Next Stop Liege EN

Next Stop 

Liège 

The 

Ardent 

City 

Central, innovative, 

cultural, in metamorphosis, 

remarkable, student-orientated, 

open, sporty, buzzing, culinary... 

Find us on : 

www.liege.be 

A city, a spirit.

Very old 

but really modern ! 

For 800 years, Liège was the capital of a 

sovereign State : the Principality of Liège (985- 

1789). Its vast territory covered a quarter of 

modern-day Belgium and extended to the 

French, Dutch and German borders. This 

‘crossroads city’ at the intersection of the 

German and Latin worlds held a key position 

during the Industrial Revolution. From this, it 

retains a strong, rebellious and distinctive 

character. 

Liège is a city with a rich legacy, with many 

sites listed as exceptional heritage as well as 

quirky places, frescoes by trendy artists and 

rustic locations. 

Liège is a city that innovates, with schools 

teaching many specialisms, a creative 

economy, promising sectors for the future, and 

cutting-edge companies. 

Liège is a city that is rethinking its mobility 

with the future tram, representing 50 hectares 

of redevelopment in the public space. At the 

heart of a European communications network, 

it’s a city where soft mobility is taking on an 

important role. 

Liège is a committed, multicultural city that is 

open to the world. Labels and charters are its 

DNA. 

Liège is a welcoming and festive state of mind, 

with events that bring together thousands 

or millions of visitors, succulent culinary 

specialities and a passionate temperament. 

We couldn’t possibly tell you everything about 

Liège. 

We’ll give you a condensed, yet jam-packed 

overview. 

Discover, visit 

and breath Liège 

through this pamphlet 

• Central........................................................................1 

• Innovative................................................................7 

© Ville de Liège - Maxime Flagothier 

• Cultural....................................................................21 

• In metamorphosis ..........................................27 

• Remarkable ........................................................35 

• Open & Student orientated .....................43 

• Sports ......................................................................49 

• Gourmet & Bustling.......................................57 

© Ville de Liège - Maxime Flagothier

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Central page - 01 

Central 

Logistics hub 

Liège Guillemins station 

Top Walloon station in terms of footfall 

Brussels 1 hour – Cologne 1 hour – Paris 2 hours 30 mins – Frankfurt 2 hours 30 mins 

London 3 hours – Amsterdam 3 hours 15 mins 

21,313 visitors a day on average during the week in 2023 

Liège Airport 

Largest cargo airport in Belgium 

6 th largest European cargo airport 

12 international airports within 2 hours of Liège 

Autonomous port of Liège 

Largest Belgian inland port 

3 rd largest European river port 

14,550,481 tonnes of goods in 2022 

Liège Trilogiport 

Multimodal logistics village 

212 600 sqm of logistics halls 

6 motorway branches 

Enabling easy access to the Netherlands, Germany, France, etc. 

Photo: J-L Deru © Daniel


Liège is in a prime location at the heart of Europe. 

Within a 400 km radius, no fewer than 100 million inhabitants can reach 

the Liège metropolis in a few hours using the many means of transport 

available. 

It is 400 km from London, 350 km from Paris, 200 km from Lille, 150 km 

from Luxembourg, 40 km from Germany and less than 20 km from the 

Netherlands... 

Liège is also served by a very dense network of routes (motorway hub, 

TGV, Euro regional airport). 

A city of 200,000 inhabitants 

An agglomeration of 600,000 people 

A province of a million people


Liège Guillemins 

TGV station 

Liège-Guillemins TGV station, a veritable 

cathedral of glass and steel, designed by the 

Castilian architect Santiago Calatrava, was 

inaugurated in September 2009. Monumental, 

organic, airy, transparent... it has recently been 

transfigured by Daniel Bueren’s ephemeral 

work entitled : ‘As if fallen from the sky, colours 

in situ and in motion’. The work is presented as 

a series of colourful, transparent filters placed 

across the whole glass roof, revealing a mosaic 

of impressive colours. 

Liège-Guillemins station is among the top 10 

most frequented stations in Belgium. Eurostar, 

ICE trains and InterCity trains can be taken to 

reach Germany, France, the Netherlands and 

Luxembourg easily. This means that Belgium 

is the first country to be entirely covered by the 

high-speed network. Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) 

is 22 minutes from Liège, Paris 2 hours 30 

minutes and London 3 hours 16 minutes. 

© J-L Deru Daniel 

A strong architectural symbol, it is undoubtedly 

one of the most beautiful stations in Europe. 

The US website Mashable described 

Liège Guillemins station as one of the 12 

most beautiful stations in the world and it 

appeared in the Marvel film ‘Guardians of 

the Galaxy’ in 2014 ! 

Gare de Liège-Guillemins © Photo : J-L Deru © Daniel 

Gare de Liège-Guillemins © Photo : J-L Deru © Daniel


Liège Airport 

This is the largest cargo airport in Belgium and 

the 6th largest cargo airport in Europe. 

In 2023, 1,005,676 tonnes transited through 

its facilities Liege Airport welcomed 175,606 

passengers (up 5.2% on 2022). Its position at 

the heart of the Amsterdam-Paris-Frankfurt 

golden triangle, a very dense and unique 

production zone in Europe, is a considerable 

asset. No other European region boasts such 

a large number of companies requiring the air 

transport of goods : 73% of European freight 

passes through here. 

The Flexport, the Liege Airport cargo service, 

provides logistics facilities and processes 100% 

dedicated to the medical, pharmaceutical and 

biotechnology industries. In 2020, during the 

global pandemic, Liège Airport was designated 

by the WHO (alongside 7 other airports 

worldwide) as a Hub to distribute vital medical 

equipment. 

The airport also has a special feature : 

facilities 100% dedicated to the transport and 

accommodation of horses and grooms. 3,500 

horses transit through each year. 

The airport’s specialities are express transport, 

live animals, perishable products and 

pharmaceutical products, which amount to 

3,000 tonnes of freight a day. 

Liege Airport was recently awarded 

these prizes : in 2020, ‘Best cargo airport in 

the world’ at the ‘Air Cargo News Awards’. 

In 2021, ‘Best European Airport’ at the 

‘Payload Asia Awards’. 

© Liège Airport

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Central 

page - 05 

The Autonomous Port of Liège and Liège Trilogiport 

As the largest inland port in Belgium and the 

third largest inland port in Europe (19 million 

tonnes of goods in 2022), the Autonomous Port 

of Liège manages 32 port areas. 

The river traffic of the Autonomous Port of Liège 

was 14.5 million tonnes in 2022. Its turnover was 

€5,204,610 in 2022, up 5.5% on 2021. 

It is currently developing a multimodal platform 

called ‘Liège Trilogiport’. Located along the 

Albert canal in Hermalle-sous-Argenteau, it 

is a veritable ‘logistics village’ at the heart of 

Europe. 

Think of the rule of 3 for Liège Trilogiport 

• 3 access routes to the sea 

(Antwerp, Rotterdam and Dunkirk) 

• 3 transport methods (water, rail and road) 

• 3 cross-border markets 

(France, Netherlands and Germany) 

The Liège Trilogiport multimodal platform 

continued to boom in 2022. Today, it has one 

container terminal and five logistics halls, 

spanning a total surface area of 212,600 m². 

9,603 and 13,917 direct and indirect jobs 

are generated by the Liège port complex

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Central 

page - 06 

Motorways 

Six motorway branches allow easy access to 

the Netherlands, Germany, the Grand Duchy of 

Luxembourg and France. 

A very comprehensive road and motorway 

network (E40, E25, E42 and E313) makes it very 

easy to get to Liège or vice versa to go to Paris, 

Lille, Brussels, Antwerp, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, 

Maastricht, Cologne, Aachen, Verviers, 

Ardennes, Luxembourg, etc. 

© ULiège

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Innovative page - 07 

Innovative 

Yesterday 

Cutting-edge sectors : Steel, coal, zinc and mechanics 

Famous inventions : 

· The Marly Machine, the Gramme dynamo, 

· The Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-lits, 

· The Franki piling system, the SS France engines, 

· The Type 12 ‘Atlantic’ Cockerill locomotive 

First coke blast furnace lit in 1826 

Today 

Cutting-edge sectors : Biotechnology, Health, Aerospace, Image, Logistics 

Creative economy – Creative hubs – Investment funds 

La Grand Poste - Venture Lab - Plug R - Leansquare - Wallifornia Music Tech - Noshaq 

Global leaders present in Liège 

Umicore (materials), FN Herstal (arms), Safran Aero Booster (aerospace), EVS (audiovisual), 

Amos (telescopes and space), Eurogentec (biotechnology), Flying-cam (audiovisual), Cefaly- 

Technology (healthcare), John Cockerill, etc. 

© Pixabay

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Innovative page - 08 

Yesterday, 

Liège was already innovating. In the Middle Ages, cast iron was made 

with charcoal and hydroelectric power. Subsequently, the two great 

industrial revolutions — steam around 1800 and electricity around 

1880 — would enable unprecedented economic and industrial 

development in very specific sectors and place Liège at the cutting 

edge of technology. 

Today, 

Liège has embarked on a process of economic diversification that 

has resulted in the creation of significant infrastructure and the 

development of promising economic channels in various cuttingedge 

sectors such as logistics and biotechnology, etc.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Innovative 

page - 09 

YESTERDAY 

Steel 

Liège set itself apart in the middle of the 

industrial revolution. At the beginning of the 

19th century, the Cockerill family wrote the 

pages of the industrial boom’s history : Textile 

machinery builder, William Cockerill, and his 

sons John and Charles-James specialised 

in the production of steam engines and 

then locomotives. In 1826, they built a coke 

blast furnace in Seraing, the first of its kind in 

Belgium. The company’s position at the heart 

of Europe was favouring exportation. 

At the time, Belgium was positioned as the 

second largest global economic power behind 

England. Then, the gross domestic product 

(GDP) of Wallonia alone was greater than that 

of the United States! 

This heavy industry would be a driver for 

the economy and employment. 

