Tongeren.
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Overview

Tongeren (French: Tongres, German: Tongern) is a city and municipality located in the province of Limburg in the Flemish region of Belgium. Its claim to be the "oldest town in Belgium", and its famous "Sunday antique and flea market" make the city a popular tourist attraction.

Understand

The city is the capital of both an administrative and a judicial district. The municipality has 31,000 inhabitants (2018) in an area of 87.56 km ². 17,000 people live in the old town. Tongeren is in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. French is also widely spoken as Wallonia including the big city of Liège is nearby. People generally speak at least basic English as well.

Archaeologists have found objects in the region dating from between 5300 and 4800 BC, and the oldest remains of buildings are from a Roman camp standing there from 30 BC, which was abandoned after a decade or so to be occupied by the Tungri tribe. It's unclear who the Tungri were; local tribes, Germans coming across the Rhine, or an alliance of these (tungri in Celtic means "companions"). The Romans then named the place Atuatuca Tungrorum - the fortress of the Tungri. In 69-70 AD, local tribes revolted against the Roman rule in an event known as the Revolt of the Batavi. The Romans put down the revolt and burned down the fortress.

With Romans controlling the region, the fortress and town was rebuilt. A road to Cassel (near Paris), an aqueduct, a temple and many commerces were constructed to make it the capital of civitas Tungrorum . Later ramparts and walls were built to protect the prospering city from attacks by Franks and Vandals. In the 4th century also Christianity arrived, and Saint Materne of Cologne set up a diocese seat in the town and converted the population. The diocese would soon be moved to Maastricht and finally to Liège which became the main city of the region and the capital of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, part of the Holy Roman Empire. Tongeren still remained the second city of the principality, as officially declared in the 1316 Peace of Feixhe, a kind of Magna Carta. A few decades earlier, between 1241 and 1290 a new city wall with six gates and twelve fortified towers had been built.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the region saw many wars between the states in the region despite the neutrality of Liège. The 17th century was marked by peace until the Franco-Dutch War when the French burned most of the city to the ground in 1677. This definitely meant the end of the grand days, and today Tongeren is definitely nothing like the second city in a country. In 1795 Tongeren became part of France, and its status was reduced to a locality in the department of Meuse-Inférieure. After the defeat of Napoleon, in 1815, the parts of France that make up present-day Belgium became part of the Limburg province of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Then, in 1839, the southern part of Limburg including Tongeren became part of the new Belgian kingdom and a local administration was set up here.

During the 20th century, Tongeren was occupied by Germans for several years during both world wars and was bombed with V1 bombs in 1944 after being liberated. After the war the city was developed into commercial centre, and with the merger of surrounding municipalities in the 1970s, the city grew both in population and size.

Toerisme Tongeren. Tourist information with free Wi-Fi. On facebook.

Get in

You can use the route planner at for routes and schedules for all public transport in Belgium - both for getting to and around Tongeren

By plane The nearest airports are in Liège and Maastricht. As of early 2023, the former is mostly a cargo airport with some charter flights, whereas the latter also has a few budget flights operated by Ryanair. Brussels airport has a much wider range of flights and destinations.

By car East from Maastricht 18 km on N79.

South from Liège 31 km on E313 (exit 32) or N20.

North from Hasselt 29 km on E313 or N20.

West from Sint-Truiden 22 km on N79.

West from Brussels 89 km on E40 (exit 29) and N69

By train Hourly trains from Liège Guillemins take 40 minutes to reach Tongeren. Trains also run hourly from Brussels, taking one hour 50 minutes.

By bus There are buses from Hasselt (line 4), Liège (line 74), Maastricht (line 62) and Sint-Truiden (line 23a).

Get around

By bus There are four city bus lines, one of which goes to the village of Herstappe. They run from Monday to Saturday.

By car Getting around by car is generally not a problem as there's little traffic and roads are in a good condition. In the old town, streets are narrow and parking are paid. There are three underground parkings in town.

Allego operates 27 charging stations (2-11 kW and 22 kW) for electric cars in Tongeren municipality.

Vespatoerist. Vespa rental office, with 50 cc and 125 cc engines. On Facebook.

By bike In the city, one-way streets can be ridden by bike only when signposted by either of these signs: or .

