Medieval city wall
Today, you can walk right into the heart of Tongeren without any problems. At one time, this was a very different story! The 13th-century defensive wall is an impressive structure with 13 towers and six gates. The Moerenpoort is the only gate that has stood the test of time.
The new medieval city wall enclosed a city of 54 hectares, the equivalent of around 100 football fields. The best preserved pieces are near Elfde Novemberwal and Leopoldwal.
Lakenmakerstoren (Sheet makers’ Tower)
Each guild in Tongeren was responsible for maintaining and defending 1 of the medieval wall’s 13 towers. One of the towers to survive over the centuries is Lakenmakerstoren, the sheet makers’ tower. This picturesque tower is part of the defence wall along the river Jeker, between Kastanjewal and Sint-Ursulastraat. This semi-circular construction mainly consists of silex, a material from the original Roman wall.
The Velinxtoren
‘Velinx’ is a name that you often come across in Tongeren. It is the name of an influential 16th century family. The Velinxtoren at Albertwal is a remnant of the medieval defence wall. Older, Roman material was incorporated into the round silex tower.