Legendary innovations came out of the 

workshops : the fastest locomotive of its 

time (type 12 ‘Atlantic’ model) and the 

exhaust pipes of the SS France ocean 

liner’s engines. 

© Pixabay


page - 10 

© Pixabay 

Coal, zinc 

Liège is a city that has seen many companies 

located from Flémalle to Ougrée, such as 

Cockerill, Angleur-Athus, Ougrée-Marihaye 

and Espérance-Longdoz. Between the late 19th 

century and the early 20th century, steel, coal 

and zinc were industries in which the city was 

at the forefront of progress. 

The S.A. des Mines et Fonderies de Zinc 

de la Vieille-Montagne, a Liège company 

founded in 1837, originated from a 

process invented by Jean-Jacques Dony. 

This enabled zinc to be produced in metal 

state. Owning several establishments 

abroad, it was considered to be the first 

multinational in Europe.


page - 11 

Mechanics 

The mechanical industry developed between 

Herstal and Visé. The Fabrique Nationale, a 

weapons manufacturer, began an intense 

diversification process at the end of the 19th 

century, based on the development of the 

automotive sector, which led it to manufacture 

motor vehicles. 

From 1931 to 1937, the driver René Milhoux 

and his team-mates (Tacheny, Charlier, 

Demeuter, Noir, etc.) broke a staggering 

180 world records in FN motorcycle racing. 

In 1934, he reached the speed of 224 km/h 

on his 500 cc 4-stroke single-cylinder 

motorcycle. The FN motorcycle was then 

the fastest in the world. 

© Val Saint-Lambert 

Glass 

The sector distinguished itself with the 

Cristallerie du Val Saint Lambert. It was founded 

by the chemist François Kemlin and the Ecole 

Polytechnique graduate Auguste Lelièvre. They 

set up in the Val Saint Lambert Abbey. The 

site was rapidly converted into an impressive 

village with 180 dwellings. The crystal factory 

achieved global renown, with 5,000 employees 

making 120,000 unique crystal creations every 

day. 

In the early 20th century, the crystal 

factory made the two largest crystal 

chandeliers in the world (3.5 tons, 13 

metres high). They were intended for 

Maharajah Gwalior’s palace in India. 

Legend has it that the palace’s architect 

had ten elephants brought in to test the 

ceiling’s strength before it was installed. 

© Milhoux Motor Racing


page - 12 

Liège inventors 

Rennequin Sualem 

and ‘The Marly Machine’, a giant pumping 

machine on the Seine, built in 1681. It was 

intended to supply water to the gardens of 

Marly castle and the Versailles grounds. 

Zénobe Gramme 

and the ‘dynamo’ is a significant industrial 

invention used to produce continuous power 

to transform mechanical energy into electrical 

energy. 

© Wagons-Lits Diffusion, Paris 

Georges Nagelmackers 

and ‘the Compagnie Internationale des 

Wagons-lits’ in 1870, at the origin of the famous 

‘Orient Express’ train, among other things. 

© Georges Jarbinet 

Province de Liège - Musée de la Vie Wallonne 

© Pixabay 

Edgard Frankignoul 

and the ‘Franki piling system’ : a soil 

compression system — a concrete pile 

moulded in the ground with an enlarged base 

which bears the name of its creator.


page - 13 

TODAY 

Biotechnology 

Liège has more than 140 Life Sciences 

companies — pioneers in the sectors 

of oncology, cardiology, immunology, 

radiopharmacy and the development of stateof-the-art 

medical tools. It also represents 350 

million euros raised in 2021 and over 4,000 

jobs in the sector. 

In Liège, the medtech sector now accounts for 

more than half the existing companies. 

Liège attracts many healthcare science 

companies because it has major assets : 

the University Hospital and ULiège, as 

well as several tools that depend on them. 

These include the Giga (‘Interdisciplinary 

Group for Applied Genoproteomics ’), a 

unique organisation in Belgium that aims 

for academic excellence in order to create 

revolutionary medical innovations. 

Their research is focused on four pillars : 

cancer and cardiovascular diseases, relating 

to Immunity, Inflammation, Infection and 

Neuroscience. 

Situated in the university hospital on the 

Sart-Tilman campus, the Giga has more 

than 600 scientists (doctors, pharmacists, 

veterinarians, psychologists, molecular 

and cellular biologists, chemists, physicists, 

mathematicians and engineers). The Giga 

supports start-ups and emerging companies 

in its ‘labhotel’, a turnkey space for companies. 

Recently, a link between sleep and 

Alzheimer’s was identified by Giga 

researchers. 

© CHU de Liège 

© Pixabay 

© CHU de Liège


page - 14 

The LégiaPark inaugurated in 2022. An 

economic activity centre dedicated to hosting 

companies active in life sciences. A 5.5 ha 

ecosystem designed to host companies in 

conditions that are ideal for their business. 

Depending on needs, the Legiapark provides 

offices for small and medium-sized companies, 

laboratory modules, sterile rooms and GMP 

(Good Manufacturing Practice) production 

units for healthcare professionals. 

The Liège region also attracts large numbers 

of foreign biotechnology and medical 

technology companies which find the city to 

be a prosperous environment. 

Recently, Allegro, the arthritis expert, moved 

from Antwerp to Liège, and Osivax (universal 

influenza vaccine) and CryoTherapeutics 

(treatment of arteriosclerosis by cryotherapy) 

both set up in Liège. 

© LégiaPark


page - 15 

Companies in the news 

Some examples are : 

Dendrogenix : 

based at the GIGA, the company identified 

original small molecules, ‘Dendrogenins’. 

These act in response to auditory 

degeneration which results in deafness. 

Dendrogenix could eventually market a 

medicine to prevent deafness in 2030. 

Trasis : 

provides instruments and reagents for 

the preparation and administration of 

radiopharmaceutical medicines used 

in nuclear medicine. For seven or eight 

years, it has also become prominent in the 

production of therapeutic compounds to 

treat certain cancers. Trasis had a record 

year in 2022, with a 50% increase in sales. 

EyeD : 

manufactures micro-implants for the 

controlled release of medication. The Liège 

company which specialises in intra-ocular 

implants, has raised 45 million euros. Apart 

from stock market listed companies, this is 

the third largest amount of funds raised in 

the sector in Belgium. 

KitoZyme : 

is the global leader in plant-based chitosan 

production today. 

With its patented bio-polymers, KitoZyme 

designs, manufactures and markets medical 

devices, food supplements and ingredients 

in the fields of weight management, 

digestive and cardiovascular health and 

oenology. 

Osiris : 

is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) 

solution integration platform for medical 

imaging. 

Revatis : 

specialising in regenerative horse medicine, 

it raised just under a million euros in 2022 

and has established a production unit in 

Saudi Arabia to treat Arab thoroughbreds. 

© Pixabay


page - 16 

Aerospace 

and aeronautics 

Aerospace is a cutting-edge sector. More 

than 100 researchers (astrophysicists and 

astronomers) work at the world famous 

Astrophysics Institute. The University of Liège 

is the Belgian leader in the space sector : it is 

the only university in French-speaking Belgium 

to offer a Master’s in Space Sciences and a 

Master’s in Aerospace Civil Engineering. 

The Liège Space Centre is approved by the ESA 

(European Space Agency) to carry out testing 

campaigns in space and to qualify space 

instruments, specifically optical instruments. 

This also includes tests on entire satellites 

(Planck and Aelous recently). Michaël Gillon 

and the Trappist team have consolidated 

this leading position. Their discovery of an 

exoplanetary system around the star Trappist-1 

is considered as a major breakthrough for the 

possibility of detecting traces of life in space. 

Michaël Gillon was named one of the 

100 personalities of the year by Time 

magazine in 2017 and received the ‘NASA 

Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal’ 

in 2018. In 2021, he was voted ‘Walloon of 

the year’ and also received the Francqui 

prize. 

In 2022, an international team of scientists, 

led by Laetitia Delrez, an astrophysicist 

at the University of Liège (ULiège), 

announced the identification of two 

‘super-Earth’ planets. One of them may 

potentially be habitable. 

© Safran - Adrien Daste 

Companies in the news 


Amos : 

specialises in the development of very high 

precision optical, mechanical and optomechanical 

systems, mainly intended 

for export for the space industry and 

professional astronomy. In January 2020, 

AMOS won recognition for being able to take 

breath-taking images of the surface of the 

sun. In 2023, a large telescope designed by 

Amos was installed in India on the site of the 

Mount Abu observatory. 

MPP : 

is active in part inspection in the aerospace 

and other industrial sectors. To remain at 

the cutting edge, the Liège SME works with 

major players in technology, such as London 

Imperial College. 

Safran Aero Boosters : 

supplies more than half of the world’s 

aircraft engine compressors alone. The top 

global company has two subsidiaries in the 

United States and combines the know-how 

of 1,700 talented professionals. 

© ULiège


page - 17 

Production of images 

Liège has always been a city at the forefront of 

the content and audio-visual industry. 

The leading Belgian specialists in digital 

imaging, aerospace or even biomedical 

science are located here. This geographical 

convergence bears no coincidence with some 

of them being world leaders. One of the leading 

companies in this sector is : 

RTBF (Radio Télévision Belge Francophone) 

has a major building in Liège. RTBF Studio 40 

houses Studio 40 (1,200 sqm), one of the largest 

in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and one of 

the most successful in Europe. 

Studio 40 has a 13-metre high 

‘walkable’ grill and produces the famous 

programme ‘The Voice Belgium’, among 

others. 

© EVS 

© L.R. Broadcast 

EVS Broadcast Equipment : established at 

the Sart-Tilman scientific park (Liège Science 

Park), it is the world leader in image digitisation 

and sports slow-motion in particular. The Liège 

company made a turnover of 148.2 million 

euros in 2022. 

In 2023, its offside detection and VAR 

systems were once again certified by 

FIFA (International Association Football 

Federation). 

Le “Pôle image de Liège” (PIL) : the largest 

cluster of Walloon audiovisual companies, 

from digital technology to gaming, etc. 

