Tongeren: The Roman Road to Maastricht

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, you can recognize at several places in the landscape of Tongeren remains of the old Roman road from Tongeren to Maastricht that formed part of the main route that connected Bologne-sur-Mer with Cologne via Atuatuca Tungrorum, modern-day Tongeren. From Tongeren, this road set out in a northeasterly direction.

The Roman Road to Maastricht

This Roman road is still visible today as a series of sunken lanes and raised embankments, worn down by centuries of use but clearly betraying their Roman origin. Old maps, such as the Ferraris Map and Vandermaelen’s Atlas, clearly show the straight line of the highway, while aerial photography and field surveys confirm the continuity of the route.

The segment of the road near Blaar is considered one of the best-preserved parts of the road in Flanders. It offers a rare opportunity to visually experience Roman infrastructure in the landscape of Tongeren.

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 VIA VIA 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 Plinius springs, the Gallo-Roman temple, and other local sites. Through an app, you will see what the streets of Atuatuca Tungrorum 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