Archéoforum

Liège


Once one of the greatest churches in northern Europe, St-Lambert’s Cathedral was demolished from 1793 in the aftermath of the Révolution Liégeoise, very decidedly marking the end of the independent prince-bishopric of Liège. All that now remains is a mere scattering of foundation stones hidden beneath bleak Place St-Lambert. These archaeological diggings, along with remnants of an earlier Roman villa, can be seen in the atmospherically (if sometimes impractically) underlit Archéoforum.

Visits are possible in French, Dutch, German or English with your choice of booklet-guide or tablet. The latter has numerous extra features including computer mock-ups, interviews and extra photo details relevant for each of the 18 tour points. Allow over an hour to do a visit justice.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Liège attractions

1. Former Palace of the Prince-Bishops

0.04 MILES

Behind an Italian Renaissance facade, this former palace is reputedly one of the largest secular Gothic buildings anywhere in the world. Prior to 1789 it…

2. Tchantchès Pilot Sculpture

0.04 MILES

Beside the St-Lambert bus stops is this cartoonesque figure piloting a little metal aeroplane: Liège’s mascot and oldest ‘citizen’, the big-nosed wooden…

3. Hôtel de Ville

0.11 MILES

At night the 1719 city hall glows lugubriously in its blood-red spotlights. By day it commands Liège’s charming, if modestly sized, original main square,…

4. Musée de la Vie Wallonne

0.17 MILES

In an adapted convent-cloister building, this curious museum takes visitors on an amble through the region’s past, exploring everything from 12th-century…

5. Montagne de Bueren

0.27 MILES

Several tiny medieval passageways burrow beneath the house fronts of Rue Hors Château. Most disappear into picturesque hidden yards, but Montagne de…

6. Cathédrale St-Paul

0.35 MILES

Cathédrale St-Paul's highlights include a big 19th-century painting depicting the legend of St-Lambert's assassination, and the saint's ornate silver…

7. Trésor

0.38 MILES

Off the closed-in cloister of Cathédrale St-Paul, the slickly presented three-level Trésor guards many artworks, vestments and chalices rescued from St…

8. Musée d’Ansembourg

0.41 MILES

Less a museum than a magnificently furnished 1755 Regency mansion with original stucco ceilings and some gilded leather ‘wallpaper’. Its highlights…