Fans of rolling wheels will be in their seventh heaven here! Where else in the region can you see so many historic vehicles so close to one another – over any area of 3,500 square metres – as in the "Musée des Transports" in Liège? Over the course of time a collection of around 40 vehicles has been built up in the old bus depot in the suburb of Vennes-Fétinnes. These include taxis, horse-drawn trams, electric trams, trolley buses, motor buses and maintenance vehicles. Many of the vehicles were rescued shortly before they were due to be set for scrap. Now they have been lovingly restored for presentation to the general public.
The idea of setting up a museum of public transport in Liège became reality in 1985. The idea didn´t come out of the blue. For as early as 1835 the heavily industrialised region was connected directly to the capital Brussels via the first long distance railway line on the continent of Europe. In this way both Aachen and Liège were given direct connections to the important North Sea port at Antwerp, and to the River Rhine. The rapid growth of towns in the region also called for new forms of transport. Many workers were no longer able to reach their workplaces on foot or by bike, and were thus dependent on trams and, later, motor buses.
Nowadays visitors to the Transport Museum can indulge in bouts of nostalgia, when they see the old vehicles which were built between 1875 and 1977. The historic treasures are painted in the colours of the different transport firms which originally ran them. Other interesting features include a collection of old signs showing the various destinations, and objects like uniforms and coin machines. The development of tyre technology is vividly displayed in a special "Michelin" room. And to make your visit even more pleasant – especially if you are coming from abroad – individual audio-guides are available in French, German, Dutch and English.
Wallonia Public Transport Museum
Musée des Transports en commun de Wallonie
Rue Richard Heintz 9
B-4020 Liège
Belgium
+32 (0) 4 - 3619419
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