Liege is not the most famous city in Belgium, and it’s honestly not even one of the three I could name when asked about the country before I visited. Tourists usually go to Bruges, often on a mini cruise or toBrussels, Belgium’s capital, instead. But spending a day in Liege is a great way to experience more of Belgium and get away from the crowds. I’d recommend visiting Liege for a short time as there is still a lot to see, do and eat! Waffles, fries and meatballs are specialities in Liege. Another reason add Liege to your list is the city’s transport connections are exceptional for ongoing travel. If you’re thinking of visiting Liege, check out my recommendations for a Liege one-day itinerary below.
We were visiting Liege as part of a multi-country trip from the UK. We managed to time it over a bank holiday weekend to cut down on using annual leave, which is always a bonus. I officially have unlimited paid leave but in reality, my boss has to say no at some point, so I do need to be careful to stretch holiday as far as I can.
To get to Liege, we flew into Brussels South Charleroi Airport from Manchester. We were planning to see Luxembourg, Maastricht and a bit of Charleroi in the same weekend, hitting three countries in three days. Amazing.
Visiting Liege made sense as our base for the weekend, but we enjoyed our time in the city too. I’m glad we visited Liege.
Is spending a day in Liege enough time?
While we had a couple of nights in the city, spending a day in Liege would have been enough time. Liege is quite an industrial city, but there are a lot of students too which gives Liege a young feel. Liege is lively and there are definitely enough things to do in Liege to have a good trip here, whether you’re spending a day in Liege like we did or making a weekend of it.
How to get to Liege for a one-day visit
Liege is really easy to get to, with a lot of rail connections via the main station, Liege-Guillemin. The station is beautiful and worth a visit in its own right, even if you’re not coming in by train. Liege-Guillemins is about a 20-minute walk from the heart of the city, but it is easy enough to connect to a central tram stop like Liege-Saint-Lambert too.
As Liege-Guillemins is on the high-speed rail network, it’s easy to get to the city by train from Paris or Brussels via Eurostar. From the other direction, Liege is connected to Dortmund and Aachen in Germany. I nearly did a day trip to Liege from Cologne, but then we booked our Belgium-Luxembourg-The Netherlands trip for a few weeks later so I didn’t need to.
Liege does have its own airport, but it is primarily used for cargo transport. Instead, when visiting Liege, most people will fly into one of the capital’s two airports: Brussels Airport (BRU), or Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL). BRU to Liege is an hour by train, while Liege is just over an hour by bus from CRL. Given that Charleroi is an hour and a half into Brussels, going Charleroi to Liege makes perfect sense.
Key things to know when visiting Liege for one day
As with most of Europe, Belgium’s currency is the euro . The euro replaced the old Belgian franc more than 20 years ago, and these days most of Europe is using the euro, making it super helpful.
Most places in Liege take contactless card payments. But if you plan on using public transport you may need to download and buy e-tickets via the TEC mobile app. Contactless is not supported on trams yet.
Toilets in Belgium don’t tend to be free, so take the opportunity to go when you’re in a cafe or restaurant anyway and make sure you carry some coins for when you need the loo. A lot of them do take contactless, but it’s best not to rely on that. I keep a small purse of change which I use in every country that has the euro.
Liege is known as the “Fiery City” – La Cite Ardente – in the local language. In Belgium people speak French, Dutch or English. Most people speak French in Liege. English is commonly understood especially in the more touristy places in Liege, so if your French is as bad as mine (at school I learnt how to describe my ideal school, super useful at 39 travelling around) you’ll be fine.
Start one day visiting Liege here: Montagne de Bueren
We started our day visiting Liege by climbing Montagne de Bueren. The famous staircase is close to the historic centre of the city and offers gorgeous views across Liege from the top.
There are nearly 400 steps to climb at Montagne de Bueren, but there are plenty of chances to stop for a rest if you’re struggling. I found it tough, but the amazing views from the top were well worth the effort. Plus, when we got there, a cat appeared out of a garden. I can’t guarantee the cat but I can guarantee the climb is worth it.