PIL is developing the largest range of filming 

studios in Wallonia, with 7 sets available for any 

type of production, and a total of 3,000 sqm 

dedicated to shooting, as well as numerous 

related facilities. 

In 2022, Levita set up at the Pôle Image. 

Two Liège magicians, Philippe Bougard 

and Clément Kerstenne launched an 

unusual concept : to highlight prestigious 

objects with levitation. They work for LVMH, 

Dior and Cartier. 

© Pixabay 

Installation pour Dior sur l’Avenue Montaigne à Paris. 

© Benoît Do Quang


page - 18 

In the cinema sector, there are many Liège 

production studios : Versus, Frakas, Tarantula, 

Les films du Carré and Les films du Fleuve 

(studio of directors and producers Jean-Pierre 

and Luc Dardenne, winners of two Palmes d’Or 

at the Cannes Film Festival). 

Recently, these Versus production films won 

prestigious prizes at the César Awards (The 

Night of the 12th) and Magritte Awards (Nobody 

Has To Know, The Night of the 12th, Close). 

Filming in Liège 


Gemini Man with Will Smith at Guillemins 

Station (2019), 

Logistics 

Liège port is a leading logistics facilitator in 

the Liège region. It is particularly well equipped 

in terms of loading, unloading, storage and 

handling of all types of products : construction 

materials, minerals, bulk products, chemicals, 

steel, agricultural and petroleum products, 

general goods and containers. 

Its most recent reports have been better than 

ever. 

It is also meeting the challenges of 

decarbonising goods transport and innovation 

and development in terms of road transport 

alternatives. 

A Bigger World with Cécile de France at 

Liège University Hospital (2019), 

Up for Love with Jean Dujardin and Virginie 

Efira – Guillemins Station (2016), 

Populaire with Romain Duris at the Forum de 

Liège (2012), 

A promise with Rebecca Hall, Alan Rickman 

and Richard Madden at the Opéra Royal de 

Wallonie and Rue des Anglais in Liège (2012), 

Mothers’ Instinct directed by Olivier Masset- 

Depasse was filmed in the Parc de Cointe (9 

awards at the Magrittes) in 2020, 

Bye Bye Morons by Albert Dupontel with 

Virginie Efira (in 2020) 

© PAL - Liege Container Terminal 

Alongside Wallonia and the European Union, 

the Autonomous Port of Liège invested over 15 

million euros in multimodality in 2022-2023 in 

order to strengthen and improve existing Liège 

port infrastructure. 

© Pixabay 

Thanks to these various investments and 

the new rail terminal (bimodal – rail route) 

situated at the Port of Monsin, as well as the four 

multimodal platforms (connected to water, 

rail and road), the Port of Liège is meeting the 

challenges of decarbonising goods transport 

and innovation and development in terms of 

road transport alternatives.


page - 19 

The creative economy 

The creative district of Liège has become a 

great place to live, an essential ecosystem 

for any self-employed person, budding 

entrepreneur or innovative project leader 

looking for structure and support networks. 

Liège has several organisational platforms 

focused on transforming the traditional 

economy into a creative economy and 

collaborative intelligence. These include : 

Noshaq 

financing solutions for company creation and 

growth. Noshaq invests in projects that are 

creating new socio-economic prospects in 

Liège and its region. Noshaq, is a portfolio of 477 

companies and 122 million euros on average 

invested annually over the past 5 years. 

Grand Poste 

It was designed to provide start-ups, 

accelerators, incubators and investment funds 

with all the infrastructure and equipment 

necessary to develop their activities under 

optimal conditions, in an inspiring environment. 

Imec.istart 

is the start-up acceleration programme 

of the Institut de Micro-électronique et 

Composants (Imec) which focuses on nanoelectronic 

research and creates revolutionary 

innovations in fields of application such as 

healthcare, smart cities and mobility, logistics, 

manufacturing and energy. The incubator 

was listed as the ‘best university start-up 

accelerator in the world’ in the ranking drawn 

up by the international body UBI Global. Imec. 

istart opened its first satellite at the Grand 

Poste in Liège. This location is the fruit of a 

strategic partnership between imec.istart and 

the Liège investment fund, Noshaq. 

Leansquare 

a fund investing in digital start-ups. 

Specifically in three fields : business software, 

entertainment and transition. Since 2014, 

Leansquare has invested in fifty start-ups 

(health, e-gaming, music tech and digital 

services). 

© Plug.R


page - 20 


Plug.R 

enables projects to be tested quickly 

to get a clearer idea of the next steps ! 

Networking events, discussion circles, 

individual and collective support provided with 

Eklo’s collaboration to test business ideas and 

enable them to emerge. 

EKLO 

supports entrepreneurs and directors at all 

stages of their projects’ development by 

offering them a comprehensive range of 

services 

Le Relab (Liège FabLab) 

the first digital manufacturing laboratory 

(FabLab) in Wallonia, has adopted the main 

mission of encouraging experimentation 

and collective learning among citizens and 

entrepreneurs. This tool has become essential 

for the creative ecosystem. 

Wallifornia MusicTech 

The first Musictech start-up in Belgium. It is 

supported by a partnership with Universal 

Music. Its aim is to bring together the most 

inspiring figures from the world of music and 

new technologies worldwide.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Cultural page - 21 

Cultural 

A land of celebrities 

Notger, Charlemagne, André Modeste Gretry, Georges Simenon, Dardenne brothers, 

François Walthéry, Jean-Michel Saive, Bouli Lanners... 

Exceptional cultural sites 

Opéra Royal de Wallonie, 

Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège, 

Grand Curtius, 

Maison du Jazz, 

Musée Grétry, 

Forum de Liège, 

Aquarium Muséum, 

B3, 

Théâtre de Liège, 

Archéoforum, 

Musée Boverie, 

Cité Miroir, 

Reflektor... 

City of frescoes 

Over 90 frescoes painted by more than 150 artists 

Culture vouchers 

To facilitate access to culture for young people in Liège 


NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Cultural page - 22 

The open-mindedness of the people of Liège and its multiculturalism, 

rich past and numerous cultural institutions most certainly make it a 

place where ambitions for creation and experimentation can emerge. 

The city has undeniable cultural assets : places that have a story to tell 

and talent to amaze us. 

Its many prestigious institutions host internationally renowned 

performances and exhibitions. The buildings alone are worth a visit. 

When you walk through Liège, you’ll also see the colours of frescoes 

painted by the trendiest artists and unusual places to photograph. 

In short, the city has undeniable assets and talent that give it a unique 

and unforgettable touch.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Cultural 

page - 23 

A land of celebrities 

It is difficult to draw up an exhaustive list of 

all the institutions and people of Liège whose 

names have contributed to the city’s influence. 

These names, among so many others, have 

marked different eras and very different fields : 

Notger 

Prince bishop of Liège (972-1008), who played 

a leading role in the construction, development 

and fortification of the city of Liège. 

Georges Simenon 

the great 20 th century writer whose hometown 

was Liège, was famous for his novels in the 

Maigret series, among others. 

Les frères Dardenne 

Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, two 

brothers who have had an international impact 

on cinema, notably thanks to the Cannes 

Festival. In 1999, they won their first Palme d’Or 

for ‘Rosetta’. The second came in 2005 with the 

film ‘The Son’. They also won the Cannes Grand 

Prix for ‘The Kid with a Bike’ in 2011. 

The comic book universe with Laudec 

(illustrator of Cédric), Walthéry (illustrator of 

Natacha), Batem (illustrator of Marsupilami), 

etc. 

Déborah François 

she made a name for herself in 2005 thanks to 

her breakout role in ‘The Child’ by the Dardenne 

brothers. In 2009, she won the César Award for 

the Most Promising Actress for her role in ‘The 

First Day of the Rest of Your Life’. 

Marie Gillain 

an actress who broke out in ‘My Father the 

Hero’, she subsequently received several 

nominations at the César Awards, a Golden 

Bear in Berlin and the Romy-Schneider Award. 

Since then, she has been prominent on the 

stage and in film. 

Bouli Lanners 

actor, screenwriter and director. ‘Ultranova’, 

his first full-length feature was recognised at 

the Berlin International Film Festival. His career 

as a director has been crowned with success : 

‘The Giants’, ‘The First, the Last’ and recently 

‘Nobody Has to Know’ met with critical and 

popular acclaim. After receiving the César 

Award for Best Supporting Actor in ‘The Night of 

the 12 th ’ , Bouli Lanners won three film Magritte 

awards in 2023. 

André Modeste Grétry 

He composed around fifteen operas and 

over forty comic operas up to 1803. He was 

the master of the genre in France. After being 

Marie-Antoinette’s musical director, after 

the Revolution he became the protégé of 

Napoleon who then made him a Knight of the 

Legion of Honour. 

A little before his death, the famous 

composer Grétry expressed the wish that 

his heart would be given to the city of 

Liège, as proof of the sincere attachment 

he had retained to his native city. It’s in an 

urn on the plinth of his bronze statue, in 

front of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie. 

© Georges Biard 



page - 24 

Exceptional cultural 

locations 

The Opéra Royal de Wallonie 

one of the three main opera houses in Belgium. 

A place of creation, life and exchanges on 

an international scale. It has an Italian-style 

hall with more than 1,000 seats. In addition, 

its stage machinery is perfectly adapted to 

current techniques making it one of the most 

modern theatres in the world ! 

The ORW attracts more than 100,000 

spectators each season. 

Grand Curtius 

This remarkable architectural complex takes 

you on an exciting journey to the heart of 

the museum’s five prestigious collections : 

glass, weapons, archaeology, religious arts, 

Mosan art and decorative arts. There are 

rich testimonies of the first civilisations, 

masterpieces of Mediaeval art, sculptures 

and baroque metalwork, not to mention the 

outstanding Glass and Weapons collections 

that make the Grand Curtius one of the leading 

world museums in this field. 

7,000 years of Liège’s art and history are 

represented by 5,200 objects displayed 

chronologically and thematically. 

