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98-605: TRAPPIST is controlled from Liège , Belgium , with some autonomous features. It consists of two 60 cm (24 in) reflecting robotic telescopes located at the ESO La Silla Observatory (housed in the dome of the retired Swiss T70 telescope ) in Chile and at Oukaïmeden Observatory in Morocco. The 60 cm f/8 Ritchey–Chrétien design telescopes and New Technology Mount NTM-500 were built by ASTELCO Systems,

196-405: A backronym , referring to traditional Belgian Trappist beer . Li%C3%A8ge Liège ( / l i ˈ ɛ ʒ , l i ˈ eɪ ʒ / lee- EZH , lee- AYZH ; French: [ljɛʒ] ; Walloon : Lîdje [liːtʃ] ; Dutch : Luik [lœyk] ; German : Lüttich [ˈlʏtɪç] ) is a city and municipality of Wallonia , and

294-500: A city council , a mayor and a number of aldermen . The city council, a 39-member legislative body directly elected every four years, appoints the aldermen on the basis of a coalition agreement between two or more parties after each election. The mayor and aldermen make up the executive branch of the municipal government. The mayor from 2002, Gerd Leers ( CDA ), resigned in January 2010 following allegations of irregularities in

392-478: A martyr for his faith. To enshrine St. Lambert's relics , his successor, Hubertus (later to become St. Hubert), built a basilica near the bishop's residence which became the true nucleus of the city. A few centuries later, the city became the capital of a prince-bishopric , which lasted from 985 till 1794. The first prince-bishop , Notger , transformed the city into a major intellectual and ecclesiastical centre, which maintained its cultural importance during

490-400: A bus stop. There were six fatalities, including the attacker (who shot himself), and 123 people were injured. On 29 May 2018, two female police officers and one civilian—a 22-year-old man—were shot dead by a gunman near a café on Boulevard d'Avroy in central Liège. The attacker then began firing at the officers in an attempt to escape, injuring a number of them "around their legs", before he

588-584: A company in Germany. The CCD camera was built by Finger Lakes Instrumentation (USA), providing a 22 x 22 arcminutes field of view. The camera is fitted with a double filter wheel, allowing 12 different filters and one clear position. The telescope condominium is a joint venture between the University of Liège , Belgium, and Geneva Observatory , Switzerland, and among other tasks, it specializes in searching for comets and exoplanets . In November 2010, it

686-756: A democratic spirit in Liège that survived the Middle Ages. At the end of the Liège Wars , a rebellion took place against rule from Burgundy . In 1468 Duke Charles the Bold of Burgundy, witnessed by King Louis XI of France , captured and largely destroyed the city after a bitter siege which was ended with a successful surprise attack. The rebellion figures prominently in the plot of Sir Walter Scott 's 1823 novel Quentin Durward . The Prince-Bishopric of Liège

784-459: A double-decked tunnel. Before 2016, the A2 motorway ran through the city; heavily congested, it caused air pollution in the urban area. Construction of a two-level tunnel designed to solve these problems started in 2011 and was opened (in stages) by December 2016. In spite of several large underground car parks, parking in the city centre forms a major problem during weekends and bank holidays because of

882-526: A frequent target of armies and insurgencies over the centuries. It was fortified early on with a castle on the steep hill that overlooks the city's western side. During this medieval period, three women from the Liège region made significant contributions to Christian spirituality: Elizabeth Spaakbeek, Christina the Astonishing , and Marie of Oignies . In 1345, the citizens of Liège rebelled against Prince-Bishop Engelbert III de la Marck , their ruler at

980-555: A hard-headed but resourceful Walloon boy who lived during Charlemagne 's times. Tchantchès is remembered with a statue, a museum, and a number of puppets found all over the city. Liège hosts one of the oldest and biggest Christmas Markets in Belgium, and the oldest kermesse , the Foire de Liège held each year from 28 October. The city is well known for its very crowded folk festivals. The 15 August festival ("Le 15 août") may be

1078-477: A holiday villa project in Bulgaria owned by Leers. He was replaced by Onno Hoes , a Liberal ( VVD ), the only male mayor in the country officially married to a man. In 2013 Hoes was subject to controversy after disclosures of intimate affairs with several other men, although he remained mayor. After a new affair in 2014, Hoes eventually stepped down. From July 2015, Annemarie Penn-te Strake became mayor. She

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1176-451: A legend of Saint Servatius, one of the earliest works in Dutch literature . The two main churches acquired a wealth of relics and the septennial Maastricht Pilgrimage became a major event that drew up to 100,000 pilgrims. Unlike most Dutch towns, Maastricht did not receive city rights at a certain date. These gradually developed during its long history. In 1204 the city's dual authority

1274-514: A major river crossing necessitated the construction of an array of fortifications around the city during this period. The Spanish and Dutch garrisons became an important factor in the city's economy. In 1579 the city was sacked by the Spanish army led by the Duke of Parma ( Siege of Maastricht, 1579 ). For over fifty years the Spanish crown took over the role previously held by the dukes of Brabant in

1372-682: A month. Since the 1980s, a number of European and international institutions have made Maastricht their base. They provide an increasing number of employment opportunities for expats living in the Maastricht area. Maastricht is known in the Netherlands and beyond for its lively squares, narrow streets, and historic buildings. The city has 1,677 national heritage buildings ( rijksmonumenten ), more than any Dutch city outside Amsterdam. In addition to that there are 3,500 locally listed buildings ( gemeentelijke monumenten ). The entire city centre

1470-422: A rampage and severely damaged the central railway station Guillemins. The unrest was so intense that "army troops had to wade through caltrops , trees, concrete blocks, car and crane wrecks to advance. Streets were dug up. Liège saw the worst fighting on 6 January 1961. In all, 75 people were injured during seven hours of street battles." On 6 December 1985, the city's courthouse was heavily damaged and one person

1568-399: A river") with the later addition of Maas "Meuse" to avoid the confusion with the -trecht of Utrecht having exactly the same original form and etymology. The Latin name first appears in medieval documents and it is not known whether * Trajectu(s) was Maastricht's name during Roman times. A resident of Maastricht is referred to as Maastrichtenaar whilst in the local dialect it

1666-496: A total population of 749,110 on 1 January 2008. This includes a total of 52 municipalities, among others, Herstal and Seraing . Liège ranks as the third most populous urban area in Belgium, after Brussels and Antwerp , and the fourth municipality after Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi . The city is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion . The name is of Germanic origin and is reconstructible as * liudik- , from

1764-517: Is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands . It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg . Maastricht is located on both sides of the Meuse ( Dutch : Maas ), at the point where the river is joined by the Jeker . Mount Saint Peter ( Sint-Pietersberg ) is largely situated within the city's municipal borders. Maastricht is adjacent to the border with Belgium and

1862-485: Is a city of linguistic diversity, partly as a result of its location at the crossroads of multiple language areas and its international student population. Religions in Maastricht (2013) In 2010–2014, 69.8% of the population of Maastricht regarded themselves as religious. 60.4% of the total population stated an affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. 13.9% attended a religious ceremony at least once

1960-608: Is a conservation area ( beschermd stadsgezicht ) and largely traffic-free. The tourist information office ( VVV ) is located in the basement of Dinghuis, a late-medieval courthouse overlooking Grote Staat. Maastricht's main sights include: Furthermore, the Maastricht Exposition and Congress Centre (MECC) hosts many events throughout the year. There are several city parks and recreational areas in Maastricht: The municipal government of Maastricht consists of

2058-401: Is a large Italian community, and Italian can be heard in many places. The city has a number of football teams, most notably Standard Liège , who have won several championships and which was previously owned by Roland Duchâtelet , and R.F.C. de Liège , one of the oldest football clubs in Belgium. It is also known for being the club who refused to release Jean-Marc Bosman , a case which led to

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2156-551: Is considered the heartland of the Carolingian dynasty . At this time, the town was an important centre for river trade and manufacturing. Merovingian coins minted in Maastricht have been found throughout Europe. In 881 the town was plundered by the Vikings . In the 10th century it briefly became the capital of the duchy of Lower Lorraine . During the 11th and 12th centuries the town flourished culturally. Several provosts of

2254-414: Is either Mestreechteneer or, colloquially, Sjeng (derived from the formerly popular French name Jean ). Neanderthal remains have been found to the west of Maastricht (Belvédère excavations). Of a later date are Palaeolithic remains, between 8,000 and 25,000 years old. Celts lived here around 500 BC, at a spot where the river Meuse was shallow and therefore easy to cross. It is not known when

2352-503: Is going down and now is a mere shadow of its former self, the manufacture of steel goods remain important. The economy of the region is now diversified; the most important centres are: Mechanical industries ( Aircraft engine and Spacecraft propulsion ), space technology, information technology , biotechnology and the production of water , beer or chocolate . Liège has an important group of headquarters dedicated to high-technology, such as Techspace Aero , which manufactures pieces for

2450-471: Is mentioned in ancient documents as [Ad] Treiectinsem [urbem] ab. 575, Treiectensis in 634, Triecto , Triectu in 7th century, Triiect in 768–781, Traiecto in 945, Masetrieth in 1051. The place name Maastricht is an Old Dutch compound Masa- (> Maas "the Meuse river") + Old Dutch *treiekt , itself borrowed from Gallo-Romance *TRA(I)ECTU cf. its Walloon name li trek , from Classical Latin trajectus (" ford , passage, place to cross

