Tongeren
Tongeren, along with Tournai, is Belgium's oldest city. The Romans settled it as 'Atuatuca Tungrorum' in 15 BC and there are numerous Gallo-Roman ruins. The city is encircled by both Roman and medieval walls.
The most intersting sites in Tongeren are:
- The Béguinage was founded in 1257 and it has been on the UNESCO world heritage list since 1998. It used to be surrounded by walls, but they have long been destroyed. It was one of the few places in Tongeren that was not consumed by fire during the 1677 city-wide blaze.
- The Basilica of Our Lady, locally known as 'Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe Basiliek', dates from the 13th century. Originally it used to have a Romanesque tower, but it was replaced with the current Gothic one in the 15th century. The church's bell tower was inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1999. Below the basilica sits the Teseum-museum, where you can see items found during excavations at the site. It also has an exhibition on the history of the church.
- Church of St. Catherine was originally constructed in 1294. Modifications were added later.
- The Gallo-Roman Museum is home to Celtic gold, Roman glassware, Merovingian filigree work and a Roman dodecahedron, as well as other items found during excavations.
- Some 1500m of Tongeren's Roman wall still stand. They date from the second century and include some defensive towers.
- Statue of Ambiorix was erected in 1866.
- Tumuli are scattered throughout the city.
Tongeren has severl nice parks, of which the Pliniuspark is the most interesting. It houses the Plinius spring, which was described by Pliny the Elder in 77-79 AD.
There are numerous hotels and restaurants in Tongeren. The city lies in the east of Belgium, not far from the border with The Netherlands and only several kilometers north of Liège (Luik). Tongeren is 80 km east of Brussels.