Blue-bike. Bike rental with the rental station open 24h, you need to sign up online beforehand.

Marco's Velo Shop. Selling, rental and service of bikes.

Step Bai Step. Rental of e-scooters (Ninebot G30 max), customers need to be 13 years old.

By foot Tongeren is a relatively small and flat city, easy to navigate by foot to the major attractions (they're generally just a few hundred metres away from each other).

See

Basilica of Our Lady and belfry. One of the most beautiful medieval monuments in the world. Built in Gothic style in the 13th century, where excavations have produced some of the richest archaeological finds in Flanders. Archaeological excavations have proven the presence of an edifice here starting from the 4th century, while a Carolingian prayer house existed here in the 9th century. The building of the choir of the present basilica began in 1240. Nave, transepts and side chapels were added between the 13th and 15th century. The original Romanesque tower was replaced by the present, 64-m-tall Gothic tower from 1442 until 1541. The basilica's interior is home to the statue of Our Lady of Tongeren, executed in 1475. The treasury is housed in the former hall of the Chapter and comprises one of the richest collections of religious art in Belgium. The basilica has excellent acoustics and is often used for symphony concerts. The belfry tower is a .

St. Catherina's Béguinage. The béguinage is founded in 1257 and is one of the oldest in Flanders. In the second half of the 16th century escalated the rivalry between Catholics and Protestants in which the possessions of the Beguines were looted and destroyed. In the 17th century the béguinage came to an unprecedented boom and the Beguines became wealthy. The wooden houses were replaced by stone ones. Its heyday was at the beginning of the 18th century. The béguinage counted nearly 100 homes and more than 300 Beguines. In the 19th century it was opened up and became a whole with the rest of the town. Since 1998 it is listed as a .

St. Catherine church. The church in the centre of the Beguinage has elements from many eras, the oldest parts being the Gothic nave and choir from the 13th century.

Romanesque cloister. On the east side of the basilica is the Romanesque cloister from the 12th century. This was enlarged in the early 13th century and rebuilt in its present form. The vertically placed tombstones, as well as the corner chapels on the east side, dating from later periods. Between the cloister and the entrance to the church is a Romanesque statue of Christ from the 11th century.

St. Agnes monastery. Constructed in the 15th century by monks of the St. Augustine, rebuilt in Gothic style around 1550 after a fire. The southern and northerns wings have been remodeled over the years. The monastery was one of the few buildings spared by the French troops attacking Tongeren in 1677.

Church of St. John the Baptist. There has been a house of worship here since 1390, although the building served as a meeting place for the town council in the early 19th century. The oldest parts of the current church are from 1615, including the belltower replacing one that had collapsed. Over the centuries the church has been modified and rebuilt in different styles, the latest reconstruction in 1888 included the choir, side aisles and transept.

Gallo-Roman temple. A reconstruction of the Atuatuca Tungrorum temple where it originally stood. Given that it's outside the Roman city walls, and the temple stood there before the walls, it's probable that it originated as a pre-Roman place of worship.

St. Stephens Church. Marlstone pseudobasilica (a church with a ground plan like a basilica but the central nave not raising much above the aisles) from 1450. It features five stained glass windows from about 1540. The last renovation was finished in 2016.

St. Hubert chapel. Baroque chapel finished in 1729, built around a 12th century Romanesque chapel dedicated to St. Martin. The chapel has an old cemetery with the graves mostly from the 17th century.

All castles are private property, but they can be admired from the outside. They've usually been modified over the centuries, meaning they have a different appearance depending on which direction you look at it from.

Rosmeulen castle. Built in the early 20th century by the chocolate factory owner Florent Rosmeulen, it has Art noveau and rococo elements and two gardens (an English and an Italian one). The castle is private property, but occasionally open to the public during different events, at other times you can look at it from a distance.

Herenelderen castle. Castle with parts built during different eras. The oldest part is the Gothic marlstone section from the 16th century. It has a "Louis XVI-style" courtyard, and a farmhouse in Baroque style. The castle is private property but can be viewed from the outside from different angles.

Rooi castle. Originating in the 14th century, this castle has also been modified over the centuries. For example, the whitewashed northwestern façade got its current appearance in 1698, as the inscription reads. A farm was built on the premises in the 17th century, of this only the gate and a barn remains.

Betho castle. The oldest remaining part of this castle is the 15th century southern tower. Much of the rest is from the 17th century. On the northern side you can see a bit of the moat that once surrounded the castle.

Widoye castle. Castle and farm, built in the 16th century but heavily rebuilt in the 18th century, giving it its current appearance. The moat is still intact, and the castle is often a venue for events.

Town hall. Originally at Grote Markt, the town hall was burned together with the rest of the city in 1677. It was built between 1737 and 1750 in bricks in classical style, inspired by the city hall of Liège. The front pediment has a coat of arms of Georges-Louis de Berghes, the Prince-Bishop of Liège at the time. The building is not open to visitors.

Dommershausen House. Not one but two houses, built in late Gothic style. Houses a household item store.

Old chocolate factory. One of the few Art Nouveau buildings in the province, it was finished in 1909 for the Rosmeulen chocolate factory which functioned here until 1934. Nowadays it houses an art center and apartments. It can be admired from the outside and the highlight is the large horseshoe-formed stained glass window surrounding the main entrance, with the chocolate factory's squirrel logo on top.

Statue of Ambiorix. Completed in 1866, this statue depicts the fearsome leader of the Eburons, which was a tribe that defeated two of Caesar's legions in 54 BC. He is shown trampling a laurel wreath and Roman banners while wearing Celtic clothes and carrying a battle axe and a sword. Nowadays Ambiorix is one of the most famous characters in Belgian history.

Perron. All of the "good cities" of the principality had one of these monuments; a stone pillar with a cross-bearing orb on top standing on a set of stairs. First occupying the place where the Ambiorix statue now stands, it was first moved in 1886 and has been on its current place since 1985.

Roman Walls. The original Roman wall, dating from the 2nd century, still visible on more than 1,500 m. You will also notice some of the medieval defensive towers that are still visible today.

Gallo-Roman ramparts. These ramparts, constructed in the 2nd century, had more of a representative than defensive purpose. They measured 5444 metres in length and had two main gates, one towards Cassel and another towards Colonia Agrippina and two smaller gates. The best preserved parts are in the northwest along the Cesarlaan and in the southwest along Cottalaan and Sabinuslaan. In the latter place you can see a replica of the ramparts - how it looked in Roman times - and replicas of Roman war machines.

Medieval ramparts. The defensive walls from the 13th century measure 2600 m in length with six gates and twelve towers. The best preserved parts are in the north along Elfde-Novemberwal and east along Leopoldwal, where you can find the Moerenpoort gate.

Moerenpoort. The last standing Medieval city gate, built in 1379 partially with material from the Roman walls, restored in 1892, 1952 and 2011. Originally the gate featured a three-storey building. Interestingly the façades of the gate look really different from each other, with a semicircular Romanesque arch towards the city and a pointed Gothic arch towards the countryside.

Gallo-Roman Museum. Houses Celtic gold, Roman glassware, Merovingian filigree work, and the dodecahedron (12-facet ball), an unusual Gallo-Roman object found during excavations which nobody knows what it represents or was used for. There's a permanent exhibition and a temporary one which changes annually.

Teseum. Museum presenting objects related to the functions of the church throughout the centuries, from liturgical clothing to silver objects. In the basement there's an archaeological section with the remains of a Roman house, city walls and former churches.

Beghina. The museum is located in an authentic Beguine house that dates from 1660, with its surrounding gardens. Everything is set up like it was back in the day. In the cellar you can taste traditional Beguine beer (Dagelyckx) or lemonade. There's also a souvenir shop-

Do

Geocaching - there are 157 caches of different sizes in the municipality, four of which are accessible to mobility impaired people.

City Golf. The city arranges golf tours around the city upon request, where the city becomes a golf course. You need to book ahead for your party and can choose between a 6 hole of 9 hole course.

Fishing. Fish in the pond, permit required, which can be bought at de Botenhuis café in the de Motten park (see below), or at the Yazi newspaper stand at Baversstraat 34. It's also valid in the pond of de Motten park.

Plinius swimmingpool. Outdoor pool 25 m in length, a playing pool for children, café, free parking. On Facebook.

