Les Côteaux de la Citadelle - Fond des Tawes - Bernalmont - Old Liège

Park in the car park behind the Citadel and the CHR, at the end of Rue des Glacis, or even on the CHR site itself (usually free at weekends).

(S/E) Walk to the front of the CHR, keeping to the right, cross to Boulevard du^12e de Ligne opposite and turn left. This boulevard is extended by Boulevard du^14e de Ligne and Boulevard du^2e Lanciers, both of which are closed to traffic.

(1) Two unobstructed views of the city (^14e de Ligne monument, then 100 m further on, observation platform). Continue down the boulevard to the end (barriers preventing vehicle access). Take the paved path on the right, just before a tennis court, and continue on the path slightly below, taking the fork on the right (you can also join the path in question a little further on).

Ignore the paths on the right. The path, now unpaved, leaves the tree cover and enters a meadow (path not very marked). Continue downhill, leaving the barracks on your right, and re-enter the woods. The path leads to Rue Fond des Tawes.

(2) Go up it on the left. When it starts to turn left, take the small paved path (Rue Coupée) that goes straight up. Pass the Walthère Dewé Memorial Chapel in a bend and continue climbing on the right on the same road.

(3) Just before reaching the top, turn left onto a gravel area (cubic mesh filled with pebbles prevents vehicles from entering) which opens onto a vast grassy plateau: this is the former Bonne-Fin & Banneux mine. Take the path, which is not very visible, through the tall grass, perpendicular to Rue Coupée and parallel to the wooded area, and join the woods opposite.

Follow the main path, which curves slightly to the right, following the contours of the land. After a few hundred metres, you will reach the other end of the meadow. The meadow stretches between two wooded areas. The path passes through the centre and joins Rue Haut des Tawes. Pass to the left of the concrete slab marking the former well and climb over the ditch.

Continue right on Rue Haut des Tawes (leaving Rue Coupé on your right), cross Boulevard Hector Denis, and continue straight ahead. As soon as the lane forms an "S" shape, turn left onto the Bure Rossignol path, pass between two properties and head towards the Batterie Nouveau slag heap.

(4) At the foot of the slag heap, take the path on the left. Before it curves to the left, at a small football pitch, take the path on the right and start climbing the slag heap. It is a steep and slippery slope.
Shortcut: turn right and rejoin the route further on at point 6 to avoid climbing the slag heap.

(5) The top of the slag heap offers a magnificent view of the city, the towers of the Droixhe district, the Meuse River and, in the background, the beginning of the Herve Plateau!
Descend via the path on the left and rejoin the trail that circles the slag heap.
Note: You can also take the path that descends straight down from the top of the slag heap to join the circular path, but it is very steep, slippery and narrow.
When the circular path leaves the wooded area and enters a grassy area, go straight ahead through the tall grass (the path is not very visible) and pass through the curtain of trees to reach a straight path.

(6) Take it to the left, passing in front of a few houses lined up on Rue du Preay. You will come out on Rue Walthère Dewé. Go down it to the right until you reach the roundabout.
At the roundabout, turn left onto Rue Haut Pavé, then immediately right onto the small Rue Chapeauville. Follow it to the end and take the path on the left. This turns right and follows the Bernalmont golf course.

When this path bends to the right and is partially paved, take the path on the left (not very visible) that crosses the golf course perpendicularly. When you reach two large bushes, continue slightly to the right on the path that joins Rue Lavaniste-Voie. Follow this street to the right until the end and turn right.

(7) Continue down Rue du Baron. At the intersection with Rue Renardi, cross and take Rue Charles Gothier, which soon turns into a path leading up to a larger street. Walk down this street for 25 metres until you reach the intersection with Boulevard Ernest Solvay, which forms a circular loop at this point. Cross it and walk up it (behind the bus stop) for about 30 metres to take the grassy path on the left below, which climbs slightly. This path then follows the contour lines through a wood.

Leave the path at the second fork (path with wooden steps sloping downwards) and head to the bottom of Boulevard E. Solvay. Turn right, cross the crossroads and take Impasse Marcors, just opposite. This road overlooks and follows the railway line leading to Gare du Palais station.

(8) Continue along the path running alongside the railway line.
Shortcut: the path slanting off to the right winds back to the starting point.
Continue straight on Ruelle du Bâneux. This continues as a path that passes over the railway tunnel and leads to Esplanade Saint-Léonard, the site of the former prison of the same name.

(9) Turn right before the footbridge.
Shortcut: here too, after going around the wall, you can go straight back up to the citadel.
Cross the square diagonally to the right and join Rue du Potay, then Rue Delfosse and Rue Saint-Barthélemy. Pass in front of the collegiate church of the same name, which houses the famous baptismal font.

(10) Then turn right into Rue des Brasseurs. At number 18, take the porch on the right to enter Cour Saint-Antoine, and exit onto Rue Hors-Château. Cross and turn left. Turn right into Impasse de l'Ange and return via Impasse de la Couronne. A little further on, go back and forth along Impasse Venta. Continue along Rue Hors-Château until you reach Rue Montagne de Bueren.

(11) Take this street to the foot of the stairs and take the small street on the left, Impasse des Ursulines. Follow it as it goes around a brasserie and alternates between paths and stairs to climb halfway up the hill. Take the path on the left at the top of a narrow staircase, continue along the path and continue on the "Terrasses".

(12) From the Terrasses, you can descend (and then return) to the Vieux Joncs tower. (If necessary, you can cross it and continue down to Rue du Palais below). Climb back up to the Terrasses and take the footbridge that leads to the Cour des Minimes.
NB: If the gate is closed, go back down and go around the wall on the left, where a path leads to a staircase that joins the bottom of Rue Pierreuse. Go back up this street.
From the Cour des Minimes, go down Rue Au Péri, which joins Rue Pierreuse. Walk up this street for about a hundred metres.

(13) Just after No. 111, go under the porch (on the left) and continue straight ahead, passing through the barrier and taking the Sentier Favechamps (La Ville aux Champs) which goes uphill (a few wooden steps). At the end of the path, continue to the right. The wooded path runs alongside an orchard, then a fairly high hedge (on the right) and a steep embankment (on the left), ending at Chemin de la Citadelle.

Cross this road and take the stairs leading to Boulevard du^2e de Ligne. Cross the boulevard to enter Parc de la Citadelle. Take the second path on the right, then the third on the right to reach the entrance to Enclos des Fusillés.

(14) Cross this site in a straight line and take the path at the far left that leads to the car parks (S/E).
NB: Go around the site on the left if the gate is closed.

Wear sturdy shoes, as the route includes some steep hills and muddy sections in wet weather.

If you wish to avoid the strenuous climb, you can take a bus towards the Citadel/CHR from Place Saint-Lambert: lines 71, 72, 70.

- Views of the city and surrounding area from Boulevard du 2° Lanciers and the Batterie slag heap.
- The old town with the Collegiate Church of Saint-Barthélemy, the Cour Saint-Antoine, the cul-de-sacs perpendicular to Rue Hors-Château, and the Museum of Walloon Life at the end of Rue Hors-Château.
- The Market Square, where you can refresh yourself with a good Trappist beer around the Perron before heading back up to the Citadel.
- Behind the Town Hall, the Maison du Peket offers a wide range of refreshing cocktails made with genever.