© ORW Liège - Lorraine Wauters 

Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège 

The OPRL performs in Liège, in the prestigious 

setting of the Philharmonic Hall (dating 

back to 1887), throughout the country (in 

Antwerp, Brussels, Charleroi, Hasselt, Mons, 

Namur, Saint-Hubert, Saint-Vith, Virton, etc.), 

in major cinemas and at festivals in Europe 

(Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, Spain, Switzerland, 

France, etc.), as well as in Japan and the United 

States. 

The only professional symphonic 

ensemble in French-speaking Belgium. 


Maison du jazz 

which is defined as a centre for documenting, 

performing and promoting jazz. 

Musée Grétry 

This museum, situated in the house where 

Grétry was born, looks back at this illustrious 

artist’s life and work. 

Archéoforum 

located under Place Saint-Lambert, this is one 

of the largest urban archaeological sites in 

Europe (3,725 m²). From Prehistory to the most 

recent periods, each stage in the history of 

Liège is illustrated by archaeological remains, 

which are both movable and immovable. 

© Salle Philharmonique - Stéphane Moureaux 

You can discover the foundations of the old 

Saint-Lambert Cathedral, the remains of 

an old Gallo-Roman villa and the traces of 

ancient prehistoric occupations.


page - 25 

Forum de Liège 

The Forum opened to the public on 30 

September 1922. This legendary performance 

hall has 2,000 seats. The hall is designed 

in an Art Deco style, and is listed as a site of 

exceptional heritage in Wallonia. 

© Cité Miroir - Thierry Lechanteur 

© Debie 

The greats have performed here : 

Jacques Brel, Léo Ferre, Louis Armstrong, 

Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, 

Barbara, Edith Piaf... The Forum is also a 

space where actors from Parisian theatre, 

variety show, and comedians like to 

perform. 

La Boverie Museum 

Both a Museum of Fine Arts and an 

internationally renowned exhibition centre, La 

Boverie hosts unique exhibitions. The Louvre 

Museum, the city of Liège and La Boverie 

Museum collaborate in an exceptional 

partnership, the first of its kind in Europe. 

This eclectic building built in the early 

20 th century is a lasting legacy from the 

1905 World Fair. 

It is amazing to be in the heart of an 

old (empty!) swimming pool to attend 

conferences, shows, debates and 

exhibitions! 

Cité Miroir 

In 2014, the former Sauvenière baths and spas 

became La Cité Miroir. An amazing place of 

education, debate and culture dedicated 

to citizenship, remembrance work and the 

dialogue of cultures. Located in the heart of the 

city, this building impresses with its majestic 

proportions and its Bauhaus style. 

Reflektor 

This concert hall is located next to the former 

Sauvenière swimming pool. With a capacity 

of 600 people, fully furnished and equipped, 

it can host the best discoveries as well as 

international headliners in optimal listening 

and production conditions. 

The Reflektor is a soundproofed former 

bus station. 

© Ville de Liège - Jean-Pierre Ers 

© Dominique Houcmant - Goldo


Aquarium Muséum 

46 pools with nearly 2,500 fish from oceans, 

seas, lakes and rivers around the world. 1,000 

sqm in the Museum’s rooms is dedicated to 

wildlife diversity. 

B3 

A living place for meetings enabling access to 

a multitude of resources that can be borrowed 

or consulted on site. Exchanges and meetings 

take pride of place. You can also take part in 

activities, work, study or just relax there. 

A land of frescoes 

page - 26 

Since 2002, the walls of the city of Liège have 

been open to artistic expression. 

Through the Paliss’art project, the City has 

worked to ensure contemporary art decorates 

its walls. 

Paliss’art has organised over ninety frescoes 

across the Liège region and invited over one 

hundred and fifty artists with very different 

styles, who use a variety of techniques on 

media as varied as construction hoarding, 

gable walls, blind frontages, and electrical 

cabinets... 

In 2019, a mysterious moustachioed 

character appeared on the side gables 

of two buildings on the Quai de la Boverie, 

along the Dérivation canal. 


Théâtre de Liège 

Theatrical centre of the Wallonia Brussels 

Federation and European centre for theatrical 

and choreographic creation. With its 65,000 

spectators and the curtain raised more than 

250 times for 40 to 60 performances each 

season, the Théâtre de Liège is today the 

Leading Stage in Wallonia. 

This first monumental diptych fresco, 

‘l’Homme de la Meuse’ or ‘Man of the 

Meuse’ by Sozyone, covers 1,200 sqm. 

The stage presents shows by major 

Belgian and foreign directors and 

choreographers, with internationally 

renowned actors (Isabelle Huppert, 

Mélanie Laurent, Emmanuelle Béart, Toni 

Servillo, Denis Podalydès, etc.) as well 

as emerging artists, convey the culture 

of today and are ambassadors for 

tomorrow’s culture. 

© Spray Can Arts 

Culture vouchers 

Launched in 2020 by the City of Liège Culture 

Department, the ‘Culture Vouchers’ initiative 

aims to make culture accessible to young 

people in Liège aged 4 to 21. 

The contribution is limited to 100 euros per 

child and per cultural season starting on 1 

September and ending on 31 August of the 

following year. 

© Ville de Liège - Marc Verpoorten 

They may be used for many activities such 

as music, dance or theatre lessons, creative 

workshops, shows and courses.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | In metamorphosis page - 27 

In 

metamorphosis 

Transformations under way 

The tram 

The Coronmeuse eco-district 

Liège Expo 

The redevelopment of Droixhe 

The transformation of motorway E25 into an urban boulevard 

The Transurbaine 

The 15 cycle corridors 

The major transformations already completed 

Museum of Walloon Life 

Sauvenière cinema 

Grand Curtius Museum 


Médiacité 

Opéra royal de Wallonie 

Olympic ice rink 

Théâtre de Liège 

Cité Miroir 

Development of the Meuse quays 


Val Benoit 

Footbridge ‘La belle Liégeoise’ 

Guillemins district 

Trinkhall 

Cité administrative 

Redevelopment of the Bavière site 

Jonfosse swimming pool 


NEXT STOP LIÈGE | In metamorphosis page - 28 

Since 2008, the city of Liège has changed significantly which has 

resulted in the renovation of several iconic sites or the development of 

specific infrastructure. 

Liège is a city that wants to move with its time and respond to the 

major climate, energy and inclusive challenges... So it has dared to 

make major transformations (of its mobility, infrastructure, green 

assets, etc.) to meet the challenges of tomorrow. 

These achievements are structural, iconic and metropolitan because 

they will have effects far beyond the municipal area of Liège.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | In metamorphosis 

page - 29 

Some of the transformations 

that are under way 

© Miysis 


50 hectares of public space developed 

including more than 800 trees planted 

along its route 

The tram 

The tram is a response and a mobility 

solution that will redesign and 

transform the city along its route. 

© Miysis 

The arrival of the tram will : 

• Reduce traffic in the city centre and make it 

more pleasant for locals and visitors. Some 

streets will be pedestrianised; others will 

see the number of traffic lanes reduced. 

• Encourage motorists to leave their cars at the 

ends of the line to reach the centre, thanks to the 

park-and-ride, and thus reduce traffic levels. 

© Miysis 

• Renew 50 hectares of public space for 

pedestrians and cyclists. 

• Make the city more attractive, less 

congested and more peaceful. 

• Link numerous hubs, from Sclessin to 

Coronmeuse and Bressoux-Droixhe, passing 

through the historic heart of the Ardent City. 

© Miysis 

• It will be an essential factor enabling Liège 

and, more broadly, the Liège region, to 

permanently join the club of European cities 

in transition.


page - 30 

The Coronmeuse eco-district 

The development of the Coronmeuse site 

will take full advantage of the arrival of the 

tram with it being one of the final stops. Its 

unique overall design and the housing types 

developed there will enable Coronmeuse to 

develop in full complementarity with other 

major property developments in Liège. 

The site will comprise : 

• 1,325 HQE housing units (low and 

passive energy). One of the essential 

characteristics of the project lies 

in the diversity of its housing types. 

• Personal services : hotel, assisted living 

facilities, nursing and care homes, nurseries, 

community centre, urban vegetable 

gardens, bicycle repair workshop, etc. 

• The 4-hectare Astrid park will be fully 

renovated and will be extended with sports 

facilities and children’s playgrounds. 

• The Grand Palais (surface area of 5,000 sqm 

and over 50 m high) will have its façade and 

roof fully renovated. 


25 hectares of renovations, 1,325 dwellings 

and new links with neighbourhoods 

thanks to the ‘Footbridge of Reflections’ 

inaugurated recently 

© Neo Legia SA


page - 31 

Liège Expo in Bressoux-Droixhe 

Thanks to Liège Expo, a whole new 

neighbourhood will come back to life 

thanks to the MICE sector : Meetings, 

Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions 

The Liège Halles des Foires is leaving 

Coronmeuse to settle on the site of the 

multimodal area of Bressoux, the gateway to 

the city, on the right bank of the Meuse. 

By choosing the multimodal area of Bressoux 

as the project site, the city has chosen to give 

this infrastructure strong symbolism : the 

building will reflect the image of a city, which, 

through the conversion of brownfield sites 

offers a decisive boost, a lever effect to trigger 

investments and real estate development. 

Liège Expo will be dedicated to hosting events 

trade fairs and those aimed at the general 

public, exhibitions, sporting events, seminars or 

congresses, parties, receptions and corporate 

events, etc. 

The transformation of motorway E25 into an 

urban boulevard 

Transforming a motorway into an urban 

boulevard will calm and greenify the 

whole northern part of the city. 

The motorway located along the Meuse in 

Droixhe, between the bridge-dam of Monsin 

and the Atlas bridge will be transformed into 

a landscaped urban boulevard. It will be a 

new structural point of access to the future 

intermodality hub (tram and 750-space P+R 

car park) and Liège Expo (Halles des Foires 

after moving). Cycle corridors will be created, 

and a speed limit will be applied. 


