Taxi & shuttle for Arlon from / to Brussels airport [BRU]

Arlon is one of the oldest towns in Belgium, at the crossroads of two Roman roadways, leading from Metz to Tongeren and from Reims to Trier, capital of Trévirie. Arlon is then called Orolaunum vicus. A vicus is an open agglomeration and presents important topographical aspects here: a height, in patois the Knippchen (small hill), and the sources of the Semois. During the first three centuries the city is prosperous and extends on both sides of the Semois.

Excavations have shown the existence of neighborhoods, a road network and multiple activities: thermal baths, villas and artisan quarters. The Archaeological Museum is full of testimonies: its lapidary gallery and the sculpted scenes are exceptional.

At the end of the Lower Empire, Gaul was shaken by the Germanic incursions which, taking advantage of the instability in Rome, infiltrated the empire. A campaign of building walls is carried out in Gaul. For Arlon, the army will favor the fortification of the mound, the castrum serving as a refuge in the event of an attack. Cemeteries and monuments destroyed or demolished will give the blocks of sandstone which will serve as a foundation for the wall, which is why many blocks have persisted. One can discover in situ the use of these blocks by visiting the two Roman towers. The rampart measured 800 meters, dotted with twenty towers and two gates leading to the valley.

During the Middle Ages, the interior of the castrum became more urbanized. The Roman Empire fades away to make way for new institutional patterns. A Roman building is chosen to house the burials of local aristocrats.

source: City of Arlon