Page 224 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

222  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

Exploring Liège  Aquarium-Muséum
Quai Van­Beneden 22. Tel (04)
South of the Coeur Historique, the commercial heart of Liège 3665021. Open 9am–5pm Mon–Fri,
is clustered around two fine churches, the Cathédrale St-Paul 10am–6pm Sat, Sun & public holidays;
Jul & Aug: 10am–6pm daily. & 7
and Église St-Jacques. Further south is the city’s prestigous = ∑ aquarium-museum.ulg.ac.be
architectural project, the Gare de Liège-Guillemins. Bridges This excellent aquarium has
across the River Meuse lead eastwards to the Outremeuse marine and fresh water crea tures
district, which is actually an island formed by a split in the from all over the world, with
river at its confluence with the River Ourthe. This is an area 2,500 speci mens in 46 tanks.
with its own accent and traditions and was once the haunt The museum holds a col lec tion
of the author Georges Simenon. The annual Festival of the of 20,000 stuffed animals and
skeletons. Both sets of exhibits
République Libre d’Outremeuse held in August, is an belong to the Université de
expression of its independent spirit. There are a number Liège and were founded in
of interesting museums on the island and to its east. the 19th cen tury; hence their
location in a 19th­century
Neo­Classical building.
St Lambert, with St George
standing behind him. E Musée Tchantchès
Rue Surlet 56. Tel (04) 3427575.
R Église St-Jacques Open Sep–Jun: 2–6pm Tue & Thu;
Place St­Jacques. Tel (04) 2221441. Oct–Apr: 10:30am Sun, 2:30pm Wed
Open 10am–noon Mon–Fri, 9am–noon (performances). & ∑ tchantches.eu
Sat & Sun. 5 4:30pm Sat, 11am Sun. The vibrant mascot of Liège,
8 10am–noon, 2–6pm Mon–Fri (5pm Tchantchès is an irreverent,
Mar & Oct), 10am–noon, 2–4:30pm freedom­loving and coura g eous
Sat, 2–6pm Sun (5pm Mar & Oct). lover of pékèt (jenever gin) who
The best church in Liège, the is said to embody the typical
Église St­Jacques still has its characteristics of the Liégeois.
original Romanesque narthex, or He is usually depicted as a
portico, at its western end. The pup pet dressed in tradi tional
rest of the church is a tri umph of costume. The original legend
Flamboyant Gothic, built places him in Charlemagne’s
between 1514 and 1538, with a era. Born between the paving
Graceful Gothic vaulting spanning the nave wonderful ceiling of inter laced stones of the Outremeuse in
of the Cathédrale St-Paul vaulting high above the nave. AD 760, he served the emperor
The 17th­century statues of the val iantly and chaotically, with
R Cathédrale St-Paul saints lining the nave are his large nose as his sole
Place Cathédrale. Tel (04) 2326131. painted limewood, carved by weapon. His love of boasting is
Open 8am–5pm daily. & 9 7 Liège’s most celebrated sculp tor habit ually crushed by his
= ∑ tresordeliege.be Jean Del Cour. The intense equally colour ful wife, Nanèsse.
Treasury: Open 2–5pm Tue–Sun. clusters of architectural detail, The small museum devoted to
This grand though austere combined with 19th­century Tchantchès has costumes, pup­
church was built over six Neo­Gothic decor a tion, create a pets and memorabilia, with a
centuries, beginning in the rich and uplifting impact. theatre for puppet shows.
13th century. It was promoted
to its high status fol lowing the
destruc tion of the Cathedral of
St Lambert in 1794. Its real attrac­
tion is the treasury in the cloister.
This contains ela borate pieces of
the Mosan school in gold, silver,
ivory and enamel. Its supreme
trea sure is the huge Reliquary
of St Lambert – created in about
1512, it is a silver­and­gold bust
of the saint and contains his skull.
Equally spec tac ular is the
Reliquary of Charles the Bold,
which was donated to the city by
the duke in 1471. Two statues in
gold, sil ver and enamel depict
Charles holding a relic of The puppet theatre and costume display at Musée Tchantchès
For hotels and restaurants see pp270–71 and pp290–91

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.7)
Date 1st October 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm