PARC ARCHÉOLOGIQUE DU LIMES

In the days of the Roman Empire, the Limes defined the boundary between the Latin and barbarian worlds. This demarcation followed the lower left bank of the Rhine for some 400 kilometers, taking advantage of the river's natural protection against incursions by Germanic peoples. It stretched from the German Rhine massif to the North Sea coast in the Netherlands. In 2021, UNESCO decided to identify a series of defensive systems and military installations dating back to Antiquity, along the entire length of this frontier so renowned in the ancient world. These remains date from the ^1st to the ^4th century, when the Limes became increasingly porous until it finally gave way to the so-called barbarian invasions.

Legionnaires' camps, forts, roads, river ports, canals and aqueducts - Roman engineering was at work here for centuries. Not only military, but also civil and ritual, as some sites feature the ruins of temples, sanctuaries and necropolises, as well as palaces and amphitheatres. The Limes was first and foremost a frontier for self-protection, but large populations lived there, and not only with weapons in their hands.

Most of these known remains are not visible, being buried underground. Nevertheless, it is remarkable to note the influence that the Romans had on this territory, and for a long time. 102 elements out of 44 known sites make up this UNESCO-protected ensemble. The Rhine wetlands have enabled an unhoped-for preservation of the wooden structures, and with it, unparalleled knowledge for specialists today.

The Saalburg Roman fort

Among the most impressive visible remains of this Roman Limes, the Saalburg is a fortress forming part of a group of defensive structures in the Taunus massif in the Hesse region. The site was first excavated in the late ^19th century. On the advice of the archaeologist in charge of the excavations, Kaiser Wilhelm II undertook the reconstruction of the Saalburg fort as faithfully as possible, in accordance with the excavation reports. A museum is also being developed here, making it the most comprehensive museum dedicated to the Limes. Don't miss the statue of Antoninus the Pious at the site's main entrance.

North of the fort's rear gate, some 200 meters from the walls, a reconstruction of the moat and palisades gives an idea of what enabled the Empire to resist for centuries.