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The Ardennes

If you’re looking for outdoor activities, fresh air and greenery, head for Belgium’s southeastern corner. Here you’ll find meandering rivers that are ideal for low-intensity kayaking. A whole series of dramatic cave systems have been sensitively equipped for visitors. Forested hills and deep valleys shelter appealing small towns topped by picture-perfect castle ruins. And in midwinter the slopes that edge the Hautes Fagnes fenlands might get enough snow to offer a weekend or two of skiing. As winter comes towards its end, the fabulous carnivals of Stavelot, Malmédy and Eupen burst with revelry. OK, so some of the Meuse Valley cities look dauntingly grimy, but scratch the surface and you'll find history, great hospitality and a wealth of attractions hiding history beneath the careworn exteriors.

Major towns are accessible by train and bus, but to really appreciate the rural highlights you’ll need a car or strong cycling legs.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout The Ardennes.

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Grand Curtius
Splendid Grand Curtius unites four disparate museum collections in the former mansion-warehouse of a 16th-century Liège arms dealer. The building's red outer walls had originally been painted with ox blood. The museum's ambitious aim is to explain the whole history of art, from prehistoric stone chippings to art nouveau pianos, while interweaving tales of Liège artists and industries. The result is impressive, if sometimes overwhelming. There’s an incredible wealth of treasures to discover and you’ll need a couple of hours to do it justice, and more if you make full use of the detailed tablet guide (included) and temporary exhibitions (extra).
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Église St-Jacques
Arguably Liège's most fascinating church, this architectural hotchpotch was founded in 1015 and retains a heavily patched-up 1170 west end whose Romanesque brown limestone and brick-filler clash discordantly with the 16th-century Gothic nave. A 1557 north portal by celebrated local artist Lambert Lombard adds yet another dimension. Inside, the colourful ceiling vaults are notable for over 150 carved bosses. Opening times can vary substantially according to the availability of volunteers.
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Liège-Guillemins Train Station
Liège's main train station, around 2km south of the centre, is an incredible 2009 icon designed by Santiago Calatrava. Great for semi-abstract landscape photography, its bold white sweeping curves create the impression of a vast glass-and-concrete manta ray. From platform 1 there's a nicely framed view of the Tour Paradis, a 118m-tall sail-shaped glass skyscraper for accountant-bureaucrats.
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Abbaye Notre Dame d'Orval
A Cistercian monastery since 1132, Orval's abbey complex was wrecked in 1793 by anti-religious French Revolutionary soldiers. Rebuilding only started in the early 20th century, part funded by the Trappist beers that have become its trademark. The evocative ancient ruins were conserved and can still be visited along with an 18th-century pharmacy room, the grave of King Wenceslas (1337–83), a medicinal herb garden and an informative museum section that focuses on the beers and their advertising since 1931. There's also a 20-minute audiovisual on monastic life (in French/Dutch). The brewery section is closed to visitors except for two days in mid-September (book way ahead). However, visitors are welcome to attend offices in the monastery, and it's also possible to stay here (by arrangement) as part of a spiritual retreat (email hotellerie@orval.be), during which you’re encouraged to join in the daily cycle of prayers.
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La Boverie
South of Liège's centre, this excellent gallery hosts many high-profile temporary exhibitions but always shows elements of its own fabulous art collection. Much is locally relevant, from 16th-century masterpieces by Lambert Lombard to a superb Seraing iron-foundry scene by Constantine Meurnier. There's also fine work by Magritte, Monet, Gauguin and Chagall, and a big, almost-finished Picasso. The 'palace' itself was originally built for the Exposition Universelle (World Fair), which celebrated Belgium's 75th birthday with much pomp in 1905. Visiting the beautiful rose gardens directly south is free to all. In summer, a fine way to arrive is on the river-ferry to Guillemins, crossing the long pedestrian bridge from the jetty.
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Val St-Lambert
One of the world's best-known glassworks in the 19th and 20th centuries, Val St-Lambert has made lead-crystal masterpieces within this former monastery site since 1826. It was rescued from bankruptcy in 2014 and resold in July 2018, though its workforce has dwindled to barely a dozen and the site is now more conference centre than factory. But a fascinating showroom still sells the hand-crafted crystal, and there's a museum experience in the former abbot’s 1756 ‘chateau’ that gives much more background. Here there's also a 20-minute film, a gallery and some extraordinary 'interactive' glass sculptures, plus a history of the craft. However, at the time of research, the former highlight – watching a traditional glass-blower at work – is not necessarily possible. Access is by Huy-bound bus 9 from the Opera stop in central Liège or from Pl Kuborn in central Seraing. Alight at the Cristalleries stop.
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Institut Zoologique
Built in 1888, this palatial building has a deep-eyed bust of Darwin on its central pediment, best spotted from the river-ferry as it approaches the Pôle Fluviale jetty. Even if your French isn't sufficient to warrant visiting the building's two educational museums, it's still worth nipping inside the foyer to admire Genesis, a remarkable 1960 mural by celebrated Belgian artist Paul Delvaux. If you have more time, the new science museum has several interactive experiences good for inspiring youngsters about physics, and it's free for children. The 'Aquarium' goes beyond fish and displays a major zoological collection and hosts exhibitions. However, neither have much that's in English. Hidden in the grounds behind, fascinating Labo4 has very originally recycled a 1963 university laboratory into a quality restaurant.
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Brasserie d'Achouffe
Some of the Ardennes’ best beers are brewed by rapidly expanding La Chouffe ('The Gnome'). The name, and hence the cartoon figures on each label, is a mild pun on Achouffe, the pretty Ourthe Valley village where it’s brewed. Brewery tours culminate in four 120mL tastings, plus you get a souvenir glass. Achouffe is 4km off the E25 motorway, west of junction 51. There's no useful public transport here. Tours are mostly by appointment: sign up online at least two weeks ahead or, for shorter notice give them a call. However, there are also three weekly drop-in tours available on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign up the same morning at the Chouffe Shop. On Sundays and in midsummer demand is high and you might need to arrive by 10am to get a spot. Allow around 90 minutes.
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Archéoforum
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.