Liege Museums and Art Galleries

(Liege, Wallonia, Belgium)

There is a surprisingly good selection of museums and notable art galleries to be found in Liege, often housing Mosan art works or some rather eye-catching contemporary pieces. One of the most popular of all the museums in Liege is the Musée Curtius, which is housed within an early 17th-century mansion next to the Meuse River, previously owned by Liege's wealthy industrialist Jean Curtius.

Just a short walk from the bottom of the Montagne de Bueren and along the Cour des Mineurs is the recently renovated Wallonian Life Museum, which is better known to the locals as the Museé de la Vie Wallonne. A number of museums are actually rather beautiful buildings in their own right and reside along the En Feronstrée, the Hors Château, the Rue Mère Dieu, and around the Place Saint Michael and the Quai Van Beneden, where the House of Science and the city's Aquarium await you.

House of Science / Aquarium / Zoology Museum

Address: Quai Van Beneden, Liege, Belgium, BE
Tel: +32 04 366 5015 / +32 04 366 5021
Comprising the House of Science and also the Liege Aquarium, this museum complex is extremely popular with tourists and is also home to the Zoology Museum. There is so much on offer here that there is sure to be something for everyone, regardless of taste and age. These attractions are all located within a historic University building, off the Quai Van Beneden.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Archéoforum

Address: Hôtel de Soër de Solières, Place Saint Michel 86, Liege, Belgium, BE-4000
Tel: +32 04 250 9370
The Archéoforum contains a large collection of artefacts found during various excavation projects around the ancient site of the city's past St. Lambert Cathedral. Providing tourists with the opportunity to view some true treasures, many of which date back some 9,000 years, the Archéoforum is highly suitable for historians everywhere. The Archéoforum is located underground and uses some state-of-the-art technology to enhance the overall experience.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge

Curtius Museum (Museé Curtius)

Address: Quai de Maestricht 13, Liege, Belgium, BE
Amongst the biggest and most visited of all the cultural attractions to be found in Liege, the Curtius Museum contains a wealth of archaeological exhibits and decorative arts, and stands next to the River Meuse. The Musée Curtius features no less than eight floors and is often referred to as the Curtius Palace. Top exhibits include Mosan art works, silverware, antique furniture and a 10th-century manuscript that once belonged to Bishop Notger and named the 'Evangeliaire'.
Open hours: Wednesday to Monday - 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00
Admission: charge

Museum of Walloon Art (Museé d'Art Wallon)

Address: Féronstrée 86, Liege, Belgium, BE
Tel: +32 04 221 9231
Sited off the Rue St. Georges, the Museum of Walloon Art contains an impressive collection of Belgian art works, including a number of 16th-century paintings by Henri Blès (1510 - 1560), a much celebrated Flemish Northern Renaissance artist. Other artists exhibited here include Antoine Wiertz, Constantin Meunier and also surrealist painter Paul Delvaux, who grew up within the province, in nearby Antheit.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 13:00 to 18:00
Admission: charge, concessions

Wallonian Life Museum (Museé de la Vie Wallonne)

Address: Cour des Mineurs, Liege, Belgium, BE
Tel: +32 04 223 6094
Celebrating everything that is and every was Walloon, you can expect to enjoy a range of old-fashioned exhibits and historic treasures at the Wallonian Life Museum, including a good collection of Mosan paintings from the 12th century, and even some extremely old wooden puppets. Workshops demonstrate crafts from the past, such as basket weaving, candlestick making and glass blowing.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, discounts for children

Museum of Religious Art and Art from the Meuse Valley (Museé d'Art Réligieux et d'Art Mosan)

Address: Rue Mère Dieu 1, Liege, Belgium, BE
Tel: +32 04 221 4225
The Museum of Religious Art is located along the Rue Mère Dieu and was formerly known as the Diocesan Museum. In total, there are nine rooms filled with various religious paintings and other historic artefacts and relics from many of the churches not only in the city, but also throughout the Meuse region. On the second floor, the wooden carving of the Virgin (Vierge) is a definite highlight for many, while one floor up are a couple of renowned statues of St. Hubert, a regional patron of hunters.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 11:00 to 18:00, Sunday - 11:00 to 16:00
Admission: charge, concessions