Tongeren likes to remind you that it is the oldest town in Belgium, and it has a strong claim. The Romans founded a settlement here, Atuatuca Tungrorum, on the road between Cologne and Bavay, and the remains of its walls can still be seen around the town. Before that, the area was home to the Eburones, a Celtic tribe whose chieftain Ambiorix famously ambushed and destroyed a Roman legion in 54 BC. His statue, a heroic nineteenth-century figure with a winged helmet and a magnificent moustache, stands in the main square, the Grote Markt.
The Basilica of Our Lady dominates the town, a Gothic church built over many centuries on the site of earlier churches, perhaps the first north of the Alps dedicated to the Virgin. Its tower is listed by UNESCO as one of the belfries of Belgium and France, a symbol of civic pride. Inside, the treasury holds some of the finest medieval religious objects in the country, and the cloister is a peaceful place. Below the church, excavations have revealed Roman and early Christian remains.
Tongeren also has a béguinage, listed by UNESCO with the other Flemish béguinages, a quiet enclave of houses and lanes. The Gallo-Roman Museum, near the basilica, is one of the best archaeological museums in Belgium. And on Sunday mornings the town hosts a huge antiques and flea market, drawing dealers and collectors from across the region.
The riding around Tongeren is gentle and pleasant. The town lies in Haspengouw, a fertile region of rolling hills, orchards and fields, famous for its apples, pears and cherries; in spring, when the trees are in blossom, the landscape is beautiful. To the east lies the Voeren, a pocket of Flemish territory with hills, valleys and narrow lanes. The roads are generally good but can be narrow, with farm traffic and cyclists.
Tongeren has fuel, shops and plenty of restaurants and cafés. Try the local syrup, made from apples and pears, spread on bread, or a glass of Belgian beer in a café on the Grote Markt. Limburg weather swings between bright and damp within an hour, so a waterproof layer earns its place. Climb the basilica tower if it is open, and look out over the town and the orchards of Haspengouw.