The reclassification of Droixhe 

The arrival of the tram and its 

maintenance centre in the district is a 

significant asset for the reconstruction of 

Droixhe. The creation of new housing will 

also create new quality of life. 

The restructuring of the site will meet two 

challenges : the encounter between habitat 

and architecture and between housing and 

socio-economic development, promoting 

sustainable city construction and quality of life. 

The reclassification project has a major 

objective — social diversity — by offering a 

mix of functions within the district (housing, 

economic areas, associations, etc.) and 

diverse housing supply (public/private, rental/ 

property, various types : apartments, duplexes, 

lofts, adapted accommodation, nursing 

homes, etc.). 

The arrival of the tram and its maintenance 

centre in the district is significant for the 

reconstruction of Droixhe. 

© Miysis 



page - 32 

The Transurbaine 

The 15 cycle corridors 

A new local travel and development 

route Ans – Glain – Fontainebleau – city 

centre – Longdoz – Chênée 

A structural cycle network from the 

Urban Mobility Plan. 

The development of the bicycle requires the 

strengthening and creation of dedicated 

spaces. Mixed circulation in dense traffic 

dissuades many users. 

In addition to the Ravel trails, cycle corridors, 

which are comfortable, safe and mostly on 

proprietary sites, have been identified on 

the Urban Mobility Plan providing a network 

towards the districts, the city centre and the 

neighbouring municipalities. 15 cycle corridors 

will offer a space dedicated to cyclists. 


The Transurbaine is a strong development 

project in terms of mobility, metropolitan 

connections and regional development. 

Complementary and perpendicular to the 

tram line at the bottom of the valley, the 

Transurbaine’s route is Ans – Fontainebleau – 

city centre – right bank – Chênée. 

This route is a priority to accommodate a 

structural method of transport, on its own site, 

constituting a real alternative to the car. It is 

paving the way for the second tram line. 



page - 33 

Some of the transformations already completed 


Museum of Walloon Life 


Sauvenière cinema 


Grand Curtius Museum 




The Trinkhall Museum 

© Adrien Closter 

Opéra Royal de Wallonie 



Olympic ice rink 


Théâtre de Liège


page - 34 

Some of the transformations already completed 


Cité Miroir 


Development of the Meuse quays 



© Jiří Komárek 

Médiacité 

© Adrien Closter 

Footbridge «La belle Liégeoise» 


The redevelopment of the Bavière site 

© Ville de Liège -Maxime Flagothier 

The Cité administrative 


Jonfosse swimming pool

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Remarkable page - 35 

Remarkable 

443 listed monuments in the City of Liège, 

26 of which listed as exceptional heritage 

City of 100 steeples 

10 churches, 6 ‘thousand-year-old’ collegiate churches and 1 cathedral 

One of the 7 wonders of Belgium in Liège 

The baptismal fonts of Saint Bartholomew’s Collegiate Church 

Rich natural heritage 

23 green spaces 

The hillsides of the citadel given three stars in the Michelin Green Guide. 

6 listed parks 

Plan to enhance its green heritage 

The Canopy plan 

Unique 

Air raid shelter, vertiginous staircase, tiny street, all-wooden building 


NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Remarkable page - 36 

Liège is a city of art and heritage! These are extremely diverse and 

broad. This heritage is based on our thousand-year-old history. 

All these sites have their own story to tell. It is essential to respect 

and enhance this testimony to the past for the city’s identity and its 

inhabitants’ sense of belonging. This rich heritage is a major asset for 

tourism and an economic driver that generates jobs. 

Liège also has remarkable natural heritage, including listed parks and 

the hillsides of the Citadel, a haven of greenery in the city centre. 

This green heritage is being enhanced day by day thanks to the 

Canopy Plan which aims to plant 8,000 trees in the public space and 

16,000 trees in the private space by 2030.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Remarkable 

page - 37 

Listed heritage 

More than 11% of all the listed heritage in 

Wallonia is in Liège : 

• 443 monuments or sites in the Liège region 

alone (out of 3,945 properties listed in 

Wallonia) including 26 listed as ‘exceptional 

heritage’ (out of 193 in Wallonia). 

• The six collegiate churches of Liège and Saint 

Paul’s Cathedral, all listed as exceptional 

heritage, are linked together by historical 

and commercial themes. 


Fragnée Bridge 

• Saint Paul’s Cathedral 

• Saint Martin’s Collegiate Church 

• Saint Bartholomew’s Collegiate Church 

• Sainte-Croix Collegiate Church 

• Saint-Denis’s Collegiate Church 

• Saint Jacques Collegiate Church 

• Saint-Jean l’Évangéliste Collegiate Church 

• Organ of the Chapel of Saint-Roch en Volière 

• Church of the Benedictine Abbey 

of la Paix-Notre-Dame 

• Liège City Hall 

• Prince-Bishops’ Palace 

• Perron Fountain 

• The Forum 

• Hôtel d’Ansembourg 

• Hôtel de Hayme de Bomal 

• Grand Curtius Museum 

• Hôtel Torrentius 

• Maison rue des Marêts 

• University Academic Hall 

• Léonie de Waha Highschool 

• Gustave Serrurier-Bovy’s Villa l’Aube 

• Maison Comblen 

• Hôtel de Selys-Longchamps 

• Société littéraire de Liège building 

• Fragnée Bridge 

• Nicolas Schöffer’s Cybernetic Tower 


Société littéraire de Liège building 


Prince-Bishops’ Palace 


Liège City Hall


page - 38 




page - 39 

Perron 

representing Liège’s freedoms, is the symbol 

of the city of Liège. It is listed as exceptional 

heritage of Wallonia. 

The baptismal fonts of 

Saint Bartholomew’s Collegiate Church 

Dating back to the 12 th century, they are a 

real masterpiece of Roman sculpture in both 

aesthetic and technical terms. 

The baptismal fonts come from the Church 

of Notre-Dame-au-Fonts (a small church 

linked to Saint Lambert’s Cathedral). In 1804, 

after the Concordat, they were installed in 

Saint-Bartholomew’s Collegiate Church with 

the cathedral and the Notre-Dame-au-Fonts 

Church having been destroyed. 

© ArsenG 

One of the seven wonders of Belgium 

(established by the General Tourism 

Service) can be found in Liège 


Tour cybernétique 

Nicolas Schöffer’s Cybernetic Tower is the 

latest monument to have received the title of 

exceptional heritage (in 2009). 

This tower is 52 metres high and operates 

using motors activated by an electronic brain. 

Three types of actions are triggered : 

movement, music and lighting. 

Thanks to its in-depth renovation, which 

was completed in 2016, the tower can now 

be controlled via an application or via its 

‘X’ account @cybertower 

© Ville de Liège - Jean-Pierre Ers


page - 40 

Air raid shelter 

Underneath the former baths and thermal 

facilities of La Sauvenière, transformed into 

‘La Cité Miroir’ lies a shelter, a giant of iron 

and steel, capable of accommodating up to 

400 people. It housed a hydrophore pump, a 

power generator and blast resistant doors 

It’s the only air raid shelter listed as 

Walloon heritage. 

Remarkable natural and 

heritage and landscapes 

Besides its exceptional architectural heritage, 

Liège also has remarkable natural heritage 

and landscapes. 

The city has 23 parks, woods and other green 

spaces accessible to the public : 

• Fayenbois Park 

• Cointe municipal park 

• Citadel Park 

• La Boverie Park 

• International Peace Park 

• Avroy Park 

• Saint Léonard Park 

• Botanical Garden Park 

• Sainte-Beuve Park 

• Péralta Park 

• Xhovémont Park 

• Walthère Dewé Park 

• Droixhe Park 

• Les Terrasses des Minimes 

• The Charterhouse 

• Terril du Laveu 

• Vivegnis hillsides 

• Morinval Garden 

• Sainte-Agathe Park 

• Wandre Wood 

• Gilles Demarteau Plain 

• Mangeon Wood 

• Sart-Tilman nature reserve 

Liège has a natural site in the centre of 

the city — The Hillsides of the Citadel. The 

Michelin Green Guide has given the site 

three stars. 

Parc d’Avroy © Ville de Liège - Jean-Pierre Ers 



page - 41 

Parks or green spaces listed as Heritage. 

Here are a few examples of : 

Botanical garden 

created by the University in 1840, the Liège 

Botanical Garden houses its exotic collections 

in Victorian-style greenhouses, a rare Liège 

example of iron and glass architecture. Today 

they are listed. Almost 5,000 plants are on 

display over 1,050 sqm and among them some 

rare and exceptional cycad specimens. 

La Boverie Park 

Located between La Meuse and its diversion 

canal, it was created in the middle of the 18 th 

century and covers 9 hectares. 

The park is home to La Boverie Museum 

which dates back to the World Fair in 

1905. The park offers several different 

ambiences : the scents and colours of 

the rose garden, the playground and the 

aviary. 

The botanical garden park has more 

than 170 species of trees from various 

continents, some dating back to 1841. 



Peralta Park 

Peralta Park is home to the Peralta Castle (14 th 

century). The park contains some remarkable 

species including giant sequoias. 


A plan for green heritage 

Canopy plan 


In 1976, as part of the ‘Rose Festival’, the 

castle and the park hosted François 

Mitterrand and Dalida. 

To limit the exposure of Liège citizens to these 

environmental and health risks, the City of 

Liège launched its Canopy plan in 2020. The 

aim is simple : to plant more than 24,000 trees 

by 2030 to make Liège a greener, more resilient 

and more breathable city by 2050 where life is 

good and healthy. 

In two years, 16% of the 24,000 trees envisaged 

had already been planted.


page - 42 

Unique heritage 

The city of Liège also has special features, 

including : 

A tiny street 

the Rue du Carré is the smallest street in Liège 

(80 cm wide and 50 metres long). It is not 

located in the iconic ‘Carré’ of Liège, but links 

Rue de L’Epée to Rue du Pont. 

The tallest all-wooden building in Benelux 

located on Rue Méan, it is 35 meters high and is 

completely built from wood : framework, walls, 

balconies, stairs and lift shaft. 