Montagne de Bueren also has historic significance. The staircase was built to honour the lives of 600 soldiers who died defending the city from attack in the 15th century. As a result of that battle, the staircase is named after Vincent de Bueren, who led the defence of Liege.
On your one-day Liege itinerary, go to Saint Paul’s Cathedral next
Saint Paul’s Cathedral is one of the best buildings to see when visiting Liege. Saint Paul’s Cathedral is located right in the city’s heart and dates back to the 10th century. It was restored in the mid-19th century and took over as the city’s cathedral after the 1795 destruction of Saint Lambert’s Cathedral.
The cathedral is free to visit and open from 8am-5pm. Services are on Sundays at 10 am and 4.30 pm.
The best viewpoint when spending a day in Liege
The Montagne de Bueren staircase has a great view over the city, but there are other options to consider.
If you don’t fancy the steps, you could go to Memorial Interallie (Cointe Hill) when visiting Liege. The hillside also hosts a World War I memorial, so is a stop in its own right for anyone who is interested in history.
I do think the stairs are worth doing if you’re able (and travelling with Fibromyalgia means I totally get why sometimes people are not able!) the view below though was worth me climbing them, which on a good pain day was manageable.
Don’t miss Place Saint-Lambert when visiting Liege
Any Liege one-day itinerary should include checking out Place Saint-Lambert. The historic centre of the city is ringed by restaurants, so is an ideal place to grab a bite to eat.
Place Saint-Lambert is home to the Palace of Justice of Liege and the Provincial Palace. The former Prince-Bishops’ Palace is one of Belgium’s most impressive buildings.
This is also where the Christmas market in Liege is centred. Place Saint-Lambert is the starting point for a free walking tour, which may be useful for a one-day Liege itinerary.
Eglise Saint-Andre de Liege, another fine Catholic church, is located just off the main square as well.
What to eat and drink when spending one day in Liege
Belgium is famous for waffles, but the ones you can get in Liege have a subtle difference. Instead of being made with pourable batter – like the ones in Brussels and much of the world – Liege waffles are made out of a sticky yeast dough. Liege waffles are therefore chewier and crunchier than their Belgian cousins.
Meatballs are another speciality dish to enjoy during a one-day Liege itinerary. The boulet a la liegeoise is a dish unique to the city. These large meatballs are made of a combination of minced pork and beef and they are served with Liege syrup, made of apples and pears. Definitely something worth trying when spending a day in Liege.
You cannot go to Belgium without having fries. Mayo is the traditional sauce partner for fries in Liege.
If you like a drink, sampling some Belgian beer is also a must while visiting Liege. La Bestiale is one of the city’s most famous local beers and Brasserie C makes other recommended drops like Smash and Curtius.
Beer not your tipple of choice? Try peket – which is a traditional local juniper gin – while visiting Liege. Most local Liege bars will have peket available to try.
Recommended restaurants, bars and cafes when visiting Liege
We ate our evening meal at Le Perron, which is open all day and has very reasonable prices. There are plenty of good options, and as Liege is not as touristy as Bruges or Brussels it is a fair bit cheaper.
Head to Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette on Rue des Mineurs 7 for authentic Liege waffles. Just over the street is Constantin café, where we had fantastic coffee a couple of times while we were visiting Liege.
Saperlipopette a la patate is part of the same business as Une Gaufrette Saperlipopette. Located a few doors down, fries are the speciality here and you can get a wide range of tasty toppings to go on them.
During a Liege one-day itinerary, you can even get various cuisines from around the world, including authentic Canadian poutine. Elie & Max’s Poutines did basic poutine and then had a large list of extras you could add, making your meal really customisable. They even had some Canadian maple leaf cookies we bought, they are absolutely amazing. I first tried these when my Canadian friend I met in Cuba posted me some and I am excited when I see them ever since. Be warned, they are highly addictive!
