Page 222 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

220  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

1 Liège

A busy port-city straddling the River Meuse, Liège has a
20th-century industrial air peppered with medieval and Baroque
exuberance. It is known as La Cité Ardent (The Hot-Blooded
City), a reference to its fractious history as part of the fiercely
independent Principality of Liège. The Coeur Historique (Historic
Heart) of the city lies to the north of the River Meuse, around the
parallel roads Féronstrée and Rue Hors-Château. Tiny dead-end
alleys called Impasses thread north from here, and steps climb up
to the old Citadelle, with its panoramic views and interesting hill
walks. The Place St-Lambert is the city’s main square, overlooked
by the Palais des Princes-Évêques. A modern commercial area lies Display at the Musée des Beaux-Arts de
to its southwest, which is served by the Gare du Palais train station. Liège (BAL)
prince-bishops, a pine cone and
P Place St-Lambert foundations, some Roman remains cross. Nearby, the elegant red
Junction of Rue Joffre and Rue and a history of the city can be Hôtel de Ville dates from 1718.
Léopold. Palais des Princes-Évêques: seen at Archéoforum, a subterran- Its beautiful Italianate entrance
Open 10am–6pm Mon–Sun. ean museum under the square. hall has a balcony supported by
Archéoforum: Tel (04) 2509370. expressive wood sculptures of
Open 9am–5pm Tue–Fri, 10am–5pm P Le Perron classical gods.
Sat & Sun. Closed Mon & Sun. & 8 Hôtel de Ville, Place du Marché 2.
= ∑ archeoforum A symbol of civic liberty in E Musée de la Vie Wallonne
deliege.be
the principality, Le Perron Cour des Mineurs 1. Tel (04) 2379060.
The vast central square of is a large stone pillared Open 9:30am–6pm Tue–Sun. Closed
Liège, Place St-Lambert, is monument with fountains 1 Jan, 2nd week in Jan, 1 May, 1 Nov &
dominated by Palais des and balustrades, topped 25 Dec. & 9 = ∑ province
Princes-Évêques (Palace by a single column. The first deliege.be/viewwallonne
of the Prince-Bishops), perrons date from the 11th One of the best folklore and local
a mainly 18th-century century, when town guilds history museums in the country,
building in Neo-Classical bought liberties from the Musée de la Vie Wallonne
style. It now houses the their rulers, and laws (Museum of Walloon Life) is
Palace of Justice and other and judgements were housed in a former convent,
govern ment offices, but announ ced in front of which was recently modernized.
visitors can explore its Carving atop them. The association The courtyard is in the austere
16th-century Renais sance Le Perron of Le Perron with Liège’s style of late 17th-century Mosan
courtyard, which has independence was so (that is, of the Meuse)
not able relief sculp tures on the strong that when Charles the architecture, while the interior
columns. The square was the site Bold suppressed the city’s provides a fascinating tour of
of the huge Cathédrale St-Lambert, rebellion in 1468, he took the daily life in this region until the
a major pilgrimage centre built column back to Bruges. It was recent past. The large collection
in honour of St Lambert of not restored till his death. The features historic crafts and indus-
Maastricht, who was murdered cur rent monument is from the tries, furniture and dom estic
here in AD 705. Liégoise revolution- late 17th century, and is crown- wares, religious fetishes and
aries des troy ed the cathedral ed by the Three Graces and the medical equipment, as well as
between 1794 and 1803, but its symbol of the authority of the antique posters, old photographs
that can be seen through antique
stereoscopes, and some splendid
oddities such as a real guillotine,
which was last used in 1824.
E Musée des Beaux-Arts
de Liège (BAL)
Ilôt St-Georges Féronstrée 86. Tel (04)
2219231. Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sun.
Closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 1, 2 & 11 Nov, 25
Dec. & 8 = ∑ beauxartsliege.be
Spiralling floors in a 1970s
building display the permanent
collection of the Musée des
The elegant façade behind Hôtel de Ville in Liège’s Coeur Historique Beaux-Arts de Liège, containing
For hotels and restaurants see pp270–71 and pp290–91

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