Musée Wittert
Art museum of the University of Liège: more than 65,000 works, mainly prints and drawings, including the bequest of Adrien Wittert.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The art collections of the University of Liège date back to its founding in 1817, when King William I of the Netherlands entrusted it with pieces for teaching and research. The decisive expansion came in 1903: Baron Adrien Wittert bequeathed to the university a vast collection of prints, drawings and paintings, including around 25,000 drawings and prints, some fifty old paintings and more than a hundred engraved plates. A Wittert room was set up in the library and hosted a first exhibition in 1910.
The two world wars took their toll on the collections: looted during the First World War and stored in difficult conditions during the Second. In 1968 the university separated the art and library departments and created an art collections service. In 1996 new premises in the central building opened under the name Galerie Wittert.
The Musée Wittert, as it is known today, opened in 2018 in entirely rethought rooms; its display takes up the original hanging of the Wittert room. It now holds more than 65,000 works: prints, drawings, paintings, ex-libris, photographs, sculptures, African objects and numismatics. It alternates a reference exhibition, renewed every four years, with temporary exhibitions.
Highlights
- More than 65,000 works, mainly prints and drawings
- Bequest of Baron Adrien Wittert, 1903
- Reference exhibition “Curiosités & voluptés” with a dense hanging
- Free admission
- Catalogue of the collections available online
Permanent exhibition
- Curiosités & voluptés (exposition de référence) – A dense display of masterpieces from the university's collections, notably the Wittert bequest, recalling cabinets of curiosities. It is shown for certain periods between temporary exhibitions and will be replaced from 2027 by a new thematic display.
- Founded
- 2018
- Operated by
- Université de Liège
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Groups | –Guided tours and paid activities; groups are asked to inform the museum in advance. |
|---|
Free admission. School groups from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (nursery, primary and secondary) benefit from free self-guided visits with educational materials.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
If the University's main door is closed, people with reduced mobility use the entrance on place Cockerill, where two parking spaces are reserved. The museum asks visitors to call in advance to be received at the entrance.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Activities for children and families to discover a museum together, linked to the current exhibition.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Pont d'Avroy
Tram: “Pont d'Avroy” stop. Train: gare de Liège-Saint-Lambert.
By car
Parking available
Surface parking nearby, and covered car parks Charles Magnette, Saint-Denis and Kennedy. Coach drop-off and pick-up on place du 20-Août, in front of the Théâtre de Liège; coach parking on quai Van Beneden.
- Accessible parking
Bike racks are located on place du 20-Août.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Enter through the main door of the University, place du 20-Août, follow the signs, then ring the bell. Self-guided or guided visits for groups (to be announced in advance), and activities linked to the current exhibition. |
