Verviers is a city in the province of Liège in Wallonia in Belgium. It used to be an important industrial centre and nowadays is a beautiful city of 55,000 located on the foot of the Ardennes.
Verviers has been an early industrial centre thanks to ample supply of water power and developed into a major production hub for textiles and especially wool products. While the light industry mostly disappeared in the latter half of the 20th century, Verviers retains quite a bit of industrial heritage, a museum dedicated to it and is still a seat of water management bodies for the region. It is also quite a beautiful town thanks to its picturesquely hilly landscape and elegant 19th-century buildings in the centre. Finally, Verviers lays the claim to being the origin of tarte au riz, a pie popular in the region and one of Belgium's culinary highlights.
- Regional Tourist Centre, Rue Jules Cerexhe 86, +32 87 30 79 26.
Regional Tourist Centre, Rue Jules Cerexhe 86, +32 87 30 79 26.
- Wool and Fashion Tourist Centre, Rue de la Chapelle 30, +32 87 30 79 20. It is housed in a beautiful former factory with a Neoclassical-style façade. €6 regular, €5 concession.
- Grand Theatre. It was built in the same style at the end of the 19th century.
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- The Grand Poste. It was built in the Neogothic style.
- Palais de Justice, Rue du Tribunal 4.
- Hôtel de Ville, Place du Marché 55.
Wool and Fashion Tourist Centre, Rue de la Chapelle 30, +32 87 30 79 20. It is housed in a beautiful former factory with a Neoclassical-style façade. €6 regular, €5 concession.
Grand Theatre. It was built in the same style at the end of the 19th century.
The Grand Poste. It was built in the Neogothic style.
Palais de Justice, Rue du Tribunal 4.
Hôtel de Ville, Place du Marché 55.
- Société Royale d'Harmonie, Rue de l'Harmonie 49, +32 87 46 31 96. A historic venue hosting a variety of concerts and cultural events.
Société Royale d'Harmonie, Rue de l'Harmonie 49, +32 87 46 31 96. A historic venue hosting a variety of concerts and cultural events.
- Grand Bazar. A historic shopping centre bought back by the city in 2015 in order to redevelop into a new commercial hub for the city centre.
- Crescend d'Eau. A regular strip mall with a selection of chain stores
Grand Bazar. A historic shopping centre bought back by the city in 2015 in order to redevelop into a new commercial hub for the city centre.
Crescend d'Eau. A regular strip mall with a selection of chain stores
A regional speciality of the Verviers region is the tarte au riz. Its golden appearance and rice cooked in creamy milk make it an exquisite dessert to try out. In Verviers you can buy tartes au riz made by local producers in the following places:
- Boulangerie Darcis, Rue Crapaurue 121-123-125, +32 87 33 98 15.
- Boulangerie Georges, Rue des Minières 55, +32 87 22 33 01.
- Boulangerie Larondelle, Grand Place 47, Ensival, +32 87 33 25 78.
- Au Vieux Cerexhe, Rue Jules Cerexhe 84, +32 87 33 78 49.
Au Vieux Cerexhe, Rue Jules Cerexhe 84, +32 87 33 78 49.
Boulangerie Darcis, Rue Crapaurue 121-123-125, +32 87 33 98 15.
Boulangerie Georges, Rue des Minières 55, +32 87 22 33 01.
Boulangerie Larondelle, Grand Place 47, Ensival, +32 87 33 25 78.
Verviers is not a very large city and you may find yourself running out of things to see and do. Fortunately, in this densely-populated region of Europe, there are many interesting destinations within about half an hour by train:
- Verviers is one of the few Belgian cities with a direct train connection to Spa - yes, the original spa, with a Formula 1 racing circuit to boot!
- The same trains continue in the other direction to the historic German city of Aachen
- Liège, the provincial capital and largest city of Wallonia is also within 20 minutes by train