← Namur Marathon·1 night

Liège: A Hillside City and a Calatrava Station After Namur

A downstream Meuse city with a white-ribboned Calatrava station, a park museum on an island and a Sunday market.

Duration1 night
TransitSNCB train from Namur to Liège-Guillemins, about 1 hour
DepartsNamur station

After the Namur Marathon: Liège

The Route: Namur → Liège → Brussels Airport Logistics: SNCB train, about 1 hour. Liège-Guillemins is a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride from the centre. Marathon Month: April Duration: 1 night

Namur ──(about 1h, SNCB)──> Liège-Guillemins
                                 │
Brussels Airport (BRU) <──(about 1h15, SNCB)──┘

Liège grew along the Meuse, 60 kilometres downstream from Namur, and a runner who has just followed the river for a marathon can follow it a little further by train. The first thing you see is the Guillemins station, a white steel-and-glass vault by Santiago Calatrava that looks like the ribs of a ship. It is the grandest railway station in Wallonia.

Buy a ticket in the SNCB app or at the station, and check the planner.

April in Liège: highs of 12°C to 15°C, with sun and showers. The city is hilly, so wear shoes with grip. Check opening days, because Monday closures are common.

Night One: Liège

From the station, a flat walk leads to the Meuse and the La Boverie museum, in a restored 1905 exhibition palace on an island in the river. Entry is around €10 and prices vary, so use the figure as a guide only. It has lifts and seating, and the park around it is flat. Check the current opening days.

The Montagne de Bueren, a flight of 374 steps from the old town, is the famous climb. Skip it. A flat alternative is the Carré district, with cafés and small shops, and the Place Saint-Lambert. The Sunday market on the quay, La Batte, is a long river-side market with food stalls, and it is among the oldest in Europe. A walk along it gives a lively hour, so only attempt it if the legs are ready.

Hotels are available in the old centre and near the station. Confirm lifts and breakfast times when you book, and ask for a ground-floor room if stairs are difficult.

Dinner suits the Carré, where brasseries serve boulets à la liégeoise, meatballs in a sweet-sour sauce, with frites. Reserve on weekends.

Getting to Brussels Airport (BRU)

Liège to Brussels Airport takes about 1 hour 15 minutes by train with a change at Brussels. Check the SNCB planner. The airport station is below the terminal, with lifts.