Top Things to do in Liege Province
What to do and see in Liege Province, Belgium: The Best Places and Tips
Discover the best top things to do in Liege Province, Belgium including Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Fort Eben-Emael, Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege, Eglise St-Jacques, December 44 Historical Museum, Baugnez 44 Historical Centre, Coteaux de la Citadelle, Montagne de Bueren, Circuit de Spa, Blegny-Mine.
Restaurants in Liege Province
1. Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery
Overall Ratings
5 based on 184 reviews
Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery lies 2 miles northwest of the village Henri-Chapelle, which is 4½ miles northwest of the Welkenraedt exit (7 miles from the German border) on the Aachen-Antwerp autoroute. Welkenraedt
Reviewed By AllanJGJ - Wellington, New Zealand
Over the years my wife and I have visited many of he Cemeteries and monuments commemorating the fallen in the two World Wars, from Normandy through Picardy and Flanders to Belgium; Commonwealth, American, and German. As New Zealanders on this trip we visited those associated with Passchendaele, the Great War battle which was so devastating for our little country. But all of these Cemeteries, wherever the fallen might have come from, are deeply moving and Henri-Chappelle is no different. Row after row of stark white crosses, broken only by the occasional Star of David, march across the landscape and it's hard not to get a lump in your throat thinking about the sacrifice of these young men. If you're an American you might have different views on the US involvement in these foreign wars, but you should be extremely proud of the way these Cemeteries are lovingly cared for. This is an astonishingly well-maintained memorial; the lush grass, the sparkling crosses and buildings and the bright Stars and Stripes waving proudly. A truly impressive site most will remember long after they have visited.
2. Fort Eben-Emael
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 161 reviews
Reviewed By _brigittemvdb - Knokke, Belgium
First be sure that the place is open. Check and re-check on their website but also by calling them.
We joined a group and had the perfect guide in Dutch.
The tour took more than 3 hours and was amazing.
Without a guide you could see a lot but won't understand the lay-out of tbe fort and the way it was build ( taking into account the mistakes that were made in Fort Loncin).
It is cool inside!
Put this visit in your planning
3. Opera Royal de Wallonie-Liege
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 149 reviews
Founded in 1967, the association Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège is largely subsidized by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, the City and Province of Liege. It is one of three major opera houses in Belgium. From the beginning, the institution occupies the Théâtre Royal de Liège, beautiful building loaned by the City of Liège (opened November 4, 1820). Its location in the heart of Liège and the Euregio, at the crossroads between Germany, the Netherlands, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and France, attracts a wide audience both Belgian and international.
Reviewed By DSC-NOVA - Fairfax, Virginia
We attended several Performances at the newly refurbished Opera royal de Wallonie and enjoyed every minute of it! The performance was first rate (the Italian sisters of Cav and Pag, set in production by tenor Jose Cura -- who also performed the lead in both of these short works.) It was magical!
The opera staff is friendly and goes out of its way to assist visitors; it was a delight working with them.
The opera house itself is not imposing in the foyer area; I'm not sure if the reconstruction is complete but it is very shallow and when we were there still covered with rough construction detailing. Inside the auditorium, it seems each seat must have good sightlines and the acoustics seemed wonderful.
Women's bathrooms, as is true in far too many places, were small and with too few stalls.
If opera is your thing and you are in Belgium when the Opera Royal has a production, it may well be worthwhile to visit and enjoy a wonderful evening of music.
4. Eglise St-Jacques
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 153 reviews
Reviewed By MrFourPoundsWorth - Crawley Down, United Kingdom
I like Church Buildings that have more than a nod to what Christianity is all about.
To that end I was delighted with the exhibition which was on display here, with various Bible passages and scenes providing the artists with their inspiration.
The bright Sunshine and simple high level yellow windows cast fabulous shades across the floor and seats.
5. December 44 Historical Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 158 reviews
The December 44 Museum is located in the hearth of the Belgian Ardennes, in the village of La Gleize, where the Battle of the Bulge was fought, on the northern part of the offensive. Surrounded by American airborne, armored and infantry forces, 800 German survivors of the 1st Panzer SS, a "Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler" elite division, lead by Peiper, fled on Christmas Eve leaving behind 135 armoured vehicles including the 69 tonne King Tiger tank, still visible at the museum.The museum accurately recounts these tragic events through one of the most important collection in Europe, most of it collected on the very battlefield where it was fought.
Reviewed By DdeKerf - Axel, The Netherlands
I really loved this little museum. It tells a different part of the story about the famous battle of the bulge. A few days in December 1944 made a lasting impression. A German tank division followed the plan and swiftly took control of the area around La Gleize but because of many reasons all things went downhill (thankfully) quickly and the Germans fled in the middle of the night, leaving a lot of brand new tanks. All of this is documented with artifacts from the US and German army that were left on site (in case of the Germans) or donated by American soldiers. The movie in the middle is really nice because it just tells the story - really unemotional - with old movie material. This museum if very different than the one in Bastogne but the two together tell a really complete story, one more from the civilians point of view, and this one from the soldiers point of view. Only one of the German tanks is left and that one is parked outside the museum. I think this is one of the best tourist attractions around Coo, way more interesting that the famous man made waterfall at Coo.
6. Baugnez 44 Historical Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 178 reviews
Reviewed By Charles L - Atlanta, Georgia
A visit to Malmedy, the massacre site, this museum, and the Memorial has long been on my "must visit" list, as my uncle was a victim of this atrocity. The museum is an excellent museum, with well organized/presented displays of the Malmedy events and war time life. The displays include many, many articles and artifacts connected to the massacre - including personal articles of soldiers and citizens. The displays are presented chronologically, with footprints on the floor to guide your walk thru the 2-floor facility. The audio guide is quite descriptive, and key points are also written in multiple languages on a plaque, in each display. I was actually very impressed with the collection of articles and the realism of each display - even if mannequins are used. (Certainly do not understand the negative comment from a prior reviewer about this.) If you look close enough at some of the uniforms, can still see the blood stains. Film on the second floor is shown in multiple languages, and is worth seeing. A nice gift shop is at the end of the tour. Of course I had a personal connection to the event, and found the museum impactful and moving. Well-worth the visit. The Memorial is a short 5 minute walk from the museum - at the crossroads - and is worth a stop as well. The chapel while simple, is also impactful.
7. Coteaux de la Citadelle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 569 reviews
Reviewed By DSC-NOVA - Fairfax, Virginia
The Citadel in Liege refers to the remnants of the Liege fortification that formed the origins of this Belgium city. Much of the original stone framework has been destroyed; some has been incorporated into the modern city; another key section apparently was destroyed to allow the construction of a very large hospital toward the top of the highest hill. According to the blurb we read before heading off, the slopes are home to more than 60 historic monuments and five listed sites—but the spots are not particularly well-marked so identifying them is difficult. However, for those who need some fresh air and exercise, this place certainly fits the bill, especially since Liege is not known as a top-rated tourist destination and places to see and things to do can be somewhat limited.
So on one particularly fine, late September morning, armed with our trusty hotel city map, we decided to walk from the city center to the Citadel. We found absolutely no signs directing us to the place and were soon meandering around inside a quaint neighborhood featuring a narrow cobblestone road and no sidewalks—apparently some of the walls of the original fortress make up the backdrop. We didn’t pass anyone to ask for directions so we just kept heading upwards, assuming that eventually we would get the highest point of land and at least see the remnants in the vicinity. About 15 minutes in we found ourselves at the bottom of a steep set of steps without any markings. We climbed up and found ourselves at the Citadel park.
At the top is a large stone obelisk overlooking the town. We think the memorial was built to honor those who had been executed during World Wars I and II, but there is nothing explicit to verify. The memorial is simple and effective, the views of the city and river below pleasing. Behind the monument the space opened into a hiking area and so off we went to explore the entire space. Again we found no meaningful signs or directions and we passed only one jogger so we meandered until we reached the top, which is home to a very large, very populated, and very popular hospital.
