The staircase
Straight and steep.
Fred Romero from Paris, France — CC BY 2.0 · Berthold Werner — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michielverbeek — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FriedrichFrisch — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Berthold Werner — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Montagne de Bueren is a 374-step stone staircase in central Liège in eastern Belgium, climbing straight and steeply from the streets of the old town to the citadel hill above. It is named after Vincent de Bueren, a 15th-century notable of Liège, and was built in 1881. In 2013 it was ranked first on a US news site's list of the world's most extreme staircases, making it one of Liège's best-known sights. Athletes use it for training, and in 2020 a Belgian adventurer climbed and descended it 135 times in a row to simulate an ascent of Everest. The long grey staircase runs between two rows of tightly packed red-brick houses with stepped gables, with a metal handrail down the middle. From the top a wide view opens over Liège's roofs and towers, the river Meuse and the surrounding hills. Visitors climb slowly, pausing on the landings to catch their breath and take photos, then explore the hilltop park and the old quarters around it. The climb is tiring; the staircase is free and always open, and sunset from the top is lovely.
Straight and steep.
On both sides.
The Meuse.
Central Liège, Belgium
Tiring, so take your time.
Yes.