LVR Ro­man Mu­seum in Xanten

Ar­chae­olo­gic­al finds bear wit­ness to the lives of Ro­man cit­izens and le­gion­naires. In build­ings that are true to the ori­gin­als, his­tory is turned in­to an ex­per­i­ence for every­one. Vis­it­ors can find out about trade routes, im­port­ant mil­it­ary bases and reign­ing powers in the re­gion.

Walking around the LVR Roman Museum in Xanten is like opening up a living book of history. Roman citizens such as Titus or Marcus stand before you in white tunics as the display cases containing fragments of precious ceramics and writings appear. Legionnaires march in formation as you look at old armour and weapons. On with their marching packs and off they go! Luckily, these are available to try on at the museum.

The walls of the teaching facility are filled with impressive stories about historical events which are told on the basis of found artefacts. Using interactive stations, the museum explains what it meant to be a craftsman, envoy or soldier. Buildings that are true to the originals support this impression. Text boards and audio recordings make it clear that the Romans were a highly advanced folk culturally. The built cities and encampments at important locations in NRW.

The Roman Museum in Xanten has been part of an archaeological park since 2008, which features the city walls, a harbour temple and a colossal amphitheatre. The institution at Siegfriedstraße 39 was built on the walls of the Basilica thermarum, which was the entrance hall to the city baths of the harbour city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana – one of the largest settlements on the Rhine.

The permanent exhibition offers over 2,500 exhibits over about 2,000 square metres, taking visitors from Caesar to the Frankish period. Time travellers can look forward to the remains of a Roman ship, murals and a cannon.

Anyone who is interested in learning more about the development of a military base is in exactly the right place at the LWL Roman Museum. This was the route taken by the Romans in the fight against the Germanic tribes led by Arminius. The 19th Legion was stationed here, and were apparently defeated at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.

The most significant finds from old Roman encampments along the Lippe are brought together at Weseler Strasse 100. Over 1,000 square metres, around 1,200 exhibits demonstrate the life of the Legionnaires along an important transport route.

From the end of March to the end of October, visitors are invited to view the Roman building site of Aliso. The team rebuilt parts of trenches, walls and gates of a Roman encampment made of earth and wood in the original location.