LVR-Archäologischer Park Xanten, Xanten
Facts and practical information
The Xanten Archaeological Park is an open-air museum near Xanten on the Lower Rhine. The sponsor is the Landschaftsverband Rheinland, which decided to found the park in 1973. It was opened in 1977 and has been repeatedly expanded since then.
The park is located above the former Colonia Ulpia Traiana, one of the most important Roman settlements in Germany. Permanent excavations are carried out in the park in order to record and research the ground monuments. For this purpose, a so-called summer academy was established, which offers students the opportunity to get to know the practice of archaeological work.
To give park visitors an impression of what Colonia looked like, some Roman buildings have been reconstructed or at least partially recreated. These include parts of the representative city wall of Colonia Ulpia Traiana, the so-called harbor temple, the Roman inn and the city's amphitheater. The structure of the planned Colonia was a checkerboard pattern; this can be seen in the paths and avenues in the park.
For a long time, the Regional Museum Xanten was located in the city center of Xanten. This was finally integrated into the protective building of the thermal baths and as a result renamed LVR-RömerMuseum Xanten in 2008. Exhibits from local and regional Roman history are on display.
North Rhine-Westphalia