The model of Roman Maastricht

The late Roman settlement of Maastricht was situated along the important route from the Rhine limes at Cologne to Bavay in northern France. The settlement protected the only permanent crossing of the Maas that was of any importance: the bridge across the river. As the Maas has changed its course towards the east over the centuries, less is preserved of the eastern part of the settlement (the anti-castellum) in comparison with the western bank (the larger castellum). The model shows what the settlement and the surrounding countryside were like: the bridge, the roads, a 'horreum' (storage barn), huts and thermae (public baths) within a wall with a ditch. They are compactly organised, in a landscape still grand, with the Maas and the Jeker still uncontrolled.

home | back | back to the tour