Leisurely Day in Liège

On Sunday, March 13th, I took a day trip to Liège - a city in the French-speaking region of Belgium (Wallonia). This trip was planned mainly because is it home to the largest and oldest market in the country called La Batte. The market runs from 8:00 to 2:30pm every Sunday year-round and features a large selection of items from a wide variety of stands. The city itself was quiet outside of the market - being that it was Sunday - but was interesting enough to be worth the trip; yet not so overwhelming that you need more than a day to see it. 

I knew I wanted to visit Liège after passing through its train station on my way to Aachen. The pictures below speak for themselves: it's a cool station.

Liège-Guillemins railway station.

Walking along the Meuse to reach La Batte.

View from the market street. 

First stop upon arrival was of course the market, which was already jam-packed by the time we got there. La Batte is located along the Meuse river on, no surprise, La Batte (street) and stretches for over a mile. This market is unique not only because of it's size, but because of it's variety in both types and origins of the various items sold. It was easy to find fresh produce, antique flea-market-type items, clothing, hot Asian dishes for lunch, desserts, and so on. We even came across a pet stand where hamsters and bunnies were 5 euros. Mixed feelings about that one...

One of the more flea-market type areas ft. my shadow.

A small section of La Batte - gives you an idea of how busy it is.

Liège has their own special kind of waffle called Gaufre de Liège (literally translates to Liège waffle), which contains pockets of sugar that caramelize on the surface when cooked to create a crispy coating. 

Next, we headed for another main attraction in Liège: Montagne de Bueren. Along the way I of course snapped more photos starring Belgium's never-ending supply of cute buildings.

Musée de la Vie Wallonne: a museum featuring exhibits on Walloon history and culture. 

We didn't go inside, but the courtyard was open; couldn't resist. 

The Stairs of Mount Bueren. Three hundred and seventy four steps of fun.

The climb actually was worth it for the view, honest.

I can't feel my legs after reaching this view. But I love it...

As a reward, we stopped off at a hidden little gem called Brasserie C for beer and coffee. True Belgians. 

Again, enjoy more photos of places seen along our stroll.

The Collegiate Church of St. Bartholomew. 

The Prince-Bishops' Palace of Liège (or Palais Provincial) is on place Saint-Lambert in the centre of of the city. It was the residence of former Prince-Bishops of Liège.

Liège Cathedral, otherwise known as St. Paul's Cathedral, is the seat of the Diocese of Liège.  It was founded in the 10th century, reconstructed between the 13th and 15th centuries, and restored in the mid-19th century.

I will never get tired of cathedral ceilings.

I will also never get tired of stained glass.

Little cathedral courtyard/garden.

Last stop was the Pont de Fragnée, which was constructed from 1901-04 and stretches across the Meuse river. It features a variety of sculptures, pillars at the entrance, and beautiful railings. 

Risking it all for the pics (if I fell forward this post wouldn't be going up, let's just say that).

If you're ever in Belgium and are itching for a full-on market experience, then definitely head to Liège on a Sunday morning for specialty waffles and endless shopaholic temptations. 

I've been quite slow on the posts as of late - but will try to get my Berlin entry up before the week ends. Thanks for reading!

- Alexandra