Rock solid: Here’s quartzite on the road

At this intersection, it is worth taking a moment to look at the cobblestones. It's logical that they are laid here on the sloped intersection. They stabilize the road and make it easier to navigate the slope in bad weather.

Tien quartzite was – as you might suspect – mined south of Tienen. In prehistoric times, it was traded far beyond its area of origin as arrowheads and spear points. In the Middle Ages, the stone was used for churches and other important buildings. Since the end of the 18th century until the interwar period, the stone was used as cobblestones for roads, especially in these regions. Because of its reddish color, it was referred to as ‘Red Napoleon’s head’ or ‘Tiense fox head’.

The stone is a geological peculiarity. The stone originated from a compact precipitation of silica, millions of years ago.

Jan Rymenams