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Popular festival · Liège
From late November to late December, the Village de Noël occupies place Saint-Lambert and place du Marché in central Liège, with chalets, narrow streets and squares set up like a winter village.
In the photo: Liège
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Click a photo to enlarge it.
Liège Christmas Market — Liège
From late November to late December, for about five weeks.
November/December
Dates change every year: check this year's date before you travel.
The festival
The Village de Noël in Liège has been installed since 1987 and is considered the oldest Christmas market in Belgium. The concept is a village, not a row of stalls: the chalets form narrow streets and small squares on place Saint-Lambert and place du Marché, in front of the Palace of the Prince-Bishops and the Perron, a symbol of the city’s liberties.
More than a hundred chalets sell crafts, decorations and regional products, alongside food and drink stalls. There are heated areas to eat, daily entertainment and an area dedicated to a guest of honor at each edition. On place de la Cathédrale, an ice rink operates at the same time and usually stays open until the first days of January.
The market is part of a year-end program in Liège, with lights across the center and events in other neighborhoods. The city is close to Germany and the Netherlands, and the market receives many visitors from those countries.
For the traveler, the Village de Noël is a good reason to include Liège on a December trip, taking the opportunity to try péket and the city’s specialties.
Strolling through the chalets’ narrow streets at dusk. The view of the illuminated Palace of the Prince-Bishops. The ice rink on place de la Cathédrale.
Arrive by train at Liège-Saint-Lambert station, next to the market, or at Liège-Guillemins and take the tram. Monday through Thursday is less busy. Go at dusk to see the market by daylight and lit up.
Hot spiced péket, mulled wine, Liège waffles, croustillons, boûkètes, regional sausages and cheeses.
December weekends attract many visitors; book accommodation in advance. The market usually closes before New Year’s; check the dates for each edition.
In the city
Flavors of Belgium
November/December
Your questions
From late November to late December, for about five weeks. The ice rink usually stays open until early January.
On place Saint-Lambert and place du Marché in central Liège, in front of the Palace of the Prince-Bishops.
Festivals and events in Belgium
February/MarchFrom Carnival Sunday to Shrove Tuesday, the three days before Ash Wednesday, in February or March depending on the date of Easter.
The Binche carnival, in the province of Hainaut, culminates on Shrove Tuesday with the Gilles, figures wearing wax masks and ostrich-feather hats who dance through the streets to the sound of drums and throw oranges to the crowd.
February/MarchFrom Saturday to midnight on Fat Tuesday, before the start of Lent, in February or March, depending on the date of Easter.
The Cwarmê is Malmedy’s carnival, in the Ardennes: four days when masked figures such as the Haguètes take to the streets, everything is spoken and sung in Walloon, up to the burning of the Haguète on the final night.
March/AprilOn Laetare Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Lent, three weeks before Easter, in March or early April; from Saturday to Monday.
Three weeks before Easter, Stavelot celebrates Laetare with the Blancs Moussis, figures dressed in white with long red-nosed masks who go through the town throwing confetti at the crowd.
May/JuneOn the weekend of the Holy Trinity, the Sunday after Pentecost, between May and June, depending on the date of Easter.
On Trinity weekend, Mons carries the relic of Saint Waltrude on a gilded carriage through the streets and stages the Lumeçon, Saint George’s fight with the dragon, on the Grand-Place.
MayEvery three years, on the second Sunday in May. · Every three years
Every three years, on the second Sunday in May, Ypres celebrates cats with the Kattenstoet, a parade of floats, giants and costumes that culminates with the town jester throwing stuffed cats from the Lakenhalle bell tower.
May/JuneOn Ascension Day, a Thursday forty days after Easter, in May or early June.
On Ascension Day, the relic of the Holy Blood is carried out of the basilica on Burg Square and processes through Bruges’ medieval centre in a parade with biblical scenes, singing, music and horses, an intangible UNESCO heritage event.