A vertiginous staircase 

with its 374 steps and a 30% incline, Bueren 

mountain is recognised as one of the ten 

most extraordinary staircases in the world. 

This is one of the essential sites in the city 

of Liège. A work of art characteristic of 19th 

century thoroughfares, the Bueren mountain 

connected the barracks of the citadel directly 

to the city centre. 



NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Open & Student orientated page - 43 

Open & Student 

orientated 

Committed 

Charters and labels 

Zero waste, zero plastic, Liège against racism, equal opportunities, gender equality, Access-i, etc. 

Student-orientated 

Nearly 100,000 pupils and students in education in the city 

65 primary schools, 12 specidised primary schools, 23 ordinary secondary schools 

6 specialised secondary schools, 13 adult education colleges, 8 university colleges (‘hautes écoles’), 

1 academy... 

ULiège 

Founded in 1817, one of the oldest universities in Belgium 

27,678 students, 123 different nationalities, 11 faculties, 39 bachelor’s courses, 194 master’s courses 

HEC Liège, management school 

First comprehensive Belgian business school (from bachelor’s to PhD) 

3,477 students, 72 different nationalities, 8 fields of research, 11 master’s courses 

© ULiège - O. Moonen

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Open & Student orientated page - 44 

In an ideal location on the major transport routes, Liège is a city which 

has always been home to a great mix of populations. There are 167 

nationalities present. These are active in the rich social fabric. They 

embody the city’s openness to the world. 

Liège is also a committed city that has set itself a goal through charters 

and labels that have a positive effect on community living. 

There are also tens of thousands of students who walk through the 

city’s streets every day. People come from all over for the quality and 

specialisation of its teaching.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Open & Student orientated 

page - 45 

Committed 

Charters and labels are tools that the city 

of Liège acquires in order to anchor its 

commitment in different fields. Fifteen charters 

are now part of the City’s DNA : 

Fair Trade Municipality 

The City of Liège received the title of ‘Fair Trade 

Municipality’ on 9 October 2021 for its work to 

promote and raise awareness of fair trade. 

A few charters and labels in detail : 

Zero waste/zero plastic 

The municipalities ‘Zero waste’ target is to 

achieve under 100 kg of residual waste per 

inhabitant per year. In 2018, the City of Liège 

joined the network of Zero Waste Municipalities 

in Wallonia. Furthermore, in 2019, the Municipal 

Council made the commitment to move 

towards Zero Plastic. 

Liège against racism 

The City of Liège was a pioneer in Belgium by 

creating an alderman’s office for intercultural 

relations in 1995 and by adopting the antiracism 

charter in 1995. In 2017, it also joined 

the campaign initiated by the National 

Development Cooperation Centre to become 

the first city in Wallonia to declare itself a 

sanctuary city, responsible, welcoming and 

open city. 


A well-rounded Square 

The Carré (The Square district) is an important 

showcase for the city of Liège. Known beyond 

our borders for its legendary conviviality, this 

district symbolises a part of the Liège spirit. The 

charter aims to make the area safer and more 

welcoming for everyone so that festivity and 

safety go hand-in-hand. 

Access i 

Access-i is a barometer for accessibility. It 

aims to provide information about the level of 

accessibility according to the needs of seven 

categories of disabled people. 

Access-i enables the level of accessibility 

of a building, site or event in relation to each 

reduction in mobility to be identified at a 

glance. 

Each category of disabled person is identified 

by an icon whose colour varies according to 

the level of accessibility of the space assessed. 

© Pixabay 

In 2014, the Grand Curtius took part as the pilot 

museum for the Access-i label. In 2017, the 

Grand Curtius renewed its adherence to the 

label. At the same time, La Boverie received its 

first certification, as did the Cité Administrative 

in 2023.


page - 46 

© ULiège - B. Brixhe 

Student-orientated 

From nursery school to university, on a daily 

basis, the city of Liège alone welcomes 

more than 100,000 pupils and students in its 

education network. 

All levels combined, Liège municipal education 

has 156 schools, more than 25,000 pupils and 

students, as well as more than 2,500 teachers. 

Some offer intensive language learning 

(English, Dutch and/or German), a sports 

project or active learning (Freinet). 

23 secondary establishments offer very 

varied courses (horticulture, industrial 

and automotive technology, infographics, 

hairdressing and hospitality, etc.). 

© Pixabay


page - 47 

A few specific features 

The Léon Mignon secondary school provides 

four sections, all unique in Belgium : engraving, 

jewellery, horology, fine mechanics and 

armoury. It is the only school to teach armoury 

in French-speaking Europe. 

The Haute Ecole de la Ville de Liège has several 

training categories : economic, paramedical, 

educational, technical and translation/ 

interpreting. It has 25 bachelor’s courses 

including a bachelor’s in orthoptics which is 

unique in French-speaking Belgium. 

The University of Liège is over 200 years old. 

With almost 25,000 students enrolled, it offers 

one of the broadest and most diverse course 

selections in the country. 

The University of Liège makes openness to 

the world one of its priorities. ULiège offers 

exchange programmes for students and 

teachers, as well as joint or multiple degree 

programmes, international or English courses, 

and the strengthening of scientific cooperation 

through strong international partnerships. 

More than 1,500 agreements underpin the 

teaching and research collaboration with 

more than 68 countries. 

Within ULiège, HEC Liège management 

school is part of the group of 130 schools 

with dual accreditation from EQUIS 

(European Quality Improvement System) 

and AACSB (Association to Advance 

Collegiate Schools of Business) worldwide. 

These ‘passports to excellence’ reflect its 

desire to achieve a high level of quality in 

teaching, research and governance. 

The Faculty of Applied Sciences at HEC Liège – 

University of Liège Management School offers 

a ‘Digital Business’ course to obtain the two 

Master’s degrees in IT or IT Civil Engineering 

and a Master’s in Management Engineering in 

3 years of study after the Bachelor’s. 

The school also offers a new dual track Master’s 

degree in Sales Management, the first course 

in Belgium aiming to train sales executives to 

occupy high-level strategic positions. 

With the university colleges (Hautes Ecoles), 

ULiège undoubtedly contributes to the 

attractiveness and international brand image 

of the City, as evidenced by the growing 

number of foreign students, researchers and 

teachers who choose to study or work in Liège. 

© ULiège 

© ULiège - S. Seyen 

Each year in December, more than 1,500 

students gather in the streets of Liège 

to celebrate Saint Nicolas. The dress 

code is a white apron which must bear 

inscriptions.


page - 48 

© ULiège - JL. Wertz 

© ULiège - S. Seyen

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Sports page - 49 

Sports 

Iconic personalities 

In football, tennis, table tennis, sailing and break dance... 

Lots of sports infrastructure 

Swimming pools, football pitches, climbing halls, an Olympic ice rink, a skate park, a ballet school... 

ULiège Sports : more than 70 sports on offer from the university sports’ association. 

Clubs with a prestigious track record 

Bulldogs de Liège, RFC Liege, Liège City Breakers, RFCL Rugby Liège, Standard Liège, Standard 

Fémina, UNL… 

Major sports events 

Liège Bastogne Liège cycling race, jogging, start or finish of the Tour de France, Giro or Vuelta, 

Jumping International de Liège, Meeting International d’Athlétisme (international track and field 

event) 

Sports vouchers for young people 

A policy to support and promote sport 


NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Sports page - 50 

The City of Liège has a large number of facilities dedicated to sports 

and leisure. Clubs are proliferating in a large variety of disciplines : 

indoor and outdoor, individual and team sports. It’s impossible to 

mention all the clubs that are putting Liège’s name at the top of the 

most prestigious lists of winners. 

On clay, lawn, ice and even the seas and oceans, Liège athletes are 

distinguishing themselves in a large variety of categories. Our sports 

people love Liège and the people of Liège are fervent supporters of 

their idols and the clubs they represent. 

There are numerous sports facilities which are renovated and extended 

over time. The Department for Sport and sports facilities place capital 

importance on the playing of sport in their neighbourhoods. Thanks to 

qualified sports instructors, the public department’s takes action on 

a daily basis, everywhere and for all. Along with a financial aid policy 

to encourage involvement in sport, the City provides a playing field 

conducive to skills development and the emergence of talent in the 

sporting world.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Sports 

page - 51 

A few of the sports 

personalities from Liège 

It’s impossible to mention all the sports people 

who fly the Ardent City’s colours high. 

Here are just a few, whose winning 

achievements go beyond these few lines. 

Ysaline Bonaventure is a professional Liège 

tennis player. She has won 12 titles in singles 

and 14 in doubles on the ITF circuit. In doubles, 

she has won two titles on the WTA circuit. In 

singles, she reached the top 100 in the WTA 

rankings for the first time in her career in 2022. 

Sarah Bovy entered Belgian motor sports 

history in December 2023, by becoming the 

first woman to be voted Driver of the Year. 

This 34-year-old woman from Liège is now 

considered to be the champion Belgian driver 

by the Belgian Royal Automobile Club. 

Maxime Carabin has accumulated victories 

and records in para-athletics. He is the Europe 

record holder for 100 m and world record 

holder for 200 m and 400 m in a wheelchair 

(T52 class), and this athlete from RFC Liège 

has just won Gold medals in 100 m and 400 m 

in the World Para-Athletics Championships in 

Paris. By doing so, he earned his ticket for his 

ultimate goal : the Paris Olympics. 

Nacer Chadli is a footballer from Liège who 

took part in his first international competition in 

the 2014 World Cup when the Belgians bowed 

out in the quarter finals against Argentina. He 

played in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. His 

stoppage time winning goal propelled Belgium 

into the quarter final. He has also played for 

prestigious clubs such as Tottenham Hotspur 

and West Bromwich Albion. 

Jean Michel Saive is a table tennis player and 

world number one for several years. He holds 

the record for the most Belgian championship 

titles. His awards are : 130 medals (51 gold, 

41 bronze and 38 silver) in international 

competitions. He is a flagbearer for the national 

sport. 

