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The Roman Limes – frontiers of the Empire

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The Roman Limes – frontiers of the Empire
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

As the summer holidays approach, The Local is touring Germany's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Today we visit the historic Roman Limes.

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The Upper-Germanic Roman Limes covers a total distance of 550 kilometres. Around 2,000 years ago its forts, watchtowers, walls and palisades protected the mighty Roman Empire from independent Germania.

It is the longest and one of the most impressive archaeological monuments in Europe, marking the frontier where the highly developed civilisation of ancient Rome met 'barbaric' Germania.

The Limes run from Bad Hönningen/Rheinbrohl on the River Rhine to the Regensburg area on the River Danube. Alongside Roman remains preserved in their original condition, there are restored buildings, excavations and reconstructions. The course of the border wall can still be made out in places as it stretches in long, straight lines across forests and pastureland.

Special highlights along the route include the reconstructed Roman fort at Saalburg in Bad Homburg, the Roman museum in Osterburken, the Limes museum in Aalen with archaeology park, fort and Roman baths as well as the Roman museum and Limes information centre in Weissenburg. It has been a UNESCO-World Heritage site since 2005.

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