On July 30, 2021, the time had come: the Roman Limes along the Danube in Bavaria, Austria and Slovakia received the long-awaited and longed-for seal of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

At UNESCO, this is officially called: "Transnational Site of the Danube Limes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List". In addition to Hadrian's and Antonine's Walls in England and the Upper German-Rhaetian and Lower Germanic Limes in Germany, which are already on the coveted list, the Danube Limes is another part of the UNESCO project "Frontiers of the Roman Empire". The Limes, the former frontier of the Roman Empire, stretched from northern England across Europe and the Middle East to North Africa. The major UNESCO project aims to unite and protect all 6000 km as a single transnational inscription and World Heritage Site.

The longest part of the Western Danube Limes would actually have been contributed by Hungary with 400 kilometers of Limes, but it surprisingly dropped out of the UNESCO application. Thus, the application had to be re-evaluated at UNESCO, which took some time. So far, the following sections of the former limes from the heyday of Rome are now UNESCO protected:

According to the latest findings of researchers, the Limes ("border wall") of the Roman Empire was not initially created as a bulwark or military facility against enemies, i.e. the much-cited "barbarians" beyond these borders. It was also not insurmountable at first, but a place of exchange, communication and trade with the world beyond the Roman Empire. After all, exotic and coveted goods such as olives, oysters, wine and tableware came through the Danube trade routes.

How then can one imagine the "original" Limes? Caesar laid out forest aisles as the outer borders of the empire, followed by ditches and earthen ramparts. Along the Danube and the Rhine, the limes almost always ran along the river courses as well, and only then were military roads, walls, forts and watchtowers built. The first of these posts were made of wood, later they were built of stone. And it is precisely these that can still be admired, visited or in some places even just glimpsed along the former Limes.

In addition, five museums in Bavaria have joined forces to form the "Roman Museums on the Bavarian Danube Limes" . The Romans called the river border "RIPA" at that time, only today we speak of that very Danube limes. What is hard to imagine in Bavaria today, by the way, is the fact that until the late Middle Ages, wine was actually drunk here in the area along the Danube Limes - by no means beer. For the Romans first brought the first vines here to their camps on the Danube. Barley and beer, that was rