Daniel_Williams

Hello,

I've done it and booked my KLM flight from Montreal-Amsterdam this June. My guide book has such a multidimensional focus that I'm having trouble picking out an area of interest... Roman & medieval history. I loved visiting Bath (Aquae Sulis), St. Albans (Verulamium) and Colchester (Camulodunum) for the Roman history, as well as Winchester Cathedral, Salisbury Cathedral and even a Medieval Merchant's House in Southampton in the UK for the sense of being transported back to that period and getting a sense of the different mores.

I'll be honest with you... I'm quite poorly informed... I even had to look it up to see on Wikipedia whether Holland was actually held by the Romans or the Germanic "barbarians" during the times of the Roman Empire (and I'm still not sure, seems perhaps divided?).

If you have some favorite (doesn't have to be grand, still standing but authentic is interesting to me!) spots in Holland for this, let me know! (I'll be staying in Haarlem, other than planning to go to Amsterdam a few times and Den Haag once during my 10 day stay, I've not plotted much out yet.)

Best wishes, Daniel

laurie_ann

I didn't have but a few days in Amsterdam, which I loved, but I had originally planned a longer visit and had found the folowing which sounded like fun:

Wadden Islands
Utrecht
Aalsmeer flower auction
Holysloot

Rastaguytoday

You might try a simple google on Roman ruins Netherlands. That should get you some information.

Having been to the Netherlands, both on business and personal travel more than 10 times, you should enjoy yourself very much.

Daniel_Williams

Laurie_ann, rastaguytoday,

Thank you for your thoughts/ideas!

Daniel

globetrotterxyz

Try Maastricht:
http://www.essortment.com/travel-maa...and-33545.html

The_lonely_traveler

The Romans did find their way up to about halfway the Netherlands. The largest Roman town was located near Nijmegen and you'll find a number of ruins and museums there. Forum Hadriani was the most northern place the Romans settled, near to what is now known as Voorburg.

Anyway, you'll find some Roman remains in Utrecht, Maastricht and Nijmegen. And there's the remains of a Roman bathhouse in Heerlen named the "Thermenmuseum", prolly worth a visit (http://www.thermenmuseum.nl/).

Do take some time to visit the Dutch "rijksmuseum van oudheden" in Leiden. They often feature lots of Roman-related stuff but do check in advance since that museum covers other timeframes too (http://www.rmo.nl/)

Further more, near Alphen aan de Rijn you can find the Archeon, an mixed amusement / archeology park. Nice if you have kids, not so sure if you'll like it if you're into the real thing.

If you really are into seeing Roman things though, you should visit Xanten in Germany. It is located just on the German side of the border. Well worth a visit if you ask me.

There's a medieval farm (rebuilt, not original) here in Amersfoort (search for "Schothorst medieval farm") where a group of historians reenacts the dark ages. More targeted towards the Viking culture though. See http://www.denblauwenswaen.nl/public...chothorst.html

Daniel_Williams

Thank you globetrotterxyz!

A special thanks to you, the_lonely_traveler for taking the time to write such terrific detail. Exactly what I was hoping for! I've researched on the net a bit, but have found mostly facts; nothing better than first hand experience. Great stuff; made me wonder what stopped the Romans from going further north (lack of interest? unwelcoming locals? disliked the terrain?).

I've taken note and it's given me some ideas on where to focus my attention (possibly including Nijmegen, Xanten or Maastricht/Heerlen as side-trips). Too bad it seems so much was destroyed in Nijmegen during WW2 by both German shelling and American carpet bombing.

Best wishes, Daniel

flanneruk

All of this is fine. But the good stuff's in Aachen and Trier, which both were significant centres in the late Empire and have substantial surviving buildings from the very early Middle Ages

Nothing really "stopped the Romans from going further north" (or rather further west), except that they really weren't that big on expansion after 14 AD. Usually there had to be the prospect of substantial riches, or a slug of territory that would be a threat without a Roman military presence. Annexing Britain was a publicity stunt by an unpopular emperor: the unannexed bits of NW mainland Europe just weren't worth the bother.

