Liège Christmas Market

The Belgian city of Liège is a popular tourist destination. It is the largest city in the country’s francophone region of Wallonia. Liège is known for hosting one of the oldest and biggest Christmas markets in Belgium which attracts thousands of visitors, locals and tourists alike. The Liège Christmas market is a great reason to visit the city in winter, when it is decorated with thousands of lights and filled with the aroma of freshly baked pastry and spices, and the sounds of Christmas carols.

The Liège Christmas market is a part of the city’s Christmas Village (Village de Noël de Liège) which opens right before Advent and transforms the city center into a place filled with the magical spirit of Christmas festivities. Liège’s Christmas Village is an authentic village with a Village Council, a town hall, a church, and a post office. The Village Council comprises a Mayor, aldermen and councilors in charge of all festive activities carried out during the Christmas season.

The first Christmas Village in Liège took place in 1986 in the city’s central square, Place du Marché. It was quite a modest Christmas market that lasted for a week. Over the years, it has grown to become one of the most anticipated events in Liège and one of the largest Christmas markets in Belgium. Today, the village opens in late November and runs through late December, typically closing on December 30. It is held on the three central squares in Liège – Place du Marché, Place Saint-Lambert and Place Cathédrale.

The Liège Christmas market features 200 decorated chalets, where local merchants and artisans sell a variety of Christmas goods many of which are handcrafted. Food stalls offer traditional Christmas treats, local delicacies and hot drinks to keep visitors warm. For a few years now, one of the main highlights of the village has been a showcase of hand-blown, hand-painted glass Christmas baubles depicting a series of characters from local folklore: Nanesse, Tchantchès, Marcatchou, the Gilles of Binche, etc. The collection grows every year to include new extraordinary pieces.

The entertainment program of Liège’s Christmas Village features amusement rides (including a large Ferris wheel), a sledging slope, an ice rink, performances by musical ensembles, choirs and folk dancing groups, balloon sculptors, and more. The Christmas Village cooperates with local businesses and event organizers to host unique events such as the European Circus Festival and the International Ice Sculpture Festival. No wonder that it attracts an estimate 2 million people every year.