2548-834: Is operated by Arriva . The National Railway Company of Belgium runs south to Liège in Belgium . The westbound railway to Hasselt (Belgium) closed in 1954. The former railway to Aachen was closed down in the 1980s. However, Aachen can still be reached via Heerlen. Regular bus lines connect the city centre, outer areas, business districts and railway stations. The regional Arriva bus network extends to most parts of South Limburg and Aachen (Germany). Regional buses by De Lijn connect Maastricht with Hasselt , Tongeren and Maasmechelen , and one bus connects Maastricht with Liège , operated by TEC . Various bus companies such as Flixbus and Eurolines provide intercity bus services from Maastricht to many European destinations. Maastricht

2646-597: Is owned by the Walloon government along with some private investors. The Port of Liège , located on the river Meuse , is the 3rd largest river port in Europe. Liège also has direct links to Antwerp through the Albert Canal and to Rotterdam via the river Meuse. It stretches over a distance of 26 kilometres and comprises 32 port areas and covers 3.7 square kilometres. Liège is served by many direct rail links with

2744-423: Is part of the Meuse-Rhine Euroregion , an international metropolis with a population of about 3.9 million, which includes the nearby German and Belgian cities of Aachen , Liège , and Hasselt . Maastricht developed from a Roman settlement ( Trajectum ad Mosam ) to a medieval river trade and religious centre. In the 16th century it became a garrison town and in the 19th century an early industrial centre. Today,

2842-675: Is served by the nearby Maastricht Aachen Airport ( IATA : MST , ICAO : EHBK ), in nearby Beek , and it is informally referred to by that name. The airport is located about 10 kilometres (6 miles) north of the city centre. The airport is served by Corendon Dutch Airlines and Ryanair which operate scheduled flights to destinations around the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, North-Africa and also London Stansted Airport from March 2022. There are also charter flights to Lourdes which are operated by Enter Air . Maastricht has

2940-550: Is the Place du Marché. The "Batte" market is where most locals visit on Sundays. The outdoor market goes along the river Meuse and also attracts many visitors to Liège. The market typically runs from early morning to 2 o'clock in the afternoon every Sunday year long. Produce, clothing, and snack vendors are the main concentration of the market. Liège is home to the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (English: Royal Opera of Wallonia ) and

3038-468: The Airbus A380 or the rocket Ariane 5 . Other stand-out sectors include Amós which manufactures optical components for telescopes and Drytec , which produces compressed air dryers. Liège also has many other electronic companies such as SAP , EVS , Gillam , AnB , Balteau , IP Trade . Other prominent businesses are the global leader in light armament FN Herstal , the beer company Jupiler ,

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3136-482: The Bosman ruling . In spring, Liège hosts the start and finish of the annual Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling race , one of the spring classics and the oldest of the five monuments of cycling . The race starts in the centre of Liège, before heading south to Bastogne and returning north to finish in the industrial suburb of Ans . Traveling through the hilly Ardennes , it is one of the longest and most arduous races of

3234-407: The Dutch soft drug policy , individuals may buy cannabis from 'coffeeshops' under certain conditions. From the 1980s, Maastricht saw a growing influx of ' drug tourists ', mainly from neighbouring Belgium, France and Germany. The city government attempted to reduce negative side effects, including illegal sale of hard drugs in the city centre and anti-social behaviour. A 2008 proposal to relocate

3332-469: The General strike against Leopold III of Belgium and "seized control over the city of Liège". The strike ultimately led to Leopold's abdication. Liège began to suffer from a relative decline of its industry, particularly the coal industry, and later the steel industry, producing high levels of unemployment and stoking social tension. During the 1960–1961 Winter General Strike , disgruntled workers went on

3430-630: The Great Powers allocated the city to the Netherlands. However, neither the Dutch nor the Belgians agreed to this and the arrangement was not implemented until the 1839 Treaty of London . During this period of isolation Maastricht developed into an early industrial town. Because of its eccentric location in the southeastern Netherlands, as well as its geographical and cultural proximity to Belgium and Germany, integration of Maastricht and Limburg into

3528-620: The Middle Ages . Pope Clement VI recruited several musicians from Liège to perform in the Papal court at Avignon , thereby sanctioning the practice of polyphony in the religious realm. The city was renowned for its many churches, the oldest of which, St Martin's, dates from 682. Although nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire , in practice it possessed a large degree of independence. The strategic position of Liège has made it

