Liege

Liege was the seat of a prince-bishopric for eight hundred years and is now the largest city in eastern Wallonia, industrial, worn in places and unmistakably itself. The Guillemins station by Santiago Calatrava, finished in 2009, is a vault of white concrete and steel with no front facade, and it is the first thing most visitors see. La Batte, the Sunday market along the Meuse, runs for a couple of kilometres and is among the oldest and largest in Europe. The Montagne de Bueren climbs the hill in 374 steps. The Grand Curtius holds archaeology and Mosan art in a group of old houses, Saint-Barthelemy has a twelfth-century brass font of the first rank, and the local food, including boulets and peket, is a genuine tradition.

What you actually see

• Calatrava's Guillemins station - a white vault with no front facade.
• La Batte Sunday market - kilometres of stalls along the Meuse.
• The Saint-Barthelemy font - a twelfth-century Mosan brass masterpiece.
• The Grand Curtius - archaeology and Mosan art in a group of old houses.

When to go

April to October; Sunday morning for La Batte, which is the city at its best. Two days. Museums close on Mondays. The Christmas market in December is one of the larger ones in Belgium.

Honest expectations

The city is scruffy in parts and the industrial fringe is grim. La Batte is very crowded and pickpocketing is common. Museum opening is irregular. Signage and interpretation are almost entirely in French.

Nearby

Montagne de Bueren climbs from the centre; Val Saint-Lambert lies west.