Liege in Belgium is one of the largest cities in this European country. It is located in the province of Wallonia. The city is quite ancient, the first mention of it dates back to the VIII century, so a large number of attractions have been preserved here.
History of the city
Liege in Belgium has been known since the time of the Roman Empire. Then he was called Leodius. Known for the fact that in 705 it was here that Bishop Lambert died. His death was martyred, so he was canonized.
In 721, the diocese was moved here. The merit in this belongs to St. Hubert, known in Catholicism as the patron saint of hunters.
In the Middle Ages, an active struggle was waged between the guild artisans, as well as the clergy and the nobility, on the territory of this settlement. They tried to determine which of them in the city will be the main one.
A turning point in this story came in 1312. The townspeople burned the most distinguished representatives of the nobility right in the church of St. Martin. By the 15th century, another confrontation was marked in Liège. This time, the city was able to successfully resist attempts to include it in the Burgundian Netherlands. At the same time, the Burgundian Duke Karl the Bold did not abandon the attempts. Twice he took part in the ruin of the city.
It is believed that the golden age in Liege came in the 16th century. At that time, the department of the bishop was occupied by Erard de Lamarck. It was then that the city began to massively produce weapons. By the XIX century, it became one of the most modern steel and coal mining centers. But soon the confrontation between the townspeople and the clergy again escalated. In 1681, democratic principles of governance were abolished. In the XVIII century, wars began for the Spanish and English inheritance. Both the French and the British attacked the city.
The episcopate’s reign was put to an end by the Liege revolution, which happened in 1789. Soon after, the city became the administrative center of one of the French departments called Hurt.
In the mass movement for the independence of Belgium, which unfolded in 1830, just one of the key roles was played by just the inhabitants of Liège. When the period of industrialization ended, the city was carefully fortified, fearing an invasion from Germany. However, the work carried out in 1891 did not save Liège in Belgium from the fact that during both world wars he was under occupation.
Waterway
There are a lot of attractions in Liège . And these are not only cathedrals and ancient medieval buildings. There are also remarkable geographical features. For example, the river in Liège Maas or the Alberta Canal. It is along them that key inland waterways pass.
The local river port has a large cargo turnover. Almost 16 million tons. This indicator makes this city in Belgium the third largest and largest port in Europe after Paris and Duisburg.
The Maas River itself flows not only through Belgium, but also in the Netherlands and France. It originates in France. It flows past Namur and west of the Ardennes. The river in Liege heads north. In the Netherlands turns near Venlo. In the end, it flows into the North Sea.
On the Meuse there are many significant European cities. In addition to Liège, these are Maastricht, Sedan, Rotterdam, Verdun and Hertogenbosch.
The river is mentioned in the famous "Song of the Germans", written to the music of Haydn.
Local Attractions
There is an attraction in Liege that is advised to pay attention to all tourists - this is the church of St. Bartholomew. It is one of the oldest churches in Belgium, one of the seven collegial religious institutions of the city.
The church is located in the center of Liege directly on St. Bartholomew’s Square. It is on it that the path of St. James passes — the famous pilgrimage road, which played one of the key roles in the dissemination of cultural property in medieval Europe. On Liège Square, this is marked by bronze shells that are inlaid with stones on the pavement.
Architectural features of the church
This church in Liege (in Belgium) was founded in the XI century. Its solemn consecration took place in 1015. At the same time, construction was delayed. The work was finally completed only in the second half of the XII century.
The building itself is a sandstone building made in the classic Romano-Germanic style. There are two towers on the west side of the church. They were significantly rebuilt and reconstructed already in 1876. Shortly before that, elements of French Baroque were added here, as well as neoclassical style. Architects of that time attached two chapels.
More recently, a large-scale restoration of the church was carried out. Work was carried out from 2000 to 2006. During this period, it was possible to replace about ten thousand stones, and the walls of the tower led to the form that it was originally.
Interestingly, many sights today are stored inside the church of St. Bartholomew. For example, a large number of valuable and significant works of art. Particularly noteworthy is the baptismal font made of brass. It depicts biblical stories. She is considered a true masterpiece of the Maaska school. Its author, most likely, was a 21st-century master named Rainier de Yui.
Animal world
Liege is a city in Belgium where one of the most interesting zoological museums in Europe is open. There is also a fascinating aquarium.
These institutions are supervised by the University of Liege. They are located in the building of the Zoological Institute. The aquarium exhibits about two and a half thousand diverse representatives of marine fauna, which belong to 250 species.
All of them are placed in 46 huge tanks filled with water. One of the most interesting and fascinating is the tank in which sharks swim. There is also a large collection of corals that were collected by university scientists during expeditions to Australia on the Great Barrier Reef.
The exposition of the zoological museum is also rich. It has about 20 thousand exhibits. Among them stands out the skeleton of a whale 19 meters long.
Mount Burena
Those who are in good physical shape and confident in their abilities should climb Mount Burena. It consists of 406 steps. If you overcome this climb, you will be rewarded. A beautiful panorama of the whole city opens from above.
There is a legend that in 1468 several hundred soldiers climbed this hill to attack the camp of Karl the Brave, who once again captured and destroyed the city. Their campaign was led by a local resident named Buuren.
The plan was a failure. All soldiers were killed, and the duke's army robbed the city for several more weeks. True, this story has little to do with reality. In fact, this happened on a completely different hill in Liege.
The flight of stairs itself appeared in 1880. This was done so that soldiers who stayed in the garrison on the top of the hill could freely descend into the city without fear of small and dangerous lanes.
Cathedral Square
If you are going to Liege, you will definitely find what to see there. For example, Cathedral Square, which is an analogue of Central Park.
Music is constantly playing here, and guests are drowning in a cacophony of sounds. Street musicians have long chosen this place; it is considered a point of attraction for tourists.
Museums of Liege
There are a large number of museums in Liege. The most interesting are the Museum of Walloon Art, the Museum of Metallurgy and Industry, the Museum of Arms, as well as a unique collection of religious art.