Xanten Archaeological Park

The LVR Archaeological Park Xanten on the Lower Rhine is an open-air museum built on the site of the Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana. You can walk Roman streets, climb into a rebuilt amphitheater, admire a reconstructed harbor temple and then step into the LVR RömerMuseum to see finds from the Roman era. It is one of the largest archaeological parks in Germany and a very good day trip for history fans and families.

Where it is and how to get there

Xanten lies in North Rhine-Westphalia near the Dutch border, on the western bank of the Rhine. The nearest large cities are Duisburg and Düsseldorf. Regional trains run from the direction of Duisburg to Xanten, and a Deutschlandticket usually covers them; check your connection in the DB Navigator app. By car, take the A 57 to the Sonsbeck exit and follow the signs to Xanten. Several free car parks are reported at the museum. The visitor service can be reached at +49 2801 988-9213.

What makes it special

Colonia Ulpia Traiana had about 10,000 residents and covered roughly 73 hectares. Because the area was never built over, archaeologists could study it on a large scale. The Rhineland Regional Council decided to create the park in September 1973, and the first six hectares opened on June 8, 1977. Since 2009 the park covers about 60 hectares. The concept is unusual: city blocks are marked by lawns and streets by gravel, with a few reconstructed buildings among them, which makes the scale of a Roman city easy to grasp.

Highlights

• The amphitheater: rebuilt rather than restored; the cathedral of Xanten rises in the background.
• The harbor temple (Hafentempel): a reconstructed Roman temple with tall columns.
• The Roman inn (Herberge): a rebuilt roadside inn for travelers.
• The Great Baths: since 1999 a glass hall protects the excavated remains, and walkways let you cross them.
• City wall, gates and craftsmen's houses: part of the wall can be walked; two craftsmen's houses opened in 2015.
• LVR RömerMuseum: opened on August 16, 2008 over the foundations of the Basilica Thermarum, with Roman finds including the Batimodus gravestone.

Visiting: hours and tickets (as of October 2026)

According to the LVR, the park is open daily from March 1 until the end of daylight saving time from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and from the start of winter time to the end of February from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The park and museum are closed on December 24, 25 and 31 and open on New Year's Day. The RömerMuseum is closed November 23 to 27, 2026, for annual maintenance. Admission is 11 EUR for adults; under-18s enter free; students, trainees and visitors with disabilities pay 7 EUR. Entry is free on the first Monday of each month. The park does not mention English guided tours, so check with the visitor service.

Planning tips

Allow three to five hours. Much of the park is outdoors with gravel-marked streets, so wear suitable shoes and bring rain gear; the museum and the baths hall offer shelter. Old Xanten with its cathedral lies right next to the park.