Guided tours and workshops

At the LVR-Römermuseum, an entertaining overview of Roman history awaits you in an architecturally spectacular building. Over 2,500 original finds from the city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana and the legionary camps Vetera I and II paint a vivid picture of life in Roman Germania. Meet the first legionaries to arrive on the Rhine, experience the dramatic impact of the Roman Civil War on the Lower Rhine, and witness the rise, heyday, and fall of Colonia Ulpia Traiana.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: maximum 15 people

The Great Baths are part of the LVR Roman Museum. Walkways lead visitors directly over the original remains of bathing pools, fireplaces, and canals. Furthermore, the imposing protective structure made of steel and glass provides a vivid impression of the original dimensions.

During the tour, you will learn details about the construction, water supply, and sophisticated heating technology of the Roman baths.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Important information: Also bookable as a 30-minute tour for €22 in conjunction with a 60-minute museum tour

Our current knowledge of the Germanic tribes comes from Roman historians and modern excavations. During this tour, we will learn about the Roman authors and examine their statements.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: €60
Group size: maximum 15 people

Recommended age: 15 years and up

This special tour is dedicated to the diverse aspects of Latin language culture. Beginning with famous authors such as Caesar and Tacitus, the theme continues with the inscriptions on gravestones and dedicatory stones. Dialogues and diverse visual aids bring this supposedly dead language to life. This tour is aimed at anyone interested in Latin in the museum, even if they are not yet familiar with the language.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: €60
Group size: maximum 15 people

Modest and submissive – that's what a Roman woman wanted in her life. Whether this wish always came true, you'll learn during this guided tour about the lives of Roman women. It's aimed at all men and women interested in the topic. The tour guide will open a travel case from Roman times, containing replicas, illustrations, and visual aids, providing an in-depth introduction to the topic.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: €60
Group size: maximum 15 people

Recommended age: 12 years and up

The hand puppets Avilela and Rufus are very familiar with the museum. They know why you're not allowed to touch the old objects and what exactly the ladies and gentlemen standing guard at various points in the museum are doing. Avilela and Rufus show the children how the Romans wrote and spoke, and what remains of people's lives after 2,000 years.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40, two accompanying adults free
Group size: maximum 10 children

Recommended age: 4-6 years

The guided tours of the park provide an overview of the Roman city and the lives of the people who once lived there. On a tour of the APX, visiting the most important buildings, you will learn about the archaeological remains beneath the Harbor Temple, hear fascinating facts about gladiator fights in the amphitheater, and experience the atmosphere of Roman baths in the thermal baths.

The one-hour tour only covers a portion of the Archaeological Park. We recommend allowing enough time to explore the other areas of the park and the LVR Roman Museum afterward.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: Maximum 25 people

Important information: Also available as a 90-minute tour for €62

Booking via: xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de

For group tours in German Sign Language accompanied by a deaf guide, individual dates and topics can be arranged. Our tours can generally also be booked as an all-inclusive tour.

Duration: 60 minutes or 90 minutes
Cost: €40 or €62
Group size: Maximum 10 people

Important information: Please register with the Visitor Services at least four weeks before your desired date: xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de

How did the inhabitants of Colonia Ulpia Traiana live and work? Learn this and more in the artisans' houses. From the excavation and construction of the houses to the furnishing of each room, our tour guides will take you on an entertaining tour through everyday Roman life. A glimpse into the workshops of the blacksmith and weavers, as well as the family's bedrooms, is a must.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: maximum 15 people

Booking via: xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de

A guided tour of the ongoing excavations at the APX reveals the surprises and treasures that Xanten's soil holds. During the excavation tour, you'll gain insights into the world beneath the turf and learn about the methods modern science is using to uncover life in the Roman city. Those interested can also handle typical Roman finds such as roof tiles, shards, or bone scraps and discover what they tell us about the lives of people in Roman times.

Bookable from March to October
Duration: 60 minutes, maximum 15 people (€40)

Booking via: xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de

In the dim glow of Roman lamps, the Archaeological Park reveals its mysterious face. What do we know about the nightlife of the Roman city? What dangers lurked in the dark alleys, what myths surrounded the constellations in the ancient sky? Dimly lit living quarters offer atmospheric insights into private life. A detour to the amphitheater leads to the gloomy vaults where gladiators had to wait for their fight.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: Open tour €12 per person
Group size: Maximum 25 people
Meeting point: Entrance to the Harbor Temple
Important information: From September to March, every second Friday of the month
Please book your participation with tickets (€12) in our ticket shop.