David Goffin is a tennis player who has won 

four singles tournaments on the ATP circuit 

and reached two Grand Slam quarter finals at 

Roland Garros in 2016 and the Australian Open 

in 2017, the year when he reached the Masters 

final having beaten Rafael Nadal and Roger 

Federer, world numbers 1 and 2 respectively. He 

was 7th in the ATP global rankings in 2017. 

Hendrickx Ntela a Liège dancer who finished in 

the top 16 of the largest street dance battle in 

the world in November 2023. 

Nafissatou Thiam is an adoptive citizen 

of Liège who holds the city dear. At the Rio 

Olympics in 2016, she achieved the best global 

performance in the heptathlon high jump and 

won the shot put. The next day, she beat her 

personal records in long jump (6.58 m) and 

javelin throwing (53.13 m). She won the Olympic 

gold medal. In 2018, she was Olympic, world 

and European champion at the same time. 

© Erik van Leeuwen 

Jonas Gerckens is a skipper from Liège. In 2018, 

he finished the Route du Rhum beating the 

2014 Belgian record held by Michel Kleinjans. 

His achievements in 2021 were impressive : 4th 

in the Transat Jacques Vabre, World Sailing 

Bronze Medal, Eurosaf Silver Medal, Champion 

of the Giro d’Italia. His current challenge is to 

take part in the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 

2028. 

Axel Witsel is a footballer from Liège. At the 

start of the 2008/2009 season, he achieved 

phenomenal performance with Standard 

Liège. He then totalled 130 appearances and 

12 goals for the Red Devils. In his international 

career, he has played for Zenit Saint Petersburg, 

Tianjin Tianhai, Borussia Dortmund and Atlético 

Madrid.


page - 52 

Lots of sports infrastructure 

5 sports complexes 

Grivegnée – Outremeuse – Rocourt 

Sart Tilman – Naimette-Xhovémont. 

4 sports fields 

Plaine Clajot – Plaine de Cointe 

Plaine de Péville – Plaine Comhaire 

5 multi-sports halls 

Angleur – Bressoux – Constitution 

Grivegnée – Rocourt 

4 sports halls 

Outremeuse – Sainte-Walburge 

Des Argilières – Cointe 

2 gyms 

Salle des Coudriers – Salle de Clajot 

4 swimming pools 

Grivegnée – Jonfosse 

Outremeuse – Sart Tilman 

1 ice rink 

Médiacité 

11 football pitches 

UCE Grivegnée – RUS Goldstar 

RJS Chênéenne – FC Jupille 

CS Sart-Tilman – JS Pierreuse 

ACS Marocaine – RFC Croatia Wandre 

RDC Cointe – JS Thier - RUS Wandrusienne 

1 water sports building 

La Boverie 

3 climbing halls 

Saint-Léonard – Vennes (2) 

1 Skate park 

Cointe 

1 ballet school 

Place Saint-Paul 

2 golf courses 

Bernalmont, Sart Tilman 

© Pixabay


page - 53 

Some of these facilities 

in detail 

Standard Stadium : Maurice-Dufrasne 

Stadium or Sclessin Stadium, which hosts 

Standard Liège’s home matches, is situated 

near the ArcelorMittal steelworks along the 

Meuse. The stadium is commonly referred to 

as ‘Sclessin’s Hell’ due to the passion of the 

supporters who gather there to show their 

support for the players. It has a capacity of 

27,670 seats. 

Skate park : Situated on the heights of the city, 

this location surrounded by greenery is home 

to one of the most incredible Skate Parks in 

Belgium. 

© Pierre Forlin, PG Design 

Olympic ice rink : Situated just next to the 

Mediacité shopping centre. It’s the second 

largest Olympic ice rink in Belgium, the 

stronghold of the ‘Bulldogs de Liège’ ice hockey 

team and the CPLA (artistic ice skating). The 

only ice rink in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation 

to have facilities spanning 4,500 m² of which a 

1,800 m² ice rink and heated stands with 1,250 

seats.. 

Sart Tilman Sports Centres : They are above 

all intended for University of Liège students and 

students at the university colleges (Hautes- 

Ecoles) Beeckman and Charlemagne as part 

of their Physiotherapy and Physical Education 

training. They comprise halls for gymnastics 

and trampolining, martial arts and dance, a 

swimming pool, an athletics track, 4 squash 

courts, 6 tennis courts... in short, comprehensive 

facilities for optimal training in over 70 different 

sports. 

Province Naimette Arena Complex : Founded 

in 1995 and fully renovated in 2022, the complex 

enables the RFC Liège athletics and rugby 

sections to train under optimal conditions. 

Major events are also organised there such 

as the Meeting International d’Athlétisme. The 

athletics track saw no fewer than three athletes 

with multiple medals (including the Olympics) : 

Nafissatou Thiam, Roger Habsch and Maxime 

Carabin. 

© L.R. Broadcast 

Jonfosse, Outremeuse and Grivegnée 

municipal swimming pools : There are three 

municipal swimming pools in Liège. The latter 

are and will be at the forefront of technology 

to meet tomorrow’s energy challenges. The 

Jonfosse swimming pool (inaugurated in 

2020), the Grivegnée swimming pool and the 

Outremeuse sports centre (undergoing a full 

renovation). 

Uliege © GlobalView 

© Ville de Liège - Jean-Pierre Ers


page - 54 

Mosa Ballet School : The Mosa Ballet School 

opened its doors in 2022 in Liège with a 

hundred Belgian and foreign pupils preparing 

for intense ballet training. This atypical 

establishment was founded by two dance 

enthusiasts who wanted to establish a school 

that would offer young dancers aged 12 to 18 

the possibility to train at the highest level of 

this demanding and delicate art. Mosa Ballet 

School has the ambition to become one of the 

best dance schools in the world. 

The Mosa Ballet School offers adapted and 

inclusive dance training for people with a 

motor and mental disability. 

Standard Femina : is the Belgian women’s 

football club with the most titles in Belgium : 

20 Belgian Champion titles, 9 Belgian Cups, 7 

Belgian Super Cups and 2 BeNe SuperCups. 

Liège City Breakers : a collective that 

gives break dance lessons and organises 

international competitions in the discipline 

bringing together the best dancers in the world. 

© Liège City Breakers 

UNL : A rowing club founded in 1873, the Union 

Nautique de Liège is located at the tip of 

La Boverie part, between the Meuse and its 

diversion canal. It benefits from access to both 

the canal, which is reserved for rowing and the 

Liège Meuse river which also accommodates 

motorboats. The club has 150 years of 

experience and won 32 medals and awards. 

© Mosa Ballet School 

A few of the great sports 

clubs in Liège 

The Standard Liège : is in the Jupiler Pro League. 

It also includes a women’s section. The club is 

the fourth in the country in terms of national 

wins (10 Belgian champion titles). 

© UNP


page - 55 

Sports club family ‘red and blue’ : 

Bulldogs de Liège : is a Belgian ice hockey club 

located at Liège ice rink. In 2023, the club won 

a historic quadruple title : Bene League, Belgian 

Cup, Belgian Championship and Inter Regio 

Cup. 

RFCL Athlétisme : the athletics section of 

the Liège Royal Football Club de Liège is an 

athletics club based in Liège. It is the club 

with the most titles in Belgian athletics. It has 

around 800 active members and is therefore 

the second largest club in the Wallonia- 

Brussels Federation. 

© Bulldogs de Liège © RFCL Athlétisme 

RFC Liège Football : it was the first Belgian 

champion in history in 1896 and has a total 

of five champion’s titles, a Belgian cup and a 

Ligue Pro cup. It’s the oldest French-speaking 

club. In the 2023-2024 season, the club moved 

up to the Challenger Pro League (D1B). 

Liège Mosan Natation : as the oldest swimming 

club in the Liège region, it supports more than 

1,000 swimmers in their training for high-level 

competitions. 

Liege Mosan Natation © Tiziano Tellatin Photography 

© RFC Liège 

RFCL Rugby Liège : founded in 1958, the RFCL 

Rugby Liège is the third oldest rugby club in 

the country and the doyen of Walloon clubs. It 

has actively contributed to the development of 

rugby at the heart of the Ardent City and in the 

Liège region for over 60 years. 

Liège Panthers : is a Belgian Division 1 women’s 

basketball club. 

RSW Liège Basket : Liège became the first 

Belgian basketball club to compete in the 

European North Basketball League. The Liège 

team reached the semi-finals of the Belgian 

Cup but finished 9th in the BNXT League, with 

only Brussels behind it. 

RFCL Rugby Liège © AR Pictures 

© RSW Liège Basket


page - 56 

Major events 

One of the 5 most prestigious global cycling 

events takes place in Liège : Liège-Bastogne- 

Liège. Established in 1892, it is one of the oldest 

cycling races still running, which has earnt it 

the nickname of ‘Doyenne’. Since 2017, Liège 

Bastogne Liège also has a ‘Women’s’ version 

which enables cyclists to show off their talent. 

Liège also hosts the Jumping International de 

Liège, an unmissable competition for a great 

many riders, whether they are amateurs or 

professionals, and the Meeting International 

de Liège (Athletics) which features the 

greatest Belgian and international athletics 

stars. 

The City of Liège has regularly hosted the starts 

or finishes of the Giro, the Vuelta and the Tour 

de France. Two ‘Grand Starts’ of the Tour have 

taken place in Liège (in 2004 and 2012). 

© Ville de Liège - Emilie Denis 

In 2024, Liège will be the finishing town of one 

of the stages in the women’s Tour de France. 

Many running races also attract entrants from 

all over Belgium, the Netherlands, France and 

Germany. These races include the famous 

Woman’s Race which is the most major 

all-women’s race in Belgium. Over 2,000 

participants aim to raise funds for positive 

initiatives to fight women’s cancers. The race 

starts at Guillemins Station over 3, 6, 9 or 12 km. 

© Marc Daine 

Sports vouchers for 

young people 

The City of Liège and Liège Sport run the ‘City of 

Liège sports vouchers’ scheme. 

