Colors of Liege - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

One of the outstanding features of the Liege city is its national color. The way of life of local folks, their customs and traditions are of great interest for travelers. Each tourist strives at least for a day to sink into the inimitable atmosphere of the city life, which is full of sudden exciting surprises. Each Sunday the major part of local people sets off to the Marché de la Batte market which is among the most important city landmarks and sights. The scale market which is considered to be one of the largest in Europe has turned to an established place of meeting and leisure for the city residents.

In the morning hours the market is always crowded and noisy, one can see as families with kids walking at a leisure pace, so people of respectable age as well as curious tourists. However the visit to the exciting market place is far not the only way of entertaining in Liege as city treats its residents and guests with a variety of national fests and events. Many of them feature religious nature. Thus a colorful and exciting fest is the Virgin Mary day taking place annually on the 15th of August.

The main city festive events always take place in Outremeuse district of the city. As a rule on a festive day its territory gathers not less than 300 thousands of visitors. Fairs are also rather interesting and engaging events. The most lasting one starts on the first weekend of October and lasts for six weeks. Plenty of goods and festive treats, exciting entertainments for kids and music concerts are annually added to the event and thus make it even brighter and more exciting. Christmas Eve also features upscale fairs. It is approximately visited by at least one million of guests. The Christmas vacations in Liege are considered to be red hot tourist season. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

In the first part of September the Wallonia fest traditionally takes place. During this fest the travelers may get to know better the customs and culture of local folks as well as go for different engaging tours. One of the most unusual summer fests is the Secret Gardens and Corners Day named la journée Jardins et Coins secrets. And in the heat of the autumn the heritage days named les journées du patrimoine are celebrated. The Carré quarter is considered to be one of the most active and busy parts of the city thus it is often named a quarter of fests. Interesting performances, fairs and culinary events are held almost every day in the city.

For five days in early August, not Carré quarter but Outremeuse district located on the other side of the waterfront of Meuse can be considered the “holiday area”. At this time, a festival of the same name as the quarter is held in Liege. Its program includes many interesting entertainment activities. These include an art exhibition, a fair where they sell handicrafts, music concerts, and culinary workshops. On the streets of Outremeuse, you can meet people dancing and playing traditional Belgian games. The holiday is perfect for exploring the local culture.

Les Epicuriales is the name of another beautiful open-air festival in Liege. In early June, Parc de La Boverie turns into a real gourmet paradise, as visitors can enjoy all possible gastronomic activities: tasting dishes, participating in workshops, chef competitions, picnicking. No less popular with locals and tourists is the Summer BeerLovers' Festival taking place in early September. The main events are held on Place Saint-Lambert and involve tasting craft beer from eminent Belgian producers, as well as participation in brewing master classes. Besides the gastronomic program, a sports one is also organized for admirers of the foamy drink - festively dressed participants a distance of 42 kilometers in 6 hours 30 minutes.

Among local music festivals, The Organ Festival stands out. It is held at the beginning of October when the best European organ players gather in Église Collégiale Saint-Jacques and use their skills to entertain those wishing to hear great organ music. At the same time, that is, in early October, you can listen to the music of other genres such as jazz, blues, and classical music. The occasion is the HarmoLiège Festival held at various venues such as concert halls, theaters, museums, exhibition centers. Apart from these two music festivals, in October, Liege holds the largest fair where all local producers are eager to present their products.

Despite the fact that Liege is a Belgian city, its residents celebrate a holiday traditional for France - of course, this is about Bastille Day that is held on July 14 with street parties, fairs, fireworks, and theatrical performances. The venues are the central streets of the Belgian city. Those who arrived in Liege at the beginning of the month should first go to Parc Astrid, where they can join the Les Ardentes Festival. This is another interesting music event where genres range from rock to hip-hop so that everyone can find music to their liking.