Travel back in time and discover Utrecht&rsquo;s Roman past. Visit three Roman castella built along the Rhine in Utrecht and learn more about the Roman Limes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

More than 2,000 years ago, the northern frontier of the Roman Empire ran directly through the territory we now call the Netherlands. The Romans used the term limes (border) when referring to the empire&rsquo;s frontier, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Spanning some 6,000 kilometres, the limes was guarded by a system of forts (castella), watchtowers and roads. Three of the best-preserved castella in the Netherlands can be found in and around the city of Utrecht. Together, they uncover the entire story of Roman life on the empire&rsquo;s northern frontier.

Utrecht in Roman times

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Utrecht’s origins can be found underneath Dom Square. Around 45 AD, the Romans built Castellum Traiectum on this very spot. DOMunder is unique as it’s quite literally the only place where you actually come face-to-face with our Roman past.

DOMunder

This unique place is where you can see and experience a life-size Roman fort on its original site in the Netherlands. The museum’s showpiece is an original Roman ship.

Hoge Woerd

Fectio is one of the oldest and largest Roman forts in the Netherlands. Marvel at the Roman watchtower, visit the Waterline Museum and explore the site where the contours of Castellum Fectio have been carefully reconstructed.

Fectio

The Roman Limes earned international recognition as a heritage site of significant importance when it was awarded UNESCO World Heritage status. The Lower Germanic Limes in the Netherlands comprises 19 protected sites, five of which are located in Utr

The Roman Limes in Utrecht: a unique heritage site

Video

Want to learn more about the Roman Limes before you visit? Your kids will love this episode of the Dutch children’s show Klokhuis! Follow the trail that runs along the border and learn about all the things we should be grateful to the Romans for: rea

The Roman Limes on Dutch children’s TV 

Coming soon – Castellum Hoge Woerd’s augmented reality tour! Access the tour on your mobile phone, where a virtual guide takes you on a journey to learn what life was like for a Roman skipper. Watch this space!

Tour with virtual guide

De Meern 1 is the most intact Roman riverboat ever unearthed in Northwest Europe. This ship sank around 190 AD in a narrow, twisty distributary of the River Rhine, possibly due to a navigational error. In the ship&rsquo;s cabin, much of its fixtures and fittings as well as the skipper&rsquo;s personal belongings have remained untouched, including a unique collection of tools. See this spectacular sight at Castellum Hoge Woerd.
Did you know you can take a boat trip on board a replica of De Meern 1?

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