Cities & Culture
Xanten Archaeological Park
In Xanten in North Rhine-Westphalia, at the site of the former Roman settlement of Colonia Ulpia Traiana, visitors are invited to go back in time at Germany's largest open-air archaeology museum.
For around 400 years, Xanten was one of the most important Roman sites in Germania. You can visit the remains of the Roman town in the LVR Archaeological Park Xanten. It is the largest open-air archaeological museum in Germany and a real highlight for history buffs. The impressive reconstructions of Roman buildings show what life was like in a Roman provincial town. Spectacular buildings include the harbour temple, the amphitheatre, the inn and the imposing city wall with defence towers. Experience antiquity to watch and participate in at the Roman Weekends from May to September or visit the Limes Pavilion and learn exciting facts about the Lower Germanic Limes UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A crowd puller in the Archaeological Park is the Roman Museum. Over 2,500 exhibits on around 2,000 square metres of exhibition space paint a vivid picture of everyday Roman life in Germania. Particularly impressive are the remains of a Roman ship, suspended free-floating in space at a height of 12 metres. Opening hours: March to October: daily from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m., November: daily from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., December to February: daily from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.