Tongeren tennis club. Eight outdoor clay courts, one outdoor "flex court", six indoor courts with hard surface and three outdoor padel courts. It has a café with view to the indoor courts and a terrace with view to the outdoor courts. On Facebook.

Activ1. Indoor activity center with a bowling alley with eight lanes, lasergame for 4-16 players, three squash courts, six snooker and five pool tables, children's playground and a restaurant. Free parking.

De Motten municipal park. Park dedicated to sports and family activities. Free parking.

The following activities are available: , with 18 holes.

, can be done with quardicycle, bicycle or kick scooter. , to get around on the pond in the two ponds (from the shore), buy a fishing permit from the Koninklijke Tongerse Lijnvissers desk in the café. It's also valid for fishing at the pond next to the Herenelderen castle, a bit outside town on six outdoor clay courts on two basket courts

De Botenhuis. - cafeteria with a terrace on the pond and another on the playground.

Events Visit the antique and flea market on Sunday morning. It is the largest antique market of the Benelux. The market is open from 06:00 until 13:00. Go there as early as possible to increase your chance obtaining unique stuff. See the Buy section below.

Crowning festival. Commemorating the coronation of Virgin Mary, this event has been taking place every seven years since 1890. There are processions by 21 different groups and performances on eight stages around town. The next event takes place on 2-9 Jul 2023. On Facebook.

Buy

If you visit the town during a weekend, don't forget to visit the Antique and flea market. If not, don't panic as there are plenty of antique and brocante shops in Tongeren. You will find some around the Leopoldswal.

Antiques market. Up to 350 vendors come to town every Sunday to sell antique and vintage goods. It likewise draws buyers and visitors from around the Limburg region and beyond. Even if the weather is bad, there will be a market, on the basement floor of the parking of the Julianus shopping mall. On Facebook.

Julianus Shopping. This shopping centre with an area of 7795 m² accommodates 24 shops. It's the only shopping mall in Tongeren, although you will find many smaller shops along the streets.

Interestingly, the tourist office (see Understand above) sells a large selection of local craft beers.

Tongeren is famous for a brand of luxury men's shoes Ambiorix, manufactured here since 1895. They're sold shoe shops in a few countries (and on the company's website), one of which is in Tongeren: Schoenen Reynders-Daenen.

Eat

Local specialties In addition to what the Belgian cuisine has to offer, Tongeren is known for different cookies:

Caëderkoek, also called ’t caëderkükske, is a coconut-flavored cookie Tongerse Moppen a cookie with anise, honey and candy sugar, traditionally eaten at New Years celebration and Mardi Gras. Spéculoos Ambiorix, a speculoos (a type of Belgian cookie) with cinnamon and in the shape of national hero Ambiorix.

Ijscasino. Sandwiches and ice cream made in-house. Patio and a retro 1950s interior. On Facebook.

't Soete Huys. Sandwiches and croques monsieur, takeout possible.

Efes Kebap. Kebab, gyros, shwarma, pitas, pastas, pizzas, takeout available.

Etna. Italian restaurant. On Facebook.

Macione. Pizzeria with a covered patio. Takeout possible. On Facebook.

Wok2Go. Chinese cuisine. Take-away possible. On Facebook.

Sint-Lucia. Friterie, takeout available.

Het Smulhoekje. Friterie, takeout available.

Self catering If you want to prepare your own food, there are grocery stores and a market every Thursday.

L'Adriatico. Italian restaurant with patio.

Eetcafe De Griek. Greek cuisine. Take away possible. Has a large covered patio. Free parking. On Facebook.

Esaki Tongeren. Japanese cuisine, also vegetarian dishes. Take-away possible. On Facebook.

BØF [Bœuf]. Specializing in fish and barbecue meat, has a small patio. On Facebook.

De Kleine Graaf. Vegan dishes and smaller dishes for children. Large patio. Free parking.

Konings. Specializing in mussels and other seafood. Large covered patio and free parking.

Infirmerie. Brasserie with a large outdoor patio.

Altermezzo. Fine dining restaurant with one Michelin star, French cuisine. Has a patio.

De Mijpaal. French cuisine, has one Michelin star.

Magis. French cuisine, one Michelin star, has a large patio. On Facebook.

Slajotte. French cuisine, one chef's hat in the Gault & Millau 2022 guide. Has a small patio.

