Liège is a multicultural city that has enriched itself thanks to the contribution of many populations. Nearly 20% of its population is foreign, and Liège counts 167 nationalities.
Liège stands out for its accessibility. Liège-Guillemins Station makes it easy to reach Germany, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg by train. Likewise, six highways start or end in Liège and provide easy access to Paris, Brussels, Antwerp, Maastricht, Aachen, and Luxembourg. Liège is an attractive city, and this is true in many ways. It has multiple logistic assets that give it an important place in the heart of Europe’s transport network – its autonomous port ranks second among European river ports, a multimodal container platform is developing along the Albert Canal (the “Trilogiport”), and Liège Airport, which specializes in freight, that ranks as Belgium’s top cargo airport.
The 160 million people who live within a radius of 500 kilometres from the city hold 60% of the purchasing power of the European Union. In this context, Liège enjoys the status of the economic capital of the Walloon Region and can boast a varied economic profile with a total number of active and created businesses in constant growth.
Liège also stands out as one of the significant student cities of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. More than 100,000 students attend its educational institutions daily, including 17,000 for the University of Liège alone. Thanks to a diversified hotel offer and a rich cultural offer, Liège is the first tourist city of Wallonia. Liège has internationally renowned cultural institutions: Royal Opera of Wallonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of Liège, Liège Theatre, Boverie Museum (which benefits from a partnership with the prestigious Louvre Museum), and Grand Curtius Museum.
Liège also offers a rich and diverse calendar of events. After a glorious industrial past, Liège experienced economic difficulties, which it overcame thanks to an ambitious redeployment strategy implemented in the early 2000s to become today the third commercial hub of Belgium and the financial capital of Wallonia.