IN the southern Netherlands, they just didn't leave much by way of remains that are visible these days. Partly because there was little reason for building permanent military bases in an area with so little local opposition or raids from across the frontier with barbarians.

PatrickLondon

Perhaps the fact that most of the northern parts of the modern Netherlands were rather wet and boggy, and didn't have much in the way of natural resources..?

menachem

Also, take a day trip to Cologne, apart from Aachen, Xanten and Trier.
In the Netherlands, Leiden, Alphen a/d Rijn are places where much archeological work was done. And actually, the border, the "limes" was the Rhine, of course, so only a small part of the Netherlands was settled by Romans or had Roman culture, and that only as semi-permanent settlements. The limes is still noticeable in Dutch culture though, even today.

Daniel_Williams

flanneruk, PatrickLondon, menachem--

I thank you regarding (and enjoyed reading) your thoughts concerning the Romans and the Netherlands.

Since we got on a Roman Empire tack here and you folks seem to be telling me that Germany is where I should head for that (mostly), I'll steer things back toward the second part of the question. Any *Medieval* highlights surviving in Holland (cathedrals, churches, castles, etc...) that you think are compelling?

Thanks again, Daniel

The_lonely_traveler

There are a couple of major reasons why the Romans didn't go further north. First of, the land further up north was very, very wet. Most of it was flooded twice per day and the farmers, really a tough bunch, lived on dwelling mounds (terps). Those are pretty hard conditions to fight in!

Further more, the Romans where slaughtered in the big Teutenburger woods, just across the borders of what now is Germany. And thus the emperor August decided not to continue further up north but stay below the natural barrier formed by the Rijn river.

You'll be able to find lots of medieval buildings in the Netherlands. Amsterdam (obviously), Utrecht, Amersfoort, Deventer, Leiden, Zutphen, Dordrecht, most of the hanseatic cities still have medieval inner-cities.

Further more there are numerous castles from that time: Haarzuilens, Muiderslot, Duurstede, Middachten, Cannenburgh, Doorwerth, Ammersoyen, Rosendael, there just are too many to name. A must visit is het Loo in Apeldoorn (more a palace than a castle).

Interesting cathedrals and churches are in Amsterdam (Westerkerk), Haarlem (St. Bavo's), Gouda (St. Jans), Utrecht (de Dom), Maastricht (St. Servaas), in short almost everywhere.

bilboburgler

As others as have said much of netherlands were a bog when the Romans came, medievel sites are more interesting if you extend, incorrectly, that period to the spanish period then just about every small town surrounded by a moat of water will have been defenended by one side or another.

If going to Germany you have to visit Trier (as others have mentioned). it was the capital of the Roman empire for 20 years, it still has a couple of the bath buildings, a horse racing track and an anormous palace plus the Porta Negra which is a 3 story gate.

ribeirasacra

Are these too old for you?
http://www.hunebedden.com/

Daniel_Williams

Terrific stuff!

Now, thanks to your posts, I know what "hunebedden" means and have pulled myself out of ignorance about another term I'd heard of, but never knew what it meant, the Hanseatic League... so thank you! Amersfoort looks particularly compelling!

Best wishes, Daniel

menachem

I'd say any city along the IJssel river is interesting: Zutphen, Deventer, Zwolle, Kampen. Some of these are Hanseatic cities and I particularly recommend Deventer. The city itself is beautiful, the IJssel is easily the most beautiful river in the Netherlands, and the surrounding countryside is wonderful. Many interesting developments around Deventer too, regarding local, sustainable economies: the Hof van Twello initiative is certainly worth a visit, also because of their work to resurrect that old medieval concept: "the commons".

Daniel_Williams

Thank you Menachem,

I have decided that I will visit Deventer this June upon your advice.

Best wishes, Daniel

menachem

consider renting bikes at the train station.