3626-637: The Russian Far East and the fellow Francophone province of Quebec . Summers are also moderated by the maritime air, with average temperatures being similar to areas as far north as in Scandinavia . Being inland though, Liège has a relatively low winter seasonal lag . On 1 January 2013, the municipality of Liège had a total population of 197,013. The metropolitan area has about 750,000 inhabitants. Its inhabitants are predominantly French -speaking, with German and Dutch-speaking minorities. Akin to

3724-528: The Sint Servaasbrug . Throughout the Middle Ages, the city remained a centre for trade and manufacturing principally of wool and leather but gradually economic decline set in. After a brief period of economic prosperity around 1500, the city's economy suffered during the wars of religion of the 16th and 17th centuries, and recovery did not happen until the industrial revolution in the early 19th century. The strategic location of Maastricht at

3822-639: The Thirty Years' War , the city was besieged by Imperial forces under Johann von Werth from April to July. The army, mainly consisting of mercenaries, extensively and viciously plundered the surrounding bishopric during the siege. The Duke of Marlborough captured the city from the Bavarian prince-bishop and his French allies in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession . In the middle of

3920-535: The United Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. It was made the capital of the newly formed Province of Limburg (1815–1839) . When the southern provinces of the newly formed kingdom seceded in 1830 , the Dutch garrison in Maastricht remained loyal to the Dutch king, William I , even when most of the inhabitants of the town and the surrounding area sided with the Belgian revolutionaries. In 1831, arbitration by

4018-542: The United Kingdom of the Netherlands . Dutch rule lasted only until 1830, when the Belgian Revolution led to the establishment of an independent, Catholic and neutral Belgium which incorporated Liège. After this, Liège developed rapidly into a major industrial city which became one of continental Europe's first large-scale steel making centres. The Walloon Jacquerie of 1886 saw a large-scale working class revolt. No less than 6,000 regular troops were called into

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4116-410: The University of Liège in Belgium , used the telescope to observe the ultracool dwarf star 2MASS J23062928-0502285, now also known as TRAPPIST-1 . By utilising transit photometry , they discovered seven terrestrial planets, at least three of which were Earth-sized, orbiting the star; the innermost two were found to be tidally locked to their host star while the outermost appears to lie either within

4214-505: The Virgin Mary . It is one of the biggest folkloric displays in the city, with a religious procession, a flea market, dances, concerts, and a series of popular games. Nowadays these celebrations start a few days earlier and last until the 16th. Some citizens open their doors to party goers, and serve "peket", the traditional local alcohol. This tradition is linked to the important folkloric character Tchantchès ( Walloon for François ),

4312-671: The comte d'Artagnan , was killed by a musket shot outside the Tongerse Poort. This event was embellished in Alexandre Dumas' novel The Vicomte de Bragelonne , part of the D'Artagnan Romances . French troops occupied Maastricht from 1673 to 1678. In 1748 the French again conquered the city at what is known as the Second French Siege of Maastricht , during the War of Austrian Succession . After each siege

4410-470: The 4th-century castrum walls and gates, have been excavated. Fragments of provincial Roman sculptures, as well as coins, jewelry, glass, pottery and other objects from Roman Maastricht are on display in the exhibition space of the city's public library ( Centre Céramique ). According to legend, the Armenian -born Saint Servatius , Bishop of Tongeren , died in Maastricht in 384 where he was interred along

4508-507: The Bavarian royal house of Wittelsbach , with second sons of the Bavarian monarch ruling as prince-bishop. Beginning with the ascension of Ernest of Bavaria in 1581, Bavarian princes ruled over Cologne , Münster , and other bishoprics in the northwest of the Holy Roman Empire in addition to Liège. Ferdinand of Bavaria (bishop) ruled from 1612 to 1650, and Maximilian Henry of Bavaria ruled from 1650 to 1688. In 1636, during

4606-770: The Germanic word * liudiz "people", which is found in for example Dutch lui(den) , lieden , Polish "ludzie", Czech "lidé", German Leute , Old English lēod (English lede ), Icelandic lýður ("people"), Latvian ļaudis ("people"), Lithuanian liaudis ("people"). It is found in Ukrainian as liudy ("people"), in Russian as russian: люди, romanised: liudi ("people"), in Latin as Leodicum or Leodium , in Middle Dutch as ludic or ludeke . Until 17 September 1946,

4704-572: The Germans until the end of the war. Liège received the Légion d'Honneur for its resistance in 1914. As part of Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg 's Septemberprogramm , Berlin planned to annexe Liege under the name Lüttich to the German Empire in any post-war peace agreement. The Germans returned in 1940 , this time taking the forts in only three days. Most Jews were saved, with

4802-679: The Meuse valley and the Ardennes en route to France. The German invasion of Belgium on 5 August 1914 soon reached Liège, which was defended by 30,000 troops under General Gérard Leman in the Battle of Liège . The forts initially held off General Alexander von Kluck 's German First Army of about 100,000 men but were pulverised into submission by a five-day bombardment by heavy artillery, including thirty-two 21 cm mortars and two German 42 cm Big Bertha howitzers . Due to faulty planning of

