UNESCO World Heritage Site “Upper German-Raetian Limes”

Rheinbrohl – Caput Limitis, this idyllic little town on the Rhine to the north of Neuwied is inextricably linked with one of the greatest feats of Roman architecture in the Ancient World. The 550 km-long fortified frontier began here at Watchtower Number 1.

The Upper German-Raetian Limes, known simply as the Limes, is the longest existing archaeological monument after the Great Wall of China. In ancient times it represented the frontier between the Roman Empire and the unsubdued Germanic clans.

From the early 2nd Century AD to the middle of the 3rd Century AD it traversed the territory of the modern-day Federal States of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Hessen and Rheinland-Pfalz.

Running from the Rhine to the Danube, the Limes lets visitors rediscover the fascinating history of the Romans in Germany. All along the frontier there were legionary camps, forts, watchtowers, the Limes Road, artificial barriers and associated civilian facilities. Battles and war, the everyday lives of ordinary people and legionaries, trade and the exchange of goods and - above all - the clash of Roman and Germanic cultures: the Limes opens up some important windows on history.

In July 2005 the UNESCO World Heritage Committee inscribed the Upper German-Raetian Limes on the list of World Heritage Sites. As the cultural landscape is constantly changing, many sections of the Limes are no longer visible to the naked eye. These sections, however, represent a valuable source for archaeologists and the UNESCO World Heritage status brings with it the obligation to preserve them, visible or not.