Near the poutine place is a fun games bar with rock/metal music and cocktails themed on movies like Star Wars. Don’t be put off by the bar’s name – Warzone – everyone was friendly and the games in the back are free. We had a great time playing Guitar Hero here.
Another Liege bar I can recommend is Le Pot au Lait, which is located down an alley in a 19th-century building. J had an unusual banana beer here and there is a huge choice of beers to try. Le Pot au Lait has a unique look, similar to the ruin bars I loved in Budapest, and it attracts an alternative crowd (there were definitely people smoking weed outside!). That doesn’t bother me, but if it bothers you you may want to go somewhere else.
One-day Liege itinerary: Best museums to check out
La Boverie is a must for art lovers who are visiting Liege. The gallery is located in the former Palais des beaux-arts de Liege and is in its own pretty park, Parc de la Boverie. Those who enjoy La Boverie should also take time to check out Grand Curtius, which boasts thousands of years of regional art and history.
Musee de la Vie Wallonne is a good place to learn more about the region’s history. A more unusual stop on a one-day Liege itinerary would be the Wallonia Public Transport Museum. If you love looking at old trams, this museum – housed in an old depot – is definitely for you!
Last things to do when visiting Liege
If you are spending a day in Liege on a Sunday, you can check out La Batte. Claimed to be both the oldest and biggest market in Belgium, it takes over the docks along the Meuse river. Checking out La Batte gives you a chance to buy everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to clothes, plants, books and more.
History buffs who want to see some Roman and medieval ruins while visiting Liege should make time for Archeoforum. Choose between a guided or self-guided tour in four different languages. Expect to take about an hour here as part of a one-day Liege itinerary.
If you did not arriving by train when visiting Liege, it is still worth seeing the modern main station: Liege-Guillemins. The station, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, is famous for its striking, sweeping roof. It looks nothing like most major European train stations and is all the better for it, in my opinion. Outside Liege-Guillemins, you can also find the Liege Together sign, which makes for a great quick photo stop.
Best time of year for spending a day in Liege
We were visiting Liege at the start of May and temperatures were comfortable. We were blessed with pretty good weather, so spending a day in Liege at this time of year is a good idea.
If you plan on tackling the famous Montagne de Bueren stairs, you won’t want it to be too hot!
Typically, shoulder season – spring and autumn – are the best times to visit places like Belgium. Not that Liege gets too crowded, it will be quieter and likely cheaper to avoid the peak summer season.
A Liege one-day itinerary in December can also be very enjoyable, even if it could be very cold. This is when the city hosts its festive Christmas Village.
Go next after spending one day in Liege
This part of Europe has great connections by rail, so there are a lot of fantastic options for a next stop after spending a day in Liege.
For example, we used Liege as a base for visiting Maastricht. The pretty capital of Limburg province is just over the border in the Netherlands and only 36 minutes on a direct train.
Visiting Liege also works perfectly as part of a trip seeing more of Belgium. The capital city, Brussels, is just an hour away by train while the capital city of the Wallonia region, Namur, is a similar distance away. Spending a day in Brussels is definitely possible on the same trip as visiting Liege.
Want to see even more of Europe after your one-day Liege itinerary? Consider heading east, to Germany. Aachen is just over the border and only 20 minutes away by direct train. Its Cathedral was named Germany’s first UNESCO World Heritage site and Aachen is also known for its spas and mineral springs.
Liege is also a couple of hours away from Luxembourg by bus. One of Europe’s smallest countries, Luxembourg can work for a day trip if you’re smart with your time. I’ve got content coming soon as we visited Luxembourg on the same trip as Liege and Maastricht, so look out for that.
Is it worth spending a day in Liege?
A Liege one-day itinerary can be a chilled out day eating waffles, fries and meatballs, or busily packing in museums to learn more about the city’s industrial past. Despite not being as known for tourism as Bruges or Brussels, visiting Liege is highly recommended, especially as a budget stop in a multi-country trip. I really enjoyed spending a day in Liege
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