4900-474: The Netherlands did not come about easily. Maastricht retained a distinctly non-Dutch appearance during much of the 19th century and it was not until the First World War that the city was forced to look northwards. Like the rest of the Netherlands, Maastricht remained neutral during World War I. However, being wedged between Germany and Belgium, it received large numbers of refugees, putting a strain on

4998-531: The Netherlands, making Liège the first city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours. Liège is also home to boxer Ermano Fegatilli , the current European Boxing Union Super Featherweight champion. Liège is the most important city of the Walloon region from an economic perspective. In the past, Liège was one of the most important industrial centres in Europe, particularly in steel -making. Starting in 1817, John Cockerill extensively developed

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5096-613: The Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de Liège (OPRL) (English: Liège Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ). The city annually hosts a significant electro-rock festival Les Ardentes and jazz festival Jazz à Liège . Liège has active alternative cinemas, Le Churchill, Le Parc and Le Sauvenière. There are also two mainstream cinemas, the Kinepolis multiplexes. Liège also has a particular Walloon dialect, sometimes said to be one of Belgium's most distinctive. There

5194-495: The Roman road, outside the castrum. According to Gregory of Tours it was bishop Monulph who around 570 built the first stone church on the grave of Servatius, a precursor of the present-day Basilica of Saint Servatius . The city remained an early Christian diocese until it lost the distinction to nearby Liège in the 8th or 9th century. In the early Middle Ages Maastricht, along with Aachen and Liège , formed part of what

5292-463: The Romans arrived in Maastricht, nor whether the settlement was founded by them. The Romans built a bridge across the Meuse in the 1st century AD, during the reign of Augustus Caesar . The bridge was an important link in the main road between Bavay and Cologne . Roman Maastricht was relatively small. Remains of the Roman road, the bridge, a religious shrine, a Roman bath , a granary , some houses and

5390-591: The University; for a few days before the event, students (wearing very dirty lab-coats) beg for money, mostly for drinking. Liège is renowned for its nightlife. Within the pedestrian zone behind the Opera House, there is a square city block known locally as Le Carré (the Square) with many lively pubs which are reputed to remain open until the last customer leaves (typically around 6 am). Another active area

5488-401: The best known. The population gathers in a quarter named Outre-Meuse with plenty of tiny pedestrian streets and old yards. Many people come to see the procession but also to drink alcohol (mostly peket ) and beer, eat cooked pears, boûkètes or sausages or simply enjoy the atmosphere until the early hours. The Saint Nicholas festival around 6 December is organized by and for the students of

5586-459: The capital of the province of Liège , Belgium. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse , in the east of Belgium, not far from borders with the Netherlands ( Maastricht is about 33 km (20.5 mi) to the north) and with Germany ( Aachen is about 53 km (32.9 mi) north-east). In Liège, the Meuse meets the river Ourthe . The city is part of the sillon industriel ,

5684-409: The chapter of Saint Servatius held important positions in the Holy Roman Empire . The two collegiate churches were largely rebuilt and redecorated during this era. Maastricht Romanesque stone sculpture and silversmithing are regarded as highlights of Mosan art . Maastricht painters were praised by Wolfram von Eschenbach in his Parzival . Around the same time, the poet Henric van Veldeke wrote

5782-418: The chocolate company Galler , and the water and soda companies Spa and Chaudfontaine . A science park south east of the city, near the University of Liège campus, houses spin-offs and high technology businesses. In 1812 there were three coal pits ( Bure ) in close proximity just outside the city gates: Bure Triquenotte, Bure de Beaujone and Bure Mamonster. The first two shafts were joined underground, but

5880-440: The city because French supply lines were being threatened. During this siege, Vauban , the famous French military engineer, developed a new tactic in order to break down the strong fortifications surrounding Maastricht. His systematic approach remained the standard method of attacking fortresses until the 20th century. On 25 June 1673, while preparing to storm the city, captain-lieutenant Charles de Batz de Castelmore , also known as

5978-468: The city is a thriving cultural and regional hub. It became well known through the Maastricht Treaty and as the birthplace of the euro . Maastricht has 1,677 national heritage buildings ( rijksmonumenten ), the second highest number in the Netherlands, after Amsterdam . The city is visited by tourists for shopping and recreation, and has a large international student population. Maastricht

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6076-613: The city of Maastricht in the course of the 20th century. The outlying areas of the following municipalities are bordering the municipality of Maastricht directly. Clockwise from north-east to north-west: (B = Situated in Belgium) Maastricht's city limits has an international border with Belgium. Most of it borders Belgium's Flemish region, but a small part to the south also has a border with Wallonia . Both countries are part of Europe's Schengen Area and, thus, are open without border controls. Maastricht features

