Tourism project VIA VIA brings Roman history to life in the Euregio
Visibility and experience of Roman heritage
As part of the tourism project VIA VIA, Maastricht Museum and Centre Céramique, together with partners from the Euregio, are bringing the Roman past to life. The result is a unique route packed with Roman highlights, running through nine locations in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Maastricht Museum at Centre Céramique is one of these locations. Visitors will be able to embark on this distinctive journey through history in 2027.
An engaging Roman experience
There will be plenty to see, do and experience in 2027. The aim is to make Maastricht’s Roman heritage more visible, with a strong focus on experience and digital visualisations. The project will feature an interactive exhibition at Maastricht Museum and Derlon Hotel Maastricht. In Voerendaal, an interactive landscape element will be on view at Villa Voerendaal. In Tongeren and Tienen, visitors can take interactive walks along Roman sites, while in Aachen they can discover a different side of the city through a Roman city walk. The Roman Museum in Heerlen and the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren will offer a fully immersive experience through immersive rooms. Museum Zitadelle in Jülich will present an interactive exhibition, and in Simpelveld a cross-border Roman landscape park can be explored. In addition, local entrepreneurs will be involved to enrich the offer with culinary experiences and artisanal souvenirs.
“We are proud to be able to highlight this important chapter of history in collaboration with all these colleagues and partners. By telling the connecting and multi-voiced stories together, across national borders, we make the bigger picture visible. We would like to fulfil a (Roman) bridging role in connecting Belgian, Dutch and German partners. And for those who can’t wait: there is already so much to discover about the Romans at Maastricht Museum.”
Wim Hupperetz, Director of Centre Céramique
Who is involved?
The Via Belgica partnership is the initiator of VIA VIA. The project brings together the municipalities of Heerlen, Maastricht, Simpelveld and Voerendaal; the cities of Tienen, Jülich, Tongeren and Aachen; and the institutions Museum Zitadelle in Jülich, the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, the Roman Museum in Heerlen, Via Belgica, Erlebnisraum Römerstrasse, and Maastricht Museum and Centre Céramique in Maastricht. The universities of Liège and Utrecht are also involved as knowledge partners.
Funding
Financially, VIA VIA is made possible through funding from the Interreg Meuse–Rhine programme and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In addition, the project is supported by the European Union and co-financed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Regio Deal Parkstad Limburg.
Via Belgica
The Via Belgica project is the initiator of this collaboration. Via Belgica is a partnership between the municipalities of Maastricht, Meerssen, Valkenburg, Voerendaal, Heerlen, Simpelveld and Kerkrade, and is also financially supported by the Province of Limburg. Heerlen acts as the lead partner for this project.
