Xanten Germany North Rhine-Westphalia
Frequently Asked Questions
Ships tie up on the Rhine, and the centre of Xanten sits back from the river. A small road train, the Nibelungen Express, shuttles between the landing stage and the old town; strong walkers can also cover it on foot.
Because the Rhine has shifted its bed over the centuries. The Roman city and the medieval town settled where the river once ran, and today's quays were left behind.
The site of Colonia Ulpia Traiana, a Roman city of around ten thousand people, rebuilt on its original ground: amphitheatre, harbour temple, walls and gates raised to their true height. It is one of Germany's largest open-air museums.
An hour or two covers the essentials; enthusiasts easily spend half a day. The Roman museum stands above the remains of the great baths, under a glass-and-steel structure, and sits inside the same grounds.
The archaeological park and Roman museum in the morning, St Victor's Cathedral and the market square in the afternoon. Both are walkable from the centre: the park borders the old town directly.
St Victor's Cathedral, one of the most imposing Gothic churches between Cologne and the North Sea, a market square lined with terraces, and the Kriemhildmühle windmill on the old ramparts, which still grinds grain and houses a bakery.
According to the Nibelungenlied, Siegfried the dragon-slayer was born in Xanten. The road train serving the quay carries his name, the windmill carries his wife Kriemhild's, and a local museum traces the epic's afterlife.
Yes, particularly. The archaeological park is crossed by wide grassy avenues, the rebuilt amphitheatre impresses children, and the road train is part of the fun. Two leisure lakes also border the south of town.
The euro, and German. English works at the archaeological park and museum, less so in market shops. Cards are accepted at paid sites; keep cash for the windmill bakery.
May to September. The archaeological park is almost entirely open-air: in wet weather the experience loses a great deal, and the indoor museum becomes the obvious refuge.
