BE
Liege
A down-to-earth Walloon city on the Meuse, with a long staircase, a striking station and a Sunday market
A down-to-earth Walloon city on the Meuse, with a long staircase, a striking station and a Sunday market
A straight staircase of 374 steps, built in 1881, climbs from the old town to the citadel hill. The view from the top takes in the city and the Meuse valley.
Photo: FriedrichFrisch, CC BY-SA 4.0
Designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 2009, the station has a vast white roof of steel and glass. High-speed trains stop here.
Photo: Choinowski, CC BY-SA 4.0
The former residence of Liège’s prince-bishops, on Place Saint-Lambert, has a large courtyard surrounded by arcades with carved columns. It now houses courts.
Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY-SA 4.0
Every Sunday morning, a long market stretches along the Meuse quays, selling food, clothes, plants and household goods.
Photo: Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 4.0
An art museum in a park on an island between the Meuse and a canal, opened in 2016, with fine art collections and large temporary exhibitions.
Photo: John Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Liège is famous for its waffles, made with pearl sugar. Also try boulets à la liégeoise (meatballs in a sweet-sour sauce made with Liège syrup), salade liégeoise (green beans, potatoes and bacon) and pékét (a local gin).
The Carré district has many bars and restaurants.
Liège-Guillemins has trains from Brussels (about 1 hour) and high-speed trains to Germany. Maastricht and Aachen are close by.
The centre is about 20–30 minutes’ walk or a short bus ride from the station. Belgium is in the Schengen area. Non-EU visitors are registered in the EU Entry/Exit System on arrival, and visa-exempt travellers will need an ETIAS travel authorisation once it launches, expected from late 2026. Check current rules before you travel.
Belgium uses the euro. Prices are similar to neighbouring France and the Netherlands; trains are good value, especially with weekend or multi-trip tickets. Liège is generally cheaper than Brussels and Bruges.
Prices are approximate.
Steps, squares and the Meuse.
Start at the Prince-Bishops’ Palace, climb the Montagne de Bueren and visit the Grand Curtius museum.
On a Sunday, walk through La Batte market, then cross to La Boverie and finish at Liège-Guillemins.
🛂 Entry rules: EES and ETIAS
Belgium is in the Schengen area, which has two EU border systems for non-EU visitors.
EES (in force): since 10 April 2026 the EU’s Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors’ passport details, fingerprints and a photo the first time they enter the Schengen area, replacing passport stamps. Allow extra time at the border on your first trip; later crossings are quicker. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens are not registered.
ETIAS (not yet running): a €20 online travel authorisation for visitors who don’t need a visa, such as UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens. It hasn’t started and no start date has been confirmed, so nobody can apply yet; ignore websites that offer to “pre-register” you for a fee.
Visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area, not per country.
Official information: EU: Travel to Europe (EES & ETIAS) · Reviewed September 2026
Buy Liège waffles warm from a bakery or street stall.
The Outremeuse district holds a big folk festival around 15 August.
Maastricht and Aachen are easy day trips by train or bus.
Bring a rain jacket.
Quick answers for planning time in Liège.
374 steps, built in 1881.
The Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava; it opened in 2009.
Every Sunday morning along the Meuse quays.
By train, which takes about one hour.
April to September; mid-August for the Outremeuse festival.
Dutch is spoken in Flanders, French in Wallonia; both are used in Brussels, and English is widely understood.
Free
Planning a wider trip? Our Belgium travel guide covers getting there, costs, when to go and more.