| 1 ENJOY the view from the top of the steep Montagne de Bueren stairway, one of Europe’s longest with about 400 steps. The stairway was built in 1880 to allow soldiers to get from the fort at the top of the hill to the city centre below. Today it’s a popular tourist attraction, fortunately with plenty of benches along the way on which to catch a breather. |
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| 2 PARTY the night away on the Carré. The heart of the city’s nightlfe borders the Rue de’Université, the Boulevard de la Sauvenière and the Rue Pont-d’Avroy, which buzz with students heading to bars and nightclubs or spilling out onto the street, especially on a Friday night. |
| 3 STROLL through the Outremeuse (meaning ‘beyond the Meuse’), a working-class district across the river from the city centre where mystery writer Georges Simenon lived. It’s reputed to be the home of the true Liègois and one of the few places in Belgium where one can still hear the genuine Wallonian dialect. |
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| 4 FEAST your eyes on the baptismal font of Liège’s oldest church, the Romanesque St Barthélemy. Caste in copper and dating back to the 12th century, the font is considered one of Belgium’s seven wonders. The work of Renier de Huy, it is supported by 10 oxen and is decorated with a circular relief showing several baptisms in progress. |
| 5 BREATHE in the plant perfumes at the Botanical Garden and Greenhouses (3 Rue Fusch). The park contains over 170 kinds of trees from various continents, some dating back to 1841. |
| 6 SHOP ’til you drop on Sunday, which is market day on the Quai de la Batte. It’s full of vendors selling fresh fruit and vegetables, ethnic jewellery and clothing, bouquets and flowers and lots of other goodies. |
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| 7 TAKE the whole family to the Aquarium, Zoology Museum and Science Museum (22 Quai Van Beneden), all housed under one roof at the University of Liège. Unique in Belgium, the Aquarium features dozens of tanks including the popular shark tank, while the Zoological Museum shows the evolution of animal life from salamanders to the Tasmanian devil. |
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| 8 GET a glimpse of Wallonian village life at the Musée de la Vie Wallonne (Cours des Mineurs). Impeccably preserved photos and exhibits help bring the region’s rich past alive. |
| 9 TICKLE your taste buds at Héliport Restaurant, the city’s only Michelin-starred eaterie, located on the Meuse next to an actual heliport. Chef Frédéric Salpetier is a master of invention. At a price, helicopter rides can also be arranged. (37z Boulevard Frère Orban, tel. (0)4 252 1321). |
| 10 WATCH a performance at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (1 Rue des Dominicains), built at the end of the first quarter of the 19th century and an architectural landmark. Guided tours can be arranged, and if you’re around at lunchtime, you may be lucky enough to catch a free concert. |
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