Tongeren: Plinius Domain

Tongeren — the first and oldest city in Belgium. Founded by the Romans around 10 BC, it was burned down by the Batavians half a century later, only to rise again, proudly rebuilt. Tongeren became the illustrious capital of the civitas Tungrorum, the administrative district of the region, where the Mediterranean influence of Rome was undeniable: a flourishing villa landscape, a magnificent aqueduct, grand temples and bathhouses, and markets brimming with exotic goods.

Even today, the Romans are never far away in Tongeren-Borgloon. Most hotspots are just minutes apart. Along your journey, on the outskirts of Tongeren, you will find the Plinius Domain.

Plinius Domain

The Plinius Domain, a green recreational and heritage site, is named after the Roman author and naturalist Pliny the Elder. In his Naturalis Historia, Pliny described the beneficial effects of a spring in the vicinity of Tongeren, whose water, according to him, possessed special qualities. This spring was rediscovered in the 16th century and quickly became a fixed part of local tradition. The Plinius Domain was developed around this historic water source so that visitors can still experience the connection with the Roman past.

The domain combines heritage, nature, and recreation. The area around the Plinius spring is a protected landscape, with the natural water source at its heart. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a popular spa and leisure destination, with a park, ponds, and walking paths that made the spring accessible.

Today, the Plinius Domain still reflects this double tradition: on the one hand, its Roman origin and the reference to Pliny the Elder, and on the other, its modern role as a meeting and leisure place for residents and visitors alike.

An Immersive Change to the Roman Walk, 2027

The story of Tongeren doesn’t end here. In 2027, the Roman city walk of Tongeren will receive a multidimensional upgrade as part of the VIAVIA project. The Roman hotspots on it will be enhanced with reconstructions and immersive storytelling. You will get an even clearer sense of the Roman road and the Roman city of Tongeren, and you will also be invited to visit the aqueduct, the Gallo-Roman temple, and other local sites.  Through an app, you will see what the streets of Atuatuca Tungrorum, the capital that is now Tongeren, looked like in the second century. Your guide? An AI character from the glory days of Roman Tongeren.

Are you ready for a stroll through the past?

“We cross a modern aqueduct and reach the edge of the city. Atuatuca Tungrorum. I have dreamed of visiting the only city in the region for so long. It does not disappoint. So many colours and scents. So many sounds. Barking dogs, shouting people, the rattling carts of traders like us. The streets overflow with delights. The finest fabrics. Exotic fruits and woods. Bottles and flasks. Oil from the south. Meat, bread, and perfumes. Two women argue loudly in a language I do not understand. Men in open doorways beckon passers-by inside. The sweet aroma of a bathhouse mingles with the stench of boiling animal bones for glue. I am ecstatic and despondent at the same time. For how can we sell our wares in this place? Here, in this city that already has everything?” – Ammulva Iucunda