トンゲレン周辺のおすすめシティハイキング＆ウォーキング

トンゲレンはベルギーで最も古い都市です。この都市の起源は、紀元前54年にユリウス・カエサルの副官であったサビヌスとコッタが設立したキャンプに遡ります。彼らの軍団はエブロネス族の指導者アンビオリクスの近くで虐殺されました。見どころには、大聖堂、ベギン会修道院、アンビオリクスの像、そして毎週日曜日に開催されるアンティークマーケットなどがあります。

At the starting point of the old Kevie tram line near the De Kevie nature reserve near Tongeren, Belgium, stands a striking wooden owl sculpture. This sculpture is an artistic element that is part of the walking experience and serves as a landmark for visitors exploring the historic route of the old tram line. The Kevie itself refers to the former tram line that ran through this region and is now part of walking and cycling networks that lead through nature and the surrounding countryside. The wooden owl has been described by hikers as a beautiful example of creative work in the landscape. It appeals to those who love art and nature and serves as a symbolic welcome to the old tram line. Although no extensive documentation about the artist or the exact date of creation is available in online sources, it is often mentioned by recreationists as a pleasant and memorable stop or landmark at the beginning of the route. The choice of an owl can be interpreted symbolically: in many cultures, the owl symbolizes wisdom, observation, and a connection with nature, which is well-suited to a walking route that runs through green spaces and along a historic transport route. The wooden material emphasizes the artwork's natural context and connects with the sense of tranquility and landscape that people seek when walking in De Kevie. The old tram line itself adds a historical dimension, as tram lines in many Flemish and Dutch regions were once important connections between villages and towns, and preserving the route as a walking and cycling route keeps that past alive in the present. Artwork, information panels, and rest stops will be placed along these paths to allow visitors to enjoy not only nature but also cultural and historical elements.

The De Pelgrim Inn at Brouwersstraat 9, 11, and 13 is located in one of the former beguinages. These Meuse-style houses, dating from 1632, once formed a single structure. Number 13 was created after a division in 1634, and number 11 after a second division in 1680.

The remains of the clothmakers' tower (only one storey preserved so it looked a bit different, see below) can be viewed on the other side of the Jeker and is located behind house number 9 in the Sint-Ursulastraat. There is a wooden platform and bench for those who want to take their time at the Jeker. A small sign on the tower mentions "Lakenmakerstoren" and "13th century". More precisely, it is about the middle of the 13th century. Only one storey on a plinth of the tower has been preserved; it is a semi-circular construction of rubble and flint, now covered with a tiled roof and provided with two slit-shaped, marlstone loopholes, finished with negblokken. Inventory of Immovable Heritage: Clothmakers' Tower and wall section D, https://id.erfgoed.net/erfgoedobjecten/37136

The beguinage of Tongeren is – almost certainly – the oldest in the province of Limburg. Since 1257, it has nestled comfortably around the St. Catherine's Church, on the banks of the Jeker and in the shadow of the Moerenpoort. But its history goes back even further. Because at the Sint-Truiderpoort, close to the St. James' Hospital, founded between 1050 and 1095, stood the 'original' beguinage. In that case, Tongeren was probably the first to have a beguinage in the Netherlands. In any case, the beguinage of Tongeren has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998, together with twelve other Flemish beguinages, including Turnhout. Want to know more about the beguinage of Tongeren? Click through to https://www.vriendenbegijnhof.be/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Begijnhof-van-Tongeren-het-oudste-begijnhof-van-Limburg-BK32-2011.pdf

There were already beguines in Tongeren before 1239. The ladies who chose neither marriage nor monastic life settled permanently on a walled site at the Moerenpoort. In the Sint-Catharina Beguinage, the ‘ladies’ built an independent life. At its peak in the early 18th century, the beguinage had over 300 beguines and 100 houses. But during the French Revolution in 1798, the tide turned. The beguinage was expropriated and a number of houses and walls were integrated into the urban environment over time. Today, the cobbled streets, picturesque squares, beguine houses and religious buildings of the Tongeren beguinage still exude a subdued atmosphere. This fairy-tale ‘mini-city in the city’ is rightly a UNESCO world heritage site.

The original town hall, located on the corner of the market and the Sint-Truiderstraat, was destroyed in the fire of 1677. It was decided to build a new town hall on the Vlasmarkt, on the site of the cloth hall, which was also destroyed in 1677. The first stone was laid in 1737, by the mayors Willem-Abraham Cours and Jacob Grouwels. The majority of the works were carried out in 1738. The outbreak of the War of the Austrian Succession interrupted the work, so that the finishing touches could not be made until 1750; the stone facade was installed in 1750, the interior doors in 1755. The architect was probably Pascal Barbier from Liège. In terms of style, the building is very similar to the palace of the prince-bishops in Seraing (begun in 1724) and the abbey of Saint-Laurent in Liège (residence of the abbot, begun in 1727). Want to know more? Click through to https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/37396

Beautiful model of the basilica was made by Boud Geysens.