A workation in Liège
My company allows us to work remotely from any European Union country. When I chose Liège — a former coal and steel city — as my destination, I had the La Batte Sunday market in mind, a place I hadn’t visited in 10 years. The post I wrote about it back then was among my first. Liège had a few other advantages: I could practice my French, and the train ride there was not too long. So many reasons to go there.
My colleagues were puzzled by my choice, and many stated that the city wasn’t really beautiful.
I loved the city after my experience. There’s lots of art scattered throughout the city, plenty of street life, great beers, and some excellent food as well. Yes, the construction sites for the tram are annoying, but I felt great there.
And I had the chance to visit La Batte market a couple of times.
What has changed?
When I look back at the old pictures, I would say: not much.
Except for one important detail: no live animals for sale anymore! In the old days, people bought live chickens, birds, rabbits, and the like. No longer. I do not know the reason behind this decision, and I’m unsure how to feel about it. The live animals provided city dwellers with a tangible sense that what they eat comes from living creatures, at least in the case of the chicken. Now, this sense fades away.
Otherwise, it seems there’s more street food available nowadays, a pattern I observe at many farmers’ markets.
A long stretch
La Batte market follows the Meuse River along the new tram line, which will be operational one day. I guess strolling without too many stops took me around 20 minutes. The stalls are lined up in two rows, making it convenient not to miss a single one.
My observations
The ambiance
La Batte market is a popular market in the best sense of the word. People come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. There is no snobbish attitude; people are dressed in whatever they want, from cheap to not-so-cheap outfits. Since the market takes place on Sundays, I saw many couples and families walking and shopping together, almost like a family visit to a mall — just that it’s outside and mainly about groceries and food.
Even if you don’t plan on buying or eating anything, La Batte market is a pleasant addition to a city stroll.
Chicken everywhere
I have never seen a farmers’ market with so many large, truck-sized roasted chicken stalls. They were being sold out quickly, as I noticed when returning from the other end of the market. I have no idea where this craving for roasted chicken comes from, especially in a city where you can find fries, kebabs, or other fast food — often quite good — on every corner.
Italian & North African
The next dominant type of stalls featured Italian delicacies. There were lots of salamis, salsiccias, and other sausages, accompanied by a fairly wide range of cheeses, some not so common. The antipasti section was less prevalent. Beautiful olives were predominantly offered at stalls with likely North African origins. Considering that Liège is celebrating 60 years of Turkish and Moroccan immigration, this makes sense.
The produce
La Batte provides its customers with every kind of produce needed for daily life, with milk being the only exception. There’s bread from bakeries located in the German-speaking part of Belgium, along with fish, and all the seasonal fruits and vegetables independent of their origin. Due to the diverse cultural and financial backgrounds of customers, it’s easy to buy in bulk and affordably. I didn’t see fruit or vegetable farmers selling at the market; I assume everything has been sourced from wholesale markets.
Streetfood
Waffles, of course — waffles. It wouldn’t be Belgium without them, and the ones I had were better than those in the city center itself.
Then there was the Moroccan stall. It looked very authentic with jolly, friendly, slightly chaotic owners who served really good food and Moroccan tea. It was a joy to lunch there.
Need other food? No problem. There were sausages in buns with lots of onions, meat skewers, burgers, hot dogs, coffee, and certainly a few more things I might have forgotten. To make one thing clear: La Batte is not a market that has transformed from a produce to a street food market; produce is still dominant. I like this mix.
The other stuff
Besides produce and street food, La Batte also features a flea market-style section. Vendors sell cheap fashion with designs I haven’t seen before. Colorful plastic toys help parents keep their little kids happy and quiet. I guess for the older kids, certainly, the street food might be more interesting.
For reasons unknown to me, detergents also had their spot at the market — something I have never seen at other European markets. Or maybe I just need to travel more?
Live animals
During my visit 10 years ago, live chickens, rabbits, and birds were available for purchase at La Batte. This is no longer allowed, but one vendor couldn’t resist showcasing cute fake rabbits in cages. I had to look twice to realize they were fake. I wasn’t the only one; kids were pulling their parents to see the cute animals until their parents started laughing and explaining the hard truth.
So what?
La Batte is a market that should be part of a Sunday city walk. It stretches along the Meuse River, which is already picturesque, and is part of the city center. Just walking through this market gives your legs a nice exercise. The ambiance of the market lets you dive into the city’s diversity. It is not a posh market but a very lively one. If you do not like crowds, try to visit around 10 o’clock, as it becomes quite crowded later without feeling too cramped.
All in all
La Batte is a lively Sunday market you must visit when in Liège, if only as part of your city stroll. Afterwards, take advantage of the nearby cafés.
A little link list: