Montagne de Bueren

Montagne de Bueren, Liège, Belgium

Liège is not a city I've ever considered exploring, learning and appreciating its pleasures. I've passed it many times on the way to and from the Ardennes but it was only this autumn that I decided to stop and see something of the city. Having just six hours at my disposal, I'd made a note of a couple of apparently decent restaurants for lunch and a couple of museums with local themes. In the end I visited just one place, the one on the top of my short list: the Montagne de Bueren.

Liège did not disproved expectations as the car moved from the Ardennes highway to the city centre: everything seemed drab and tired; lively on a Sunday morning but uninspiring. I parked the car at the first available spot near my destination, much to the frustration of several cars behind me, who weren't thrilled at the good luck of a vehicle with Dutch number plates. For about five minutes I walked along a street that didn't even give a single sign of former glory but suddenly I saw to my right the 374 steps, bathed in the pale light of the misty noon.

Climbing the stairs was a transition in time, from the disappointing present to past decades reflected in the morphology of buildings that were often in poor repair but nevertheless quite joyful as they perched on their plots enjoying the sunshine and the view. The air remained misty but even so it was clear why people braved the discomforts of living along a steep stairway.

The Citadelle at the top of the hill was little more than a colourless urban park. With delight I left it largely unexplored and returned to descend the Montagne. The only thing I regretted was the growing number of tourists. Perversely, I always expect to be the only one among the locals.