September 20, 2018 Comments (1) Views: 1697 Urban Trekker

Are you urban trekking the ‘old continent’ and wondering how old are some of its oldest cities?

Probably not.

If you are on the road, you probably have other things on your mind.

But just in case you wondered, sitting there in the comfort of your sofa, perhaps eating spaghetti or a bowl of cereals, and having ended up on this page of the endless internet, the answer might not surprise you at all: Much of Europe begins where ancient Greece or ancient Rome ends. Even when you are navigating north to Poland and Belgium. Bear with us on this list of 10.

Nijmegen, the Netherlands

Nijmegen’s history stretches back over two millennia, unsurprisingly to the days of ancient Romans when Noviomagus (as the city’s name was back then) stood as a remote outpost of the mammoth Roman Empire. They say, put a shovel in the ground, dig and you will find something ancient around Nijmegen even today.

Ribe, Denmark

If it wasn’t the Romans or the Greeks then it was the Vikings. A proof is Ribe, an important eight-century trade center that emerged on the Danish west coast. It should be the country’s oldest. “Ribe was where the urbanization of all Scandinavia began. If Ribe began to become a town already in the early eighth century, this was long before the beginning of the Viking age, which sheds new light on our conception of this period,” has shared Aarhus University’s Sarah Croix for the science site Videnskab.dk.

Kalisz, Poland

In the second century A.D., Greek geographer Claudius Ptolemeus gave a mention of the town of Calisia, and this town today has been identified as Kalisz. In the ancient times, there was an amber route passing thought Kalisz which connected the Roman Empire with the Baltic coast. Kalisz would have been a trading post where Roman merchants stopped by on their quest to the north in search of amber. Archeological evidence from the area is dated to the eight millennia back in the time, and add this to the amber story, it’s easy to answer which city is Poland’s first.

Marseille, France

A popular summer destination for vacation-goers on the Mediterranean coast, and among the most important French harbors in history, Marseille was found by Greek settlers around 600 B.C. Thanks to its tight connection with ancient Greece, today Marseille is also France’s oldest settlement.

Cádiz, Spain

Founded by the Phoenicians, and keeping in storage 3,100-year-old archeological remains, Cádiz can take pride in being Spain’s oldest city. It’s a typically Andalusian city to see, containing a plethora of old buildings and a magnificent-looking Old Town. Bonus points for its parks with exotic plants and giant trees some of which are said to have been brought to Spain by the fleets of Columbus.

Sigtuna, Sweden

And Sweden begins with Sigtuna. Whether it’s called like that because of tuna, we don’t know, as much as we don’t know if it was King Eric the Victorious or King Olof Skotkonung its founder. Sources differ. Nevertheless, the history of the city stretches back to the year 980 A.D. A testimony today of Sigtuna’s age-old existence is the town’s vivid medieval center filled with restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops. There are also old church ruins, runic stones, and a must-see old main street called Stora gatan.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The earliest settlers came in what is nowadays Plovdiv around 4,000 years ago. The settlement changed from Trakian to Roman, and from Byzantine to Ottoman. A Roman amphitheater, and aqueduct, and Ottoman baths are some of the city’s relics that attest to its status of being Bulgaria’s oldest. Our featured writer Miro Kampa writes about Plovdiv here.

Szombathely, Hungary

You may wonder what the hell a Temple of Isis is looking in Hungary, but since this city was founded by the Romans in the mid-first century A.D. it should come as no surprise. Szombathely served as the capital of the Roman Empire’s Pannonia Superior province, and back then bore the name Colonia Claudia Savariensum. Today is bestowed as Hungary’s first.

Tongeren, Belgium

With tight link to ancient Rome, Tongeren is Belgium’s oldest. The city can be reached in the Flemish part of the country, and at the time was the only Roman administrative capital within the borders of what is nowadays Belgium. City walls that date from the first century A.D., and a Roman archeological site dated to the fourth century A.D., are a an obvious proof this place in Europe is ancient.

Constanta, Romania

Its coast on the Black Sea is adorned with the elegant Art Nouveau style Constanta Casino edifice, and inside the city it’s a mix of new buildings side by side with communist concrete giants. Romania’s Constanta is perhaps not where the oldest archeological digs come from, but it’s the country’s oldest continuously inhabited city. Ever since 600 B.C.

Tags: Europe, oldest cities