Booking individual dates through our visitor service: xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de
Cost: Total price for up to 15 people: €180, for 16 to 25 people: €12 per person

The Roman ships are best discovered on a guided tour. In the ship's tent, our tour guides will introduce you to the replica ships and explain how the reconstructions are created from archaeological wreck finds. Where replica ships were once built, the team at the Inclusive Wood Workshop now recreates authentic Roman furniture. On weekdays, you can watch the team at work.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: €60
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Important information: Available from March to October

Meeting point: Foyer of the LVR-Römermuseum
Booking via xanten@kulturinfo-rheinland.de

"Don't touch!" Normally, you're not allowed to touch anything in museums. This workshop is different: Participants will enjoy the privilege of being able to handle, examine, and describe genuine Roman artifacts. This will not only provide a wealth of information about the Roman finds themselves, but also how archaeology uncovers the secrets of the Romans and Germanic tribes.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Important information: This program is particularly suitable for visually impaired and blind visitors.

Meeting point: APXplore

Clothes make the man – even in ancient Rome. How did a status-conscious senator, a refined Roman woman, a simple craftsman, or a slave dress? How did a "true" Roman recognize the inhabitants of the provinces, and how did Romans, Celts, and Germanic tribes protect themselves against the dreadful Germanic weather? This program offers young and old the opportunity to be expertly dressed in Roman garments. You'll learn a great deal about the wearing style, materials, patterns, dyeing, and much more.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Important information: In conjunction with a guided tour of the LVR-Römermuseum, you can also book a half-hour program on Roman clothing for a maximum of 15 people (additional €22).

Meeting point: LVR-Römermuseum

Even the Romans had a passion for games of all kinds. The APX Games House invites you to discover and try out their finest games. Depending on your taste, you can exercise your brain cells with ancient board games or test your dexterity with throwing games like the Delta Game and the Orca Game. During the activity program, you can also try out forgotten toys like the Astragalus Bones and the Dice Tower.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: Games House

Coin casting involves creating a palm-sized clay mold, then etching a design of your choice into it. Once the mold is complete, it is filled with red wax and can be removed after a few minutes. A shiny coin emerges, which you can take home. Along the way, you'll learn a lot about Roman coin production and their "euro."

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 for materials per person
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Meeting points: LVR Roman Museum or APXplore

Roman numerals and mathematics are the focus of this workshop, where you'll have the opportunity to try out many things for yourself: the abacus (the Roman calculator), the delta game, and finger counting. This activity is particularly interesting for children, but adults can also enjoy it.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40
Group size: maximum 15 people.

Recommended age: 9 to 14 years

Meeting point: LVR-Römermuseum

A fibula was a type of safety pin used in ancient times to hold garments together. It could also be worn simply as a decorative brooch. In this program, you'll create your own fibula from silver wire, based on the Roman model. With a little patience, finesse, and creativity, you'll create beautiful keepsakes that will be a joy to display at home.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 materials per person
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: APXplore

Gems are small engraved stones that were often set in rings and worn on fingers. Thanks to the different motifs, letters and documents could be individually sealed. Wealthier people used colorful gemstones, while poorer people used specially crafted glass gems. In this workshop, you can engrave your own motifs into finished glass nuggets using engraving tools.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 for materials per person
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: LVR-Römermuseum

Armor, weapons, predator pelts. From recruitment to discharge, adventurous boys and girls can experience all sorts of things in the Legion. Through trial and error, they learn about the career of a Roman soldier: How strenuous were the daily exercises and what did they do in their free time? Whether as an eagle bearer or a centurion, dressed in a tunic and cingulum, the Roman soldier's belt, they forge a career in the Legion.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: €60
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: LVR-Römermuseum

A sign made of shiny brass (tabula ansata) names each young Roman. Using simple tools, children can create their own inscriptions and take the results home.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 materials per person
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: APXplore

Brave soldiers in the Roman army could receive many medals (phalerae). Many a centurion had the image of the snake-haired Medusa on his medal to deter enemies, but other images are also known from Roman times. Children make their own medals from round buttons covered with shiny metal foil, which they can decorate with their own motifs and patterns.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 materials per person
Group size: maximum 15 people

Meeting point: APXplore

In ancient times, wooden tablets covered with wax were used to write letters, jot down notes, or even create invoices. During the hands-on program, participants create their own wooden tablets and can carve their own messages into them using a stylus.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: €40 + €2.50 material costs per person
Group size: Maximum 15 people

Recommended age: 6 to 12 years

Meeting points: APXplore and LVR-Römermuseum