't Smiske. Specializing in barbecue meat. Has a small patio.

Drink

Local specialties Ambiorix - Top-fermented brown beer that's refermented in the bottle. Made since 1985 and has an alcohol content of 7.5% Cress - Top-fermented blonde beer flavored with watercress, refermented in the bottle and an alcohol content of 6.5%. Dagelyckx - Triple brewed organic beer after a recipe by Beguines from 1644, with an alcohol content of 8%. It's only sold in the Beguinage museum and at the tourist office. Ambiorixgin - Gin flavored with mugwort, blue fenugreek, nettle, garlic, wild garlic and lovage, has an alcohol content of 40%. Caesaar'ke- Barley and rye malt genever with an alcohol content of 35%. Advocaat Ruttermolen - A local brand of artisanal organic advocaat.

With a terrace almost 250 m in length, the Grote Markt and Stadhuisplein is the place to head for a drink. About twenty establishments next to each other have outdoor patios, often heated in the winter. Many offer snacks and even complete food menus. Veemarkt at the northeastern corner of the city center also has several drinking establishments with covered outdoor seating.

Casque. Describes itself as a "Grand café", with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, snacks and main dishes on the menu.

't Gerechtshof. Café at the courthouse (as the name reveals).

't Sweert. Café with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, sandwiches, salads and pastas on the menu.

The Pub. Pub and café with frequent guest DJs, also serves food.

Café 't Poorthuis. Café with a retro interior from the late 1940s. Covered terrace with view to the Moerenpoort.

De Passerel. Bar-café with table football and darts. Sometimes live music or DJs playing. "Tea dance" events on Sunday afternoons. On Facebook.

Sleep

Campersite Pliniuspark. Site for caravans, 20 places.

Huize Tinke. Completely equipped house with one bedroom sleeping four. There's a covered patio and a landscaped garden with trees.

Ambiotel. Four stars, double rooms. There's free Wi-Fi, and a bar and restaurant with outdoor seating. On Facebook.

Boutique Hotel Caelus VII. A refurbished classic 19th-century mansion. The hotel has 7 rooms. The Bazilik restaurant belongs to this hotel. Breakfast is not included. Free Wi-Fi. On Facebook.

Boutique Hotel Huys van Steyns. Double rooms, free Wi-Fi. There's a bar but not a restaurant, and a patio and a garden. Paid private parking (guarded). On Facebook.

Eburon Hotel. Free Wi-Fi. Has a bar.

Guesthouse BnB Het Begijnhof. One studio (on the ground floor) and one double room, with private bathrooms. Free Wi-Fi. On Facebook.

Hoeve De Sterappel. Two double rooms (one of them on the loft), one quadruple suite with sauna and jacuzzi. Free Wi-Fi. There's a garden with a furnitured patio and an outdoor pool, and a brewery-restaurant open for dinner F-Su. Pets welcome.

Vinotel X. Double rooms, has a bar, no Wi-Fi and no pets accepted.

B&B Gaudium XII. Three double rooms with private bathrooms. Free Wi-Fi. Garden with patio.

Ruttermolen. Double, triple and quadruple rooms. Large terrace with pool and furniture. There's also a jacuzzi, sauna, a shop with local products and a dinner restaurant. On Facebook.

InMundo Haspengouw. Completely equipped house with one double room and one quadruple room. It has a garden with a furnitured patio, ping pong table and a sandbox. On Facebook.

B&B AntiQua & Qook. Three double and two quadruple rooms, two of the former is on the ground floor. Free Wi-Fi. Garden with two furnitured terraces, one with barbecue. Outdoor pool and jacuzzi. Pets are welcome.

Lisa's Weelde. Two rooms housing four persons each. Has a patio and free Wi-Fi.

Bibi Tongeren. Gîte with three double rooms and completely equipped kitchen. Free Wi-Fi.

Buit&Rijk. Gîte with three double rooms, a completely equipped kitchen, a game room with billiards and table football. There's also a garden with a furnitured patio.

Huis Casa Calida. Ecological home built with wood, straw and clay. One double and one triple room. Garden with furnitured patio.

Le petit béguinage. Completely equipped house with two double rooms and free Wi-Fi.