It consists of distributing vouchers to enable 

as many young people as possible to access 

sports. 

This financial subsidy is essential for young 

people in Liège and their families. Vouchers 

relieve families’ budgets and enable children 

to start a supervised sporting activity. 

Sports for all is one of the spearheads of the 

policy led by the City.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Gourmet & Bustling page - 57 

Gourmet 

& Bustling 

City of events 

The Batte : the longest market in Europe, the oldest in Belgium 

The Liège Fair : the oldest fair in Belgium 

Liège, Christmas city : the largest Christmas market in Belgium 

Les Ardentes festival : the largest urban music festival in Europe 

Commercial and pedestrianised 

Largest pedestrian network in Wallonia (6 km) 

Leading Walloon city in terms of commercial appeal 

1,200 shops over an area of 150,000 m2 

200,000 visitors a week to Rue Vinâve d’Ile 

Model city in local food projects 

The Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise, Creafarm, local produce logistics hub, etc. 

Culinary city 

Succulent specialities : meatballs and fries, Liège salad, pèkèt, waffles, etc. 


NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Gourmet & Bustling page - 58 

Liège is a city that comes alive through its events, its gastronomy and 

its local shops. 

The warm welcome is often what first-time visitors to the metropolitan 

area of Liège remember. Whether on one of the pleasant terraces 

of Place du Marché, Place Cathédrale or Place des Carmes, on its 

many pedestrian streets or in the heart of the famous Carré district, 

conviviality is the city’s hallmark. 

You always find something to do, an event to enjoy or a project to 

discover.

NEXT STOP LIÈGE | Gourmet & Bustling 

page - 59 

A festive city of events 

Liège is a bustling city that never sleeps. Its 

many festive events and warm welcome 

create its special charm. These events include 

(non-exhaustive list) : 

La Batte 

Europe’s longest market offers an explosion of 

colours and flavours every Sunday morning. 

Stalls brimming with fruits, vegetables, cheese, 

clothes, flowers and books create a vibrant 

atmosphere. The alleyways become the 

scene of lively exchanges, fusing cultures and 

languages. It’s much more than a market, it’s a 

weekly celebration. 

With its 4-5 million annual visitors, the 

Batte is one of the largest markets in 

Europe and the oldest in Belgium. 


Liège Fair or October Fair 

with its atmosphere, fragrances, shimmering 

lights and picturesque characters is etched 

on every Liège resident’s memory. With its 160 

attractions, it is one of the three major fairs 

in Belgium. At the heart of the city, extended 

over more than one kilometre, the Liège Fair 

welcomes nearly 1.5 million visitors every 

year! You can savour the famous lacquemant 

waffles there, covered in a sweet syrup with a 

closely guarded recipe. 

The Liège Fair was founded in 1594 

and is the oldest Belgian fair. 


Le Carré 

We couldn’t talk about the city’s festive nature 

without mentioning its famous ‘Carré’. A 

neighbourhood of festivities, its pedestrian 

streets were designed in the Middle Ages 

based on a square layout, with parallel and 

perpendicular streets. Rue de la Casquette, Rue 

St Adalbert, Rue du Mouton Blanc (‘White Sheep 

Road’), Rue du Pot d’Or (‘Golden Pot Street’), 

Rue Tête de Bœuf (‘Cow’s Head Street’)… all 

await you with shops, taverns, bars and cafés 

side by side. It’s an unmissable destination for 

festive young students and old veterans. 




page - 60 

The 15 August festivities 

bring together all of Liège’s inhabitants for 

several days of celebrations. Over a week, 

dozens of activities are planned : flea markets, 

concerts, games, fairs and of course masses 

and folk processions. Tchantchès and Nanèsse 

(iconic characters from folklore) are honoured 

and celebrated each year, like other Giants of 

culture and folklore from Liège who parade on 

the day. 


Liège, Christmas city 

the dynamic ‘Liège, Christmas City’ has rich 

offerings : ice skating, European Circus Festival 

and Noelies de Liège, a Christmas village. This 

Liège ‘Christmas Village’ (because it is a real 

village with a Mayor, aldermen and councillors) 

has become, due to its size, its duration and its 

spirit, the most important Christmas market in 

Belgium. 

The Christmas Village has 200 chalets 

and attracts two million people each 

year. In 2018, the City of Liège was named 

‘European Christmas Capital’. 


Beer Lover’s Festival 

the festival welcomes between 12,000 and 

15,000 people in May. Hundreds of craft beers 

from the best Belgian and foreign breweries 

can be appreciated there. 

Liège International Comedy Film Festival 

Since 2016, it brings together a large and plural 

audience around comedy, in all its forms. The 

festival leaves traces in the Rue Pont d’Avroy 

with its European Walk of Fame. Discover the 

stars dedicated to Dany Boon, Frank Dubosc, 

Karin Viard... 

Festival of Liège 

each edition brings together more than 15,000 

spectators and it has gained a reputation 

that goes far beyond the borders of Belgium. 

Championing a committed conception of 

theatre, dance and music, the Festival of Liège 

adopts singular approaches to art. 


© Dominique Houcmant - Goldo


page - 61 

Les Épicuriales 

a gastronomic promenade where one strolls 

from restaurant to restaurant which brings 

together more than 20,000 visitors in La Boverie 

park to taste all manner of flavours. 

International Jazz Festival 

Jazz lovers have been coming together for 

over 30 years. It welcomed 12,000 people in 

2023, with Diana Krall as headliner. 

© Bojin 

Gaul Village 

a location that gives pride of place to 

traditional French and Walloon products and 

attracts thousands of visitors every year. 

Retrouvailles 

The event for visitors looking for active leisure 

activities. 35,000 visitors are expected every 

year. 

© Ville de Liège - Marc Verpoorten © Ville de Liège - Jean-Pierre Ers


page - 62 

Festival Les Ardentes 

‘Les Ardentes’ is the name of a music festival 

that takes place at the beginning of July in 

Liège. Originally subtitled electro-rock, the 

festival soon opened up to all kinds of music : 

pop, rock, electronic music, as well as hip-hop 

and even jazz, before essentially becoming a 

Hip Hop and urban music festival from 2018. 

It attracted 60,000 visitors a day in 

2023 with Travis Scott at the top of the 

bill. 

© Ville de Liège - Maxime Flagothier © Ville de Liège - Maxime Flagothier 



page - 63 

A shopping city 

Pedestrian city 

The hypercentre is the top pedestrian network 

in Wallonia with 1,200 points of sale or services 

in business. 

Vinâve d’Ile is the third busiest shopping street 

in Belgium with over 200,000 visitors per week. 




Liège city centre is pedestrian friendly. Just like 

other European cities, Liège has an impressive 

heritage of special spaces where only 

pedestrians are allowed. 


Beyond the city centre, the main shopping hub, 

three large galleries are established in the near 

outskirts : 

• Médiacité (45,000 sqm) 

• Cora-Rocourt (75,000 sqm) 

• Belle-Ile (30,500 sqm) 

Overall, a little under 5,000 retailers 

(500,000 m² in shopping surface area) 

make Liège the largest shopping city in 

Wallonia. 

The City of Liège has more than 60 pedestrian 

streets and the intention is to increase this 

number over the next 5 years. In Liège, there 

are more than 44 km of pedestrian routes : 

including more than 6 km of traditional 

pedestrian streets. For example, 1,700,000 

pedestrians a year go over the Saucy 

Footbridge to get from one bank of the city to 

the other. 

Walking is the most commonly used method of 

travel in Liège. It accounts for 40% of journeys. 

The first pedestrian shopping area in Liège, 

Passage Lemonnier, dates back to 1839 but the 

first transformation of a Liège shopping street 

accessible to cars into a pedestrian precinct 

was Rue Neuvice in 1965. This makes the Liège 

pedestrian area the oldest in Belgium.


Local food projects 

Liège is above all a model city in terms of 

local agricultural projects. A whole host of 

initiatives exist to eat locally, healthily and in an 

environmentally-friendly way. Here are a few 

of them : 

page - 64 

City of succulent specialities 

Unique in the world! A Liège brewery 

(Brasserie C) recently launched a waffle 

beer : the ‘gaufrée’. 

The Ceinture Aliment-Terre Liégeoise : a 

project recognised for rallying the driving 

forces of the Liège region to support the 

development of a local supply and ecological 

food sector that generates high-quality jobs. 

The Creafarm project : a project that aims 

to encourage the development of urban 

agriculture projects in Liège by providing 

municipal land. 

Court-circuit : a market of produce grown 

locally. 

La MAdiL : this ‘Maison de l’Alimentation durable 

et inclusive de Liège’ or sustainable and 

inclusive food centre aims to raise awareness 

among citizens of the Liège conurbation to 

the challenges and benefits of healthier, more 

sustainable food that is accessible to all. 

Across 3,000 sqm, the filling of jars 

with local produce is developing on the 

Bressoux Droixhe site. These activities will 

supply local organisations such as school 

canteens or hotels, restaurants and cafés. 


Liège is a city of a thousand flavours. Its 

gastronomy mirrors its heritage : rich and 

convivial. Any visit to Liège must include a 

‘meatball and fries (speciality made from 

large minced meat balls). It’s one of the most 

popular dishes. 

There are also other specialities including 

salade liégeoise (green beans, potatoes and 

bacon bits), boukêtes (thick pancake), Liège 

cordial (apple/pear cordial), lacquemant 

(orange blossom flavoured sugar syrup waffle), 

not to mention the famous Liège waffles. 


Discover the many speciality breweries and 

cafés brought together under the Liège 

BeerLover’s city label. Another essential drink is 

pèkèt or juniper alcohol which can be tasted 

pure or flavoured. There are dozens of flavours!


Managing editor : Jean-François Leblanc 

Editor : © Joëlle Saive | Formatting : © Maxime Flagothier 

City of Liège 

Strategy and Development Division | Communication Department 

5, Potiérue - 4000 Liège

Liège 

A city, a spirit.

Next Stop Liege EN

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