6174-477: The city to quell the unrest, while strike spread through the whole sillon industriel . Liège's fortifications were redesigned by Henri Alexis Brialmont in the 1880s and a chain of twelve forts was constructed around the city to provide defence in depth . This presented a major obstacle to the Imperial German Army in 1914, whose Schlieffen Plan relied on being able to quickly pass through

6272-643: The city's fortifications were restored and expanded. The French revolutionary army failed to take the city in 1793 but a year later they succeeded. The condominium was dissolved and Maastricht was annexed to the French First Republic , later the First French Empire . For almost twenty years (1795–1814/15) Maastricht was the capital of the French département of Meuse-Inférieure . After the Napoleonic era , Maastricht became part of

6370-577: The city's name was written Liége , with the acute accent instead of a grave accent . In French, Liège is associated with the epithet la cité ardente ("the fervent city"). This term, which emerged around 1905, originally referred to the city's history of rebellions against Burgundian rule, but was appropriated to refer to its economic dynamism during the Industrial Revolution . Although settlements already existed in Roman times,

6468-694: The city's resources. Early in World War II , the city was taken by the Germans by surprise during the Battle of Maastricht of May 1940. On 13 and 14 September 1944 it was the first Dutch city to be liberated by Allied forces of the US Old Hickory Division . The three Meuse bridges were destroyed or severely damaged during the war. As elsewhere in the Netherlands, the majority of Maastricht Jews died in Nazi concentration camps . During

6566-654: The coffeeshops to the outskirts of the city was opposed by neighbouring municipalities (some in Belgium) and by the Dutch and Belgian parliaments. In December 2010, a Maastricht law to restrict entry to coffeeshops to local residents was upheld by the Court of Justice of the European Union , with the Dutch government introducing a similar national law in 2012. The new system led to a reduction in drug tourism in Maastricht's cannabis shops, but an increase in drug dealing on

6664-727: The course of the 1794 campaigns of the French Revolution , the French Revolutionary Army took the city and imposed strongly anticlerical regime, destroying St. Lambert's Cathedral . The overthrow of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was confirmed in 1801 by the Concordat co-signed by Napoléon Bonaparte and Pope Pius VII . France lost the city in 1815 when the Congress of Vienna awarded it to

6762-431: The creation of the European Union and the euro . Since 1988, The European Fine Art Fair , regarded as the world's leading art fair, annually draws in some of the wealthiest art collectors. Since the 1990s, large parts of the city have been refurbished, including the areas around the main railway station and the Maasboulevard promenade along the Meuse, the Entre Deux and Mosae Forum shopping centres, as well as some of

6860-559: The early 2000s, Maastricht launched several campaigns against drug-dealing in an attempt to stop foreign buyers taking advantage of the liberal Dutch legislation and causing trouble in the downtown area. Maastricht consists of seven areas ( wijken ) and 44 neighbourhoods ( buurten ). Each area and neighbourhood has a number which corresponds to its CBS code. Itteren, Borgharen, Limmel, Amby, Heer, Heugem, Scharn, Oud-Caberg, Sint Pieter and Wolder are neighbourhoods that used to be separate municipalities or villages until they were annexed by

6958-434: The eighteenth century the ideas of the French Encyclopédistes began to gain popularity in the region. Bishop François-Charles de Velbrück (1772–84), encouraged their propagation, thus prepared the way for the Liège Revolution which started in the episcopal city on 18 August 1789 and led to the creation of the Republic of Liège before it was invaded by counter-revolutionary forces of the Habsburg monarchy in 1791. In

7056-489: The first references to Liège are from 558, when it was known as Vicus Leudicus. Around 705, Saint Lambert of Maastricht is credited with completing the Christianization of the region, indicating that up to the early 8th century the religious practices of antiquity had survived in some form. Christian conversion may still not have been quite universal, since Lambert was murdered in Liège and thereafter regarded as

7154-459: The former industrial backbone of Wallonia. It still is the principal economic and cultural centre of the region. The municipality consists of the following sub-municipalities : Angleur , Bressoux , Chênée , Glain , Grivegnée , Jupille-sur-Meuse , Liège proper, Rocourt , and Wandre . In November 2012, Liège had 198,280 inhabitants. The metropolitan area , including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 1,879 km (725 sq mi) and had

7252-652: The help of the sympathetic population, as many Jewish children and refugees were hidden in the numerous monasteries. Liege was liberated by the British Second Army in September 1944. After the war ended, the Royal Question came to the fore, since many saw King Leopold III as collaborating with the Germans during the war. In July 1950, André Renard , leader of the Liègian FGTB launched

