Researching, protecting and making cultural heritage accessible to the public: the LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments in the Rhineland has set itself the goal of making monuments "come alive". The large number of important archaeological remains in the Rhineland, about which the public often knows very little, are to be prepared and explained – in order to convey a vivid impression of how people lived in the past.
A prominent example of the work of the LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments is the development of the Roman aqueduct from the Eifel to Cologne, which is still intact in many places and is almost 100 kilometres long: The "Roman Canal" has been extensively researched and made accessible to the public with the help of many different parties. Today, hikers can walk the "Roman Canal Hiking Trail" between the Eifel and Cologne and immerse themselves in Roman history.
The Roman roads
The same goal is being pursued by the Roman Road Adventure Region project, which was developed by the LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments. For many years, the specialist office has been researching the roads built by the Romans around 2,000 years ago. The archaeological work focuses in particular on the so-called state roads that connected the local province of "Lower Germania" with other provinces and, of course, with Rome. The research focuses not only on the course and construction of the roads, but also on their military, political, economic, social and cultural function for the community.
Roman Road Adventure Region
The knowledge gained in the process is as unique as the archaeological monuments themselves. With the Roman Road Adventure Region, the LVR Office for the Preservation of Archaeological Monuments in the Rhineland, together with committed project partners, has created the first opportunity to learn about the important Roman long-distance roads within the cultural landscape. Travellers along the Via Belgica and Via Agrippa are accompanied by an information system that points out Roman archaeological monuments at numerous stations and in many different ways and provides relevant background knowledge.
