Liege,Belgium

It used to be that whenever we travelled by ferry from England to Europe we would go through "Liege, then Aachen to get to Germany. Liege seemed to be a place to go through. So been through it. But cant help. Got to be something . Maybe you could use it as a way to see Aachen (Joke)

I haven't explored it thoroughly, but I've transited through many times. Words that come to mind describing Liege include "gray", "dirty" and "depressing". A lot of rather uninteresting post-war architecture and rusting factories. The train station, at least, is a fairly interesting open-air structure.

I sort of liked its gritty charm. Feels like a place built on hard work and hard times. There's a sizable red light district. The Meuse River cuts through the city in a powerful way. It reminded me of Bruges - I guess because it seems the exact opposite in so many ways. Liege is a little bit like time travel - definitely feels a few decades behind the present. I think it's worth a couple of days.

Regina, We visited the Sunday Market in Liege and found some really good deals on antiques. The area surrounding Liege is also lovely. Particularly in the Ardennes area. Hope you can drive outside the city and explore the countryside. There are plenty of chateaux and quaint villages. We love Waimes, Malmedy, Huy, Spa, Stavelot, etc.

Regine, I certainly agree with the above posts in their observations that Liege is "gray and depressing" and that the Meuse (Maas) is powerful and determined as it runs through the city. I myself haven't visited the city as such, yet, but only passed through a number of times to and fro between France and Germany. Go and see the city...I would. The place is also historical. If you have a car, even better... for the immediate area around Liege.

Open minded people like Liège. But everything depends on the weather. If it's rainy and grey, the city won't be attractive. But with a bit of sun, Liège becomes a fascinating city. And check the website of the tourist board: http://www.liege.be/tourisme

Thanks for the responses...Yes we'll have a car and the hotel is already paid for...and if it's a city "nobody goes to" at least it won't be crowded!!!...I think the Musee des Beaux Arts has a good collection...other than that we'll walk around, eat frites and chocolates and gaufres and café Liegoise....and find somewhere for a nice salade. We go the end of March, so not expecting Spring, but might be surprised.

I've only gone through Liege a number of times by train in both directions, (the last time in 2007,) coming from Brussels and from Aachen, never had the chance to walk in the town leisurely. That would be interesting since it was fought over a number of times.

I realize that this is an old post, but I was so sadden to read some of the comments regarding Liege, Belgium. We just returned from a visit to the area, and I thoroughly enjoyed Liege! We spent a great bit of time at the Liège Cathedral, otherwise known as St. Paul's Cathedral, enjoying its history and beauty. There was an outdoor concert and food/wine fair in town the weekend that we were there, which made our visit even more enjoyable. And I found the shopping in Liege much more reasonable than in other places we visited in Belgium and France. I sincerely recommend Liege for a visit!

Make sure you see the Calatrava railroad station in Liege. Perhaps you could visit Aachen if you get bored with Liege. Tongeren, Maastricht, Leuven, Hasselt, and the Bokrijk open-air (historic building) museum are all nice stops.

"That would be interesting since it was fought over a number of times." Fred, unfortunately, all that fighting means that a lot of the architecture in the city dates from that post-war Functionalist period. You can still see what's left of some of the old defensive forts, however. Since I posted my response in 2011, I've had the opportunity to explore the city a little further... and my opinion of Liége has only intensified. It's just not a nice place, although Charleroi easily beats it for the title of "Belgium's Worst City".

Keeping its reputation in mind, I am also interested in seeing Charleroi, historically, but in a different time period from Liege. That will have to be a trip devoted mainly to Belgium.