Liège dates back over a thousand years. Once an important Episcopal city, it earned the name of the “Athens of the North” due to its cultural and artistic influence. Over the centuries, it suffered destruction (burned by the Brabançons, sacked by Charles the Foolhardy, occupied by the Germans in both World Wars) but always recovered. The Church of St. James, the Palace of the Prince-Bishops and a number of museums are a testimony to this glorious past.