Liège Audio guided walking tour 2h00 and 24 audio commentary

Here you begin to see, above the low wall on your right, the top of an ancient stone tower. Keep climbing and take a step back to see it in more detail. It’s not just any tower: it’s the oldest vestige of Liège’s ramparts, built over a thousand years ago under the episcopate of Notger, the very first prince-bishop.

In front of you stands one of the most imposing monuments in Liège: the Palace of the Princes-Bishops. Located on Place Saint-Lambert, it bears witness to more than a thousand years of history, between political grandeur, drama and successive reconstructions. It is sometimes said to be one of the largest Gothic civilian buildings in the world.

You are at the entrance of the Archaeoforum, just under Place Saint-Lambert, in the historic heart of Liège. Behind these doors begins a unique journey through time, which will take you from Prehistory to the 18th century.

Mont Saint-Martin is a bit of a balcony in Liège. Since the Middle Ages, this hill has dominated the city and attracted attention. At the top, the Basilica of Saint Martin stands proudly, and all around have settled large Liège families who have built magnificent mansions there.

You are here in front of the Fountain of the Virgin, one of the most beautiful witnesses of the Baroque Liège. Made in 1696 by the great sculptor Jean Del Cour, it consists of a large square basin decorated with four bronze lions that spit water, and a central pillar surmounted by a Virgin and Child in gilded bronze, life size.

Overlooking the fiery city for over a thousand years, the Sainte-Croix Collegiate Church is one of the most fascinating jewels of Liège’s heritage. Founded at the end of the 10th century by Bishop Notger, it was consecrated in 986 and officially recognized by Emperor Henry II as early as 1005, making it a leading spiritual place throughout the region.

You are in St. Paul’s Square, a space of particular charm, located just behind the Cathedral of the same name. Formerly called “Place Derrière Saint-Paul”, it preserves the memory of the old quarter of the Island, once surrounded by the arms of the Meuse.

You are here in front of Galeries Saint-Lambert, one of Liège’s busiest Shopping venues, right in the heart of the Place de Saint-Lambert. Today, this modern shopping center brings together nearly forty brands and attracts more than six million visitors each year. But behind its façades is also a long history.

In Liege, we don’t just live by history and ancient stones... We also live on meatballs, syrup and sweet waffles! The city is a real feast for the taste buds, and its specialties tell a lot about its generous character.

As you walk along Boulevard d’Avroy, let’s take a moment to evoke the history of Liège. The city, known as the Burning City, has a unique identity, forged by more than a thousand years of passions, struggles and creations.

The Mirror City is one of the most emblematic cultural places in Liège. Located on the Place Xavier Neujean, it occupies the former Sauvenière swimming pool, inaugurated in 1942. Designed in the Modernist and Art Deco style of the interwar period, the building stands out for its sober lines, impressive volumes and large stained glass windows that let in natural light.

Place des Carmes is a small, lively square in the centre of Liège, known for its terraces and friendly atmosphere. Here, in the middle of the fountain, stands the Saute-mouton, a bronze sculpture made in 1973 by the Liège artist Mady Andrien. She chose to represent a universal scene: children playing grade-separate, frozen in the joyful momentum of the movement.

Here you are on the Place de l’Opéra, one of Liège’s cultural highlights. This elegant neoclassical square is dominated by a must-see monument: the Royal Opera of Wallonia. Its history begins in 1818, when the foundation stone was laid on the site of a former convent.

Here is the red building of the Vertbois, one of the most recognizable buildings in Liège thanks to its special color, this famous red “ox blood”. I can't miss it! But behind this colourful façade lies a history dating back to the 15th century.

You are here on Place Saint-Jacques, in front of one of the most beautiful religious jewels of Liège: the Church of Saint-Jacques-le-Mineur. Its history goes back over a thousand years. The church was originally the abbey of a large Benedictine monastery founded in 1015.

Here you are on Boulevard Piercot, one of the most elegant streets in Liège. Large, wooded and lined with beautiful mansions, it was laid out in 1863 after the filling of an arm of the Meuse. Its name pays tribute to Ferdinand Piercot, mayor of Liège several times in the 19th century, an important figure in Belgian political life.

On your left lies the Parc d’Avroy, one of the most beautiful green spaces in the centre of Liège. It is hard to imagine that here once flowed an arm of the Meuse: the pond that remains in the heart of the park is the last witness. Today, this five-hectare setting is both a place of walk, memory and culture for the people of Liège.

You are right here on Boulevard d’Avroy, where every autumn the landscape changes completely to make way for one of the oldest and biggest carnivals in Europe: the Foire de Liège. For more than four centuries, it has attracted generations of Liègeers and visitors.

Opposite you stands the imposing monument dedicated to Walthère Frère-Orban, one of the most famous Liège politicians of the 19th century. Inaugurated in 1931, more than thirty years after his death, this monument bears witness to the importance that Liègeers still attach to the memory of this great reformer.

Before you stands one of the great ladies of Liège: the Basilica of Saint Martin. Located on the Publémont, this promontory that dominates the city, it has watched over the fiery city for more than a thousand years. Its history begins in the 10th century, under Bishop Eracle.

You are here in front of the Donceel Inn, a superb example of 18th century Liège architecture. Located at number 54 of Mont Saint-Martin, in the historic district of Publémont, it testifies to the refinement and lifestyle of the enlightened bourgeoisie of the Enlightenment period.

Arriving on this esplanade, we find ourselves face to face with this large equestrian statue of Charlemagne. Built in 1868 by the Liège sculptor Louis Jéhotte, it is a reminder of how much the Carolingian emperor is linked to the history and identity of the region.

The statue of Peter the Great is a relatively recent monument, but recalls a significant episode in the history of Liège. In June 1717, the Tsar of Russia, Peter I, made a stop here as part of his great journey across Europe.

On your right, at numbers 37 and 39, stands the Inn van den Steen, the jewel of Mont Saint-Martin and one of the most remarkable mansions in Liège. This building tells more than four centuries of history, between Renaissance architecture, neoclassical transformations and modern conversions.