The sugar town of Tienen, situated in hilly Hageland country, has a rich past, as well as inspiring monuments and fine buildings You can see that Tienen was a former Roman settlement by enjoying a visit to “Het Toreke” museum. The totally refurbished layout of the displays introduces you to a mystical and fascinating world dealing with the rituals about life and death in Roman times. We also show you the results of the excavations that began in 1997, uncovering the largest Roman cemetery in the Benelux. This extensive “dig” has revealed a treasure trove of objects and finds and gives us a look at the burial rites of the Romans and what they thought about the dead and the hereafter. Guided tours can be arranged.

Situated nearby is the Sugar Museum, which guarantees a unique and almost overwhelming experience. Take an audio-guide on the surrealistic “search for the lost taste of sugar”, which immerses you in an amazing world of fact and fiction. The whole rich and colourful world of sugar is covered on the tour: the enthralling social history of the seasonal worker, harvesting the beet and processing it into sugar, the way bees produce honey, the effect that sugar has on our body and all the possible uses that sugar can be put to. Simply not to be missed!