"Tongeren - Our home town" Top 5 Page for this destination Tongeren by jojes

Tongeren is very different to other cities. It is over 2000 years old and those 20 centuries of history have really left an impressive mark on the town.
A visitor will not only be impressed by the huge treasure of cultural & historical heritance. Our town also has a very relaxing athmosphere, with cosy restaurants, a variety of shops and the large antique market every sunday.
Located in the area called "Haspengouw", Tongeren is also an ideal base to explore the beautiful nature and landscapes surrounding it. It is also ideally located to explore other cities as Hasselt, Liege and Maastricht (the Netherlands).

I'm sure that a visit to Tongeren will be an unforgettable one !

Ambiorix

Tongeren is over 2000 years old.

It used to be inhabited by the Eburons. It was located at the crossroads of some important Roman roads. In 54 BC, during Julius Caesar's campaigns to conquer Gaul, the Romans put up their winter camp in the relatively unknown "Atuatuca". The Eburons and their leader Ambiorix, along with some other local tribes, stould up to the Romans and killed an entire Roman legion. For Caesar it was the greatest defeat in conquering Gaul. His revenge was to wipe out the entire Eburon tribe. The Romans founded the settlement Atuatuca Tungrorum, which became one of the largest Gallo-Roman towns in the 1st century. It turned into a melting pot of different cultures already in the Roman times.

In the middle ages Tongeren attracted a lot of new kinds of trades. Local crafts areas and trade quarters developed.
In the 13th century, the town wall with town gateswas built and the centre was expanded by monasteries, a beguinage and churches.
A lot of the medieval monuments are still very present in the city, as for example the Moerenpoort (marsh gate), remains of the medieval wall, ...

Nowadays Tongeren has about 30.000 inhabitants.
Recent excavations have unvailed some very important remains of the early times in our city. These gave historians a better view on the way of life and the habits of the people who lived here centuries before us. Especially findings of the Roman time are considered to be of great value.
A lot of these remains are on display in the recently re-opened Gallo-Roman museum.

More info : www.tongeren.be - http://www.toerismehaspengouw.be/citychapters.php?cityId=13

The coronation celebrations in 1988

Tongeren was a cradle of christianity. It was known as the first sanctuary of the Holy Virgin.
Every 7 years there are coronation celebrations, the "Kroningsfeesten". These celebrations are in honour of the miraculous statue "Causa nostrae Laetitiae".
Along with this statue, a lot of other relics are carried out in the procession.

There are 4 processions followed by 4 evening performances.

Over 3.300 participants (a new record this year !) are already preparing for a long time to make this an unforgettable experience for the over 700.000 visitors that visit Tongeren especially for these celebrations every 7 years !

Be sure to have a look at www.kroningsfeesten.be

July 5 2009 : procession at 15.00 - evening performance at 22.30
July 7 2009 : procession at 19.00 - evening performance at 22.30
July 10 2009 : procession at 19.00 - evening performance at 22.30
July 12 2009 : procession at 15.00 - evening performance at 22.30

Come to see this spectacle in 2009 or you'll have to wait for 7 years !

• Pros:Not too big, but cosy town, with a lot of historical remains.
• In a nutshell:A great visit to history !