-Château, the oldest quarter of Liège. You enter through narrow lanes, dead ends and stairways; Saint-Barthélemy church holds Romanesque baptismal fonts that people come from far away to see.
Then cross the Meuse towards the Parc de la Boverie. The Museum of Fine Arts occupies a palace built for the 1905 World’s Fair: the permanent collection runs from the Renaissance to the 20th century, with Ingres, Monet, Chagall, Picasso and Delvaux. It is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays; entry to the collections costs 5 EUR and is free for under-26s and on the first Sunday of the month.
If it rains, two reliable fallbacks in the centre: the Grand Curtius and the Museum of Walloon Life.
Evening: the quays and the Carré
Two options to finish. The Meuse quays at sunset, with terraces lighting up; or the Carré, the bar district behind Place Saint-Lambert, which looks like no other Belgian city centre. For a quiet dinner, head to Outremeuse, the old boatmen’s island, where you eat better and more slowly.
Practical information
Liège is one hour by train from Brussels; Guillemins station is about two and a half kilometres from the centre. The whole route is on foot, covering eight to ten kilometres and several hundred steps: bring good shoes. Museums often close on Mondays, and the La Batte market runs on Sunday mornings.
FAQ
Is one day enough to visit Liège?
For the essentials of the historic centre, yes. For the museums and the hillsides, allow two days.
How many steps do I have to climb?
374 for the Bueren stairs, plus a few more flights in Hors-Château. Nothing insurmountable, but avoid new shoes.
What can I do in Liège when it rains?
The museums: La Boverie, the Grand Curtius, the Museum of Walloon Life, or the archaeological site under Place Saint-Lambert.
Sources and further reading
The book
The Empty Wall is the second book of Oscar’s Notebook, a series of crime novels set in Liège.
