Liège facts for kids
Liège (Walloon: Lîdje, Dutch: Luik, German: Lüttich) is a city in Belgium. It is the cultural centre of the Walloon region of Belgium and the capital of the province of Liège. Liège is also seat of a Roman Catholic bishop. In 2007, 188,907 people lived there.
It is at 50° 38 North, 05° 34 East.
The first written trace of the city was found in 558 as Leodicum or Vicus Leodicus. From 717, Liege was made the seat of a bishopric and became a cultural centre in the Middle Ages. These bishops ruled the city as Prince-Bishops until the 1790s. In the French Revolution, the cathedral was damaged, partially burned down and then completely detroyed. In the 19th century, the city lived on coal-mining, steel industry and trade. The region was the second biggest economic center in Europe after the UK in the 19th century.
Today Liege is a major educational hub, with a university and many high schools. It is a crossing point in Europe, Liège has the second biggest inner harbour and the 8th biggest cargo airport in Europe (Liège Airport). The city, that had a lot of problems since the 1970s because of the end of the steel industry and coal-mining, is now having a good economy thanks to the logistics and high tech industry (biotechnology, space industry, IT).
Images for kids
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Liège in 1650
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Liège in 1627
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Inauguration of the statue of Charlemagne, 26 July 1868
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View from Montagne de Bueren
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Panorama of the city of Liège. Photo taken from the heights of the Citadel (left bank of the river Meuse).
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The stairway of the Montagne de Bueren.
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Traditional Liégeois puppets
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Liège, the Sunday "Batte" market
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Stade Maurice Dufrasne, home to football club Standard Liège.
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Pont de Fragnée
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Liège at night, photography taken from the ISS in December 2012
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Statue of Charlemagne in the centre of Liège
See also
In Spanish: Lieja para niños
