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  • UNESCO

The Roman border

January 12, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 4 Comments

WORLD HERITAGE SITE

Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Germany

Earlier in the year I visited one of the limits of the Roman Empire at Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England. In the 2nd century, when the great empire was at its peak, it stretched all the way across Europe and this long fortification was built across Britain to protect it from attack.

Thousands of kilometres away, here in the north of Germany, the Romans built another defence of its border.

This fortified boundary wall, known as ‘The Limes’, may not be quite as famous or quite as obvious but it’s just as significant.

Together, the two sites make up a World Heritage Site called ‘Frontiers of the Roman Empire’.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

The German section stretches for about 550 kilometres from near Bonn in the west to Regensburg in the east. It links almost 100 towns, villages and districts along its length.

Although it is now incomplete, follow the path and you’ll discover a large selection of Roman ruins, excavations and reconstructions.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

Some people bike or hike along the original border line and maybe one day I should come back and do the whole stretch on foot. Signposts and information boards point out significant monuments along the way and there are plenty of places to stay.

But for most people – myself included this time – a visit to a few of the ancient Roman sites along the Limes will give a thorough impression of the fortifications.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

One of the best places to quickly experience the Roman Frontiers is at the Saalburg Roman Fortress near Bad Homburg. It is the only Roman fortress in the world to be rebuilt and is imposing on a hill with large external walls guarding the buildings inside.

It was rebuilt as a museum and research institute around 1900 under the direction of Kaiser Wilhelm II, with additional reconstruction in the past decade.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

About 600 soldiers would have been based at Saalburg during the height of the Roman times and up to 2000 people may have lived inside the walls and the nearby village.

Models, reconstructions and actual archaeological finds in the site’s museum paint a picture of ancient times. I feel like it’s aimed more at school groups or history buffs but it is, nonetheless, quite unique in what it offers.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

Visiting the Frontiers of the Roman Empire in Germany

If a reconstructed Roman fort is not your thing but you’re in the area near Saalburg, another option is to go exploring yourself.

In the forests nearby are relatively untouched Roman ruins and visitors are free to hike along the trails and discover things for themselves.

Saalburg Fort, Bad Homburg, Germany

In fact, it’s the same along much of the original boundary wall that stretches across the Germany. Although there are official sites that have been protected or restored, there’s still a lot which is just out in the open.

Because the original route of The Limes covers so much of the country, it’s easy to come across a part of it on your travels and see what there is to visit in the area.

The Saalburg Fort is located at: Saalburg 1, 61350, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany
You can see it on Google Maps here.
To get to the Saalburg Fort, catch the train to Bad Homburg and then take the bus number 5 to the site, which takes about 30 minutes.
The church is open at the following times:
Summer: 0800 – 2000
Winter: 0800 – 1700
Admission prices to Saalburg Fort are as follows:
Adults: €5
Concession: €3.50
Children: €3
If you go to Saalburg Fort, leave yourself about an hour to walk through the forests surrounding the museum to see some original Roman ruins.
You can find out more information here about the Saalburg Fort.
This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For more info click here. You can see all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites I’ve visited here.

Time Travel Turtle was supported by DB Bahn, the German National Tourist Board and Youth Hostels in Germany but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. [email protected] on Tour |

    December 20, 2014 at 2:40 am

    Reply

    I love exploring through old ruins. Great to read about a lesser known ruin to explore.

  2. Deb |

    December 22, 2014 at 12:08 am

    Reply

    Wow, Rome really had a long reach didn’t it? I just finished watching Marco Polo and was reminded of how far the Mongol Empire reached at one point as well. It’s amazing to see how the world’s borders change century after century. Great photos!

  3. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    December 23, 2014 at 1:05 pm

    Reply

    Love exploring ruins, especially if they could be anywhere when you’re walking through the woods! It would be a really neat hike to follow the whole path by foot! Thanks for sharing!

  4. Oh Really |

    May 6, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Reply

    “The German section stretches for about 550 kilometres […] maybe one day I should come back and do the whole stretch on foot.”

    Good luck with that.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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