Belgium > Climbing the stairs

Around half past eleven, Rene and I drive into the Opéra Royal parking garage in the center of the Belgian city of Liège. We park the car in one of the somewhat tight parking spots. The IBIS Liège Central Opéra hotel is located right above the garage. When we walk out of the garage, we find ourselves in a shopping mall. Where is the hotel entrance? We can't find it and walk out of the mall. We manage to find the entrance via the street. Although we are early, our room is already available. It’s a narrow room on the sixth floor. We look out over Liège and see the citadel towering above the city. Quickly, we head into town. It’s chilly today, but the weather is nice. The sun is shining. In the streets opposite the hotel, we find a mix of cozy and run-down houses. Many buildings are in need of renovation. The streets feel a bit chaotic. There is little life on the streets. This is clearly not Liège’s shopping heart. Many people walking on the streets wear face masks. Could this be mandatory outdoors in Belgium? The rules keep changing so fast.

Belgium - The Palace of the PrinceBishops in Liege is located on Place SaintLambert

This region leads in corona numbers in Belgium and the Netherlands. Caution is advised. We arrive at Place Saint-Lambert. The former palace of the Prince-Bishop dominates the north side of the square. The origins of the building date back to the eleventh century. The palace in its current form dates from the eighteenth century. Nowadays, the province and the courts use the monument. The square in front of the palace looks messy. Modern pillars break up the square. A road runs through it. Along the edges of the square, many roadworks are underway. Barricades are everywhere. At the adjacent Place du Marché stands the seventeenth-century city hall. Opposite it, we order a drink at one of the terraces on the square. From the terrace, the city of Liège already feels much friendlier than our first impressions. Just behind the square lies the Montagne de Beuren, a wide staircase with 374 steps leading to the citadel. We climb the steep stairs. Houses line the slope on both sides.

Belgium - Hill in the heart of the historic city center with a long stone staircase and view from the top

The residents must climb these stairs daily to get home. From the top, we have a beautiful panoramic view over Liège. It’s easy to see how the Meuse splits the city in two. Behind us in the park lies the Coteaux de la Citadelle. Along the citadel walls and past the war monument, we reach a viewing platform. Here we look toward the more eastern part of the city. Below us lies the Saint-Barthélemy church. This eleventh-century church is the oldest religious building in the city. Via a zigzag path through a park, we descend to the church square of Saint-Barthélemy. Inside the church stands a 500-kilogram baptismal font. The font is one of Belgium’s seven wonders. The church is free to visit, but a small fee is required to see the baptismal font. We decide to pay. A video about the font and the church’s restoration is also included. The video is started especially for us in Dutch. The volume is quite loud. No matter what the lady tries, she can’t get the sound lower. She decides to leave it as is.

Belgium - Saint Bartholomews Church in Liege

The sound echoes loudly through the church. Fortunately, we are the only visitors. The baptismal font depicts the baptism tradition in five scenes. Via the Cour Saint-Antoine, we enter the Rue Hors-Château. This morning at the hotel, the receptionist had pointed out some highlights on our map. Besides the stairs and the Barthélemy church, she also marked the Impasses. She struggled with the translation: “Straatjes,” she hesitated. When we find a small gate, we discover a narrow, atmospheric alley behind it with small cozy houses on both sides. It’s a kind of elongated courtyard. Via another alley, we return to the street. There are three such alleys side by side. Nice! We wouldn’t have wanted to miss this. At the foot of the stairs is Brasserie C, a café and brewery combined. The terrace and local beer are praised in many travel guides. We order a tasting of three types of beer from the brewery. Curtius beer is the best-known beer of Liège. We order nachos and ‘boulets’, Liège meatballs, alongside. The boulets are a Liège specialty. In the afternoon, we walk to the bank of the Meuse. We cross the river. From the bridge, we see the historic center of Liège. It is clearly getting colder.

Belgium - A nice brasserie at the foot of Montagne de Bueren

A cold wind picks up. We walk along the other bank to the Passerelle pedestrian bridge. From the south side, we enter the shopping district again. Here stands the imposing Saint Paul’s Cathedral. The church is built in late Gothic style. Construction began in 1240 and was completed in 1430. In the nineteenth century, the spire was added. Materials from the Saint Lambert Cathedral were used for the spire. The cathedral on Place Saint Lambert was completely destroyed during the French Revolution. From the church, there is a passage to the adjoining cloister. We walk into the former monastery. Everything here breathes history. It is rare to be able to enter the cloister directly from a church. We skip the monastery’s treasure chamber, the Trésor de Liège. On the church square in front of the church, a large tent is set up. It appears to be for the International Film Festival. Will famous film stars come here later today? For now, nothing much seems to be happening. From the shopping street, we turn into the narrow Rue d’Amay. Here, cafés and restaurants lie side by side. The Carré district is Liège’s nightlife area. The hospitality sector is preparing for a busy Saturday evening. We arrive back at the opera building. When it opened in 1820, this was the theater. Since 1967, it has served as the opera house. In the parking garage, we collect our luggage and go to our room. We rest for about an hour while darkness slowly falls over the city. In the evening, we walk into town again. Where can we find a cozy restaurant? We try the Carré district first. Some restaurants are full, others are completely empty. We try two that look nice, but all tables are reserved in both. We decide to walk back to Place du Marché. A good choice. On a terrace under the heaters, we order a delicious meal. We have a Liège Curtius beer with it. After dinner, we stroll through the city a little more. The lights on the boulevard reflect in the water of the Meuse. At the film festival tent, a party is going on. We can’t see what’s happening inside. Security guards keep everyone at a distance. The atmosphere in the Carré district has changed. The pubs are full, and many people are on the street. On the other side of the district, there is a fair. In a long strip, food stalls and fair attractions are set up. It is busy at the fair, and the atmosphere is lively. Here, no one seems to care about the corona rules. We walk among the attractions but do not feel like going on any rides. We end the evening on a terrace at Place du Marché. Around midnight, we return to our hotel.

Belgium - The fair in Liege