7350-400: The iron and steel industry. The industrial complex of Seraing was the largest in the world. It once boasted numerous blast furnaces and mills. Liège has also been an important centre for gunsmithing since the Middle Ages and the arms industry is still strong today, with the headquarters of FN Herstal and CMI Defence being located in Liège. Although from 1960 on the secondary sector

7448-556: The joint sovereignty over Maastricht. In 1632 the city was conquered by Prince Frederick Henry of Orange and the Dutch States General replaced the Spanish crown in the joint government of Maastricht. There was an attempt in 1634 of Spanish forces to recapture the city , but to no avail. Another Siege of Maastricht (1673) took place during the Franco-Dutch War . In June 1673, Louis XIV laid siege to

7546-682: The large numbers of visitors. Parking fees are deliberately high to encourage visitors to use public transport or park and ride facilities away from the centre. Maastricht is served by three rail operators, all of which call at the main Maastricht railway station near the centre and two of which call at the smaller Maastricht Randwyck , near the business and university district. Only Arriva also calls at Maastricht Noord , which opened in 2013. Intercity trains northwards to Amsterdam , Eindhoven , Den Bosch and Utrecht are operated by Dutch Railways . The line to Heerlen , Valkenburg and Kerkrade

7644-463: The last one was a separate colliery. The shafts were 120 fathoms (720 ft; 220 m) deep. Water was led to a sump ( serrement ) from which it could be pumped to the surface. At 11:00 on 28 February 1812 the sump in the Beaujone mine failed and flooded the entire colliery. Of the 127 men down the mine at the time 35 escaped by the main shaft, but 74 were trapped. [These numbers are taken from

7742-414: The latter half of the century, traditional industries (such as Maastricht's potteries ) declined and the city's economy shifted to a service economy . Maastricht University was founded in 1976. Several European institutions found their base in Maastricht. In 1981 and 1991 European Councils were held in Maastricht, the latter one resulting a year later in the signing of the Maastricht Treaty , leading to

7840-581: The main shopping streets. A prestigious quarter designed by international architects and including the new Bonnefanten Museum , a public library, and a theatre was built on the grounds of the former Société Céramique factory near the town centre. Further large-scale projects, such as the redevelopment of the area around the A2 motorway , the Sphinx Quarter and the Belvédère area are under construction. In

7938-463: The opening up of borders within the European Union , surging steel prices, and improved administration. Several new shopping centres have been built, and numerous repairs carried out. On 13 December 2011, there was a grenade and gun attack at Place Saint-Lambert . An attacker, later identified as Nordine Amrani, aged 33, armed with grenades and an assault rifle, attacked people waiting at

8036-467: The protection of the underground defence tunnels beneath the main citadel, one direct artillery hit caused a huge explosion, which eventually led to the surrender of the Belgian forces. The Belgian resistance was shorter than had been intended, but the twelve days of delay caused by the siege nonetheless contributed to the eventual failure of the German invasion of France. The city was subsequently occupied by

8134-532: The report, the 18 miner discrepancy is unexplained.] The trapped men attempted to dig a passageway into Mamonster. After 23 feet (7.0 m) there was a firedamp explosion and they realised that they had penetrated some old workings belonging to an abandoned mine, Martin Wery. The overseer, Monsieur Goffin, led the men to the point in Martin Wery which he judged closest to Mamonster and they commence to dig. By

8232-583: The rest of Belgium, the population of minorities has grown significantly since the 1990s. The city has become the home to large numbers of Algerian, Moroccan, Turkish, and Vietnamese immigrants. Liège also houses a significant Afro-Belgian community. The city is a major educational hub in Belgium. There are 42,000 pupils attending more than 24 schools. The University of Liège , founded in 1817, has 20,000 students. The "Le Quinze Août" celebration takes place annually on 15 August in Outremeuse and celebrates

8330-632: The rest of Western Europe. Its three principal stations are Liège-Guillemins railway station , Liège-Carré, and Liège-Saint-Lambert. The InterCity Express and Thalys call at Liège-Guillemins, providing direct connections to Cologne and Frankfurt and Paris-Nord respectively. Maastricht Maastricht ( / ˈ m ɑː s t r ɪ x t / MAH -strikht , US also / m ɑː ˈ s t r ɪ x t / mah- STRIKHT , Dutch: [maːˈstrɪxt] ; Limburgish : Mestreech [məˈstʀeːx] ; French : Maestricht (archaic) ; Spanish : Mastrique (archaic) )

8428-572: The risk of a firedamp explosion. By 7pm that evening an opening was made, 511 feet (156 m) of tunnel had been dug by hand in five days. All of the 74 miners in Goffin's part survived and were brought to the surface. Liège is served by Liège Airport , located in Bierset, a few kilometres west of the city. It is the principal axis for the delivery of freight and in 2011 was the world's 33rd busiest cargo airport. Passenger services are very few. It

