TongerenTongeren (ˈtɔŋərə(n); Tongres tɔ̃ɡʁ; Tongern ˈtɔŋɐn; Tóngere ˈtʊŋəʀə) is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg, in the southeastern corner of the Flemish region of Belgium. Tongeren is the oldest town in Belgium, as the only Roman administrative capital within the country's borders. As a Roman city, it was inhabited by the Tungri, and known as Atuatuca Tungrorum, it was the administrative centre of the Civitas Tungrorum district.
Duchy of LimburgThe Duchy of Limburg or Limbourg was an imperial estate of the Holy Roman Empire. Much of the area of the duchy is today located within Liège Province of Belgium, with a small portion in the municipality of Voeren, an exclave of the neighbouring Limburg Province. Its chief town was Limbourg-sur-Vesdre, in today's Liège Province. The Duchy evolved from a county which was first assembled under the lordship of a junior member of the House of Ardenne–Luxembourg, Frederick.
EifelThe Eifel (ˈaɪfl̩; Äifel, ˈæːɪfəl) is a low mountain range in western Germany, eastern Belgium and northern Luxembourg. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of Belgium. The Eifel is part of the Rhenish Massif; within its northern portions lies the Eifel National Park. The Eifelian stage in geological history is named after the region because rocks of that period reach the surface in the Eifel at the Wetteldorf Richtschnitt outcrop.
CarnivalCarnival is a Western Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typically involves public celebrations, including events such as parades, public street parties and other entertainments, combining some elements of a circus. Elaborate costumes and masks allow people to set aside their everyday individuality and experience a heightened sense of social unity.
Carolingian dynastyThe Carolingian dynasty (ˌkærəˈlɪndʒiən ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum hereditary, and becoming the de facto rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne.
EindhovenEindhoven (ˈɛintˌɦoːvə(n)) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest and is also located in the Dutch part of the natural region the Campine. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022, it is the fifth-largest city of the Netherlands and the largest outside the Randstad conurbation. Eindhoven was originally located at the confluence of the Dommel and Gender. A municipality since the 13th century, Eindhoven witnessed rapid growth starting in the 1900s by textile and tobacco industries.
HeerlenHeerlen (ˈɦeːrlə(n); Heële ˈɦeə˦lə) is a city and a municipality in the southeast of the Netherlands. It is the third largest settlement proper in the province of Limburg. Measured as municipality, it is the fourth municipality in the province of Limburg. Heerlen forms part of the city-region of Parkstad Limburg, an agglomeration with about 250,000 inhabitants and encompassing 8 municipalities. It is to the east of Maastricht and north of the German city of Aachen.
CampineThe Campine (French kɑ̃pin) or De Kempen (Dutch ˈkɛmpə(n)) is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large northern and eastern portion of Antwerp Province and adjacent parts of Limburg in Belgium, as well as portions of the Dutch province of North Brabant (area southwest of Eindhoven) and Dutch Limburg around Weert.
NijmegenNijmegen (ˈnɛiˌmeːɣə(n); Nijmeegs: Nimwèège ˈnɪmβ̞ɛːçə) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands and the first to be recognized as such in Roman times. In 2005, it celebrated 2,000 years of existence. Nijmegen became a free imperial city in 1230 and in 1402 a Hanseatic city. Since 1923 it has been a university city with the opening of a Catholic institution now known as the Radboud University Nijmegen.
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific ResearchNederlandse Organisatie voor Toegepast Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek (TNO; Dutch Organization for Applied Scientific Research) is an independent research organization in the Netherlands that focuses on applied science. The organization also conducts contract research, offers specialist consulting services, and grants licenses for patents and specialist software. TNO tests and certifies products and services, and issues independent evaluations of quality. Moreover, TNO sets up new companies to market innovations.