We found no signs to indicate how to continue on to the other side of the park or, indeed, how to get back onto the Citadel’s hiking paths so we circumnavigated the hospital until we found an opening and trusted it to be the right path—at least it was going down. We also found—at last—an area map which indicated that there were two trails (purple and red) available but no indication which one we were on. We decided to just keep heading down and eventually noticed that every now and then a splotch of red paint would show up on a tree trunk or stone; eventually we were overtaken with school kids climbing of the path on well-worn shortcuts; toward the end was a teacher walking up the trail in high heels. We came out of the Citadel on school grounds (again, no signs) and made toward the general direction of where we thought the river might be—this was pretty much guesswork since it was difficult to find a reference point on the map. We might have given up and hailed a taxi but….this isn’t a tourist town so free-roaming taxis are not easy to spot. After a few missteps, we sighted the river, followed it for a way and then, and only then, saw a sign pointing to the city center.
We enjoy walking, especially in a nature zone, so except for a few moments of panic when we believed ourselves to be completely lost and heading out of country, we had a good time. A few signs would have been greatly appreciated. If you are not used to walking, ascending via the steps as we did might be a problem but there were no other folks around so definitely no need to rush. The downward trail had some steep spots to be aware of. In all, we spent around three hours (city center to city center). The only overview that we found was at the monument itself, where you can see most of the city and the river. We did not find any other identifiable points of interest (but then, we don’t think we did the entire loop so if we ever go back, we’ll try to do a better job of navigating to find all the gems others seemed to have found). Other than that, it is a pleasant walk.
8. Montagne de Bueren
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 961 reviews
Reviewed By Patricia M
It takes some good 10-15 minutes to go up the stairs (373) but it’s a good physical as well as intellectual exercise ( try to count the stairs or find the pattern). Then , once you are up, you’ll have magnificent views of Liège and river Meuse. If you don’t want to go down the stairs again, you can take Rue Au Perì, that will take you to the historical centre of Liège.
9. Circuit de Spa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 454 reviews
Regularly acclaimed by drivers from across the entire world, the Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps is one of motorsport’s most legendary tracks. With a length of 7 km, it has an undulating profile with fast corners such as the famous and unique Raidillon, and presides over the middle of a conifer forest reverberating to the roar of revving engines. Resolutely turned to the future, it has made the shift to industry 4.0 and is equipped with the latest, most cutting-edge technology, both for the drivers and their teams and for the general public.
Reviewed By Carole M - Bolton, United Kingdom
We were travelling through Belgium and decided to visit Spa circuit. Disappointingly the circuit was closed due to a private event so all we could do was drive into one of the car parks closest to the fence and try to catch a glimpse of the circuit. The security guard was polite when he spoke to us but several othe groups turned up to visit the circuit and all were directed to the car park outside. It would have been nice to have visited the gift shop...it seems a lot of money was lost due to the visitors that couldn't access because of the private event. Maybe a small gift centre near the security would be good?
10. Blegny-Mine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 232 reviews
Located between Liège and Maastricht, Blegny-Mine is one of the four authentic coal mines in Europe with underground galleries accessible for the visitors through the original shaft. Situated at – 30 and – 60 metres, they allow a complete discovery of the process of coal extraction.
Reviewed By GeoTrunk - Denmark
The Blegny Mine offers four separate sights: The Museum, the mine, the slag heap and the road train. The museum is definitely worth seeing - It is a little hard to find since it is hidden all the way to the back with no clear signs (You will pass a shed that you might think is the museum, but carry on a little further to the real thing). A tour of the mine is also interesting - Guided tours seems only to be available in Dutch and French, but you can get a headset in English giving you an abbreviated version. The audio guided tour of the slag heap is not worth spending time on. Climb the hill on your own and enjoy the view. Same goes for the road train. You are better of doing it in your own car, because you can stop when relevant.
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