8526-463: The same climate as most of the Netherlands ( Cfb , Oceanic climate ), however, due to its more inland location in between hills, summers tend to be warmer (especially in the Meuse valley, which lies 70 m [230 ft] lower than the meteorological station) and winters a bit colder, although the difference is only noticeable on just a few days a year. The highest temperature recorded was on 25 July 2019 at 39.6 °C (103.3 °F). Maastricht

8624-512: The season. Liège is the only city that has hosted stages of all three cycling Grand Tours . It staged the start of the 1973 and 2006 Giro d'Italia ; as well as the Grand Départ of the 2004 , 2012 , and 2017 Tour de France making it the first city outside France to host the Grand Départ twice or more times. In 2009 , the Vuelta a España visited Liège after four stages in

8722-423: The second day they had run out of candles and dug the remainder of a 36 feet (11 m) gallery in darkness. On the surface the only possible rescue was held to be via Mamonster. A heading was driven towards Beaujone with all possible speed, including blasting. The trapped miners heard the rescuers and vice versa. Five days after the accident communication was possible and the rescuers worked in darkness to avoid

8820-409: The streets. A 2018 Maastricht University study showed a substantial decline in drug nuisance since 2012, although criminal drug networks had grown due to police budget cuts. Maastricht is served by the A2 and A79 motorways. The city can be reached from Brussels and Cologne in approximately one hour and from Amsterdam in about two and a half hours. The A2 motorway runs through Maastricht in

8918-596: The system's habitable zone or just outside of it. The team published its findings in the May 2016 issue of the Nature journal. While TRAPPIST-1 is the only planetary system discovered by TRAPPIST, other planetary systems have been discovered by SPECULOOS and given SPECULOOS- n designations, with TRAPPIST-1 being SPECULOOS-1. As with the other space observation projects of the University of Liège like SPECULOOS , Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope makes up

9016-485: The time, and defeated him in battle near the city. Shortly after, a unique political system formed in Liège, whereby the city's 32 guilds shared sole political control of the municipal government. Each person on the register of each guild was eligible to participate, and each guild's voice was equal, making it the most democratic system that the Low Countries had ever known. The system spread to Utrecht , and left

9114-512: Was an independent serving no political party, although her husband was a former chairman of the Maastricht Seniorenpartij. She had served in the Dutch judicial system for many years, and during her tenure as mayor she still served as attorney general. In July 2023 Wim Hillenaar (CDA) took over as mayor. One controversial issue which dominated Maastricht politics for many years was the city's approach to soft drugs. Under

9212-405: Was formalised in a treaty, with the prince-bishop of Liège and the duke of Brabant holding joint sovereignty over the city. Soon afterwards the first ring of medieval walls were built. In 1275, the old Roman bridge collapsed under the weight of a procession, allegedly killing 400 people. A replacement bridge, funded by church indulgences , was built slightly to the north and survives until today,

9310-766: Was killed in a bomb attack by a lawyer . Liège is also known as a traditionally socialist city. In 1991, powerful Socialist André Cools , a former Deputy Prime Minister, was gunned down in front of his girlfriend's apartment. Many suspected that the assassination was related to a corruption scandal which swept the Socialist Party , and the Belgian Federal Government in general, after Cools' death. Two men were sentenced to twenty years in jail in 2004, for involvement in Cools' murder. Liège has shown some signs of economic recovery in recent years with

9408-494: Was one of the few telescopes that observed a stellar occultation of the planetary body Eris , revealing that it may be smaller than Pluto , and it helped observe a stellar occultation by Makemake , when it passed in front of the star NOMAD 1181-0235723 . The observations of this event showed it lacked a significant atmosphere. A team of astronomers headed by Michaël Gillon , of the Institut d'Astrophysique et Géophysique at

9506-553: Was shot dead. Belgian broadcaster RTBF said the gunman was temporarily released from prison on 28 May where he had been serving time on drug offences. The incident is currently being treated as terrorism. In spite of its inland position Liège has a maritime climate influenced by the mildening sea winds originating from the Gulf Stream , travelling over Belgium's interior. As a result, Liège has very mild winters for its latitude and inland position, especially compared to areas in

9604-599: Was technically part of the Holy Roman Empire which, after 1477, came under the rule of the Habsburgs . The reign of prince-bishop Érard de La Marck (1506–1538) coincides with the dawn of the Renaissance . During the Counter-Reformation , the diocese of Liège was split and progressively lost its role as a regional power. By the 17th century, the bishopric of Liège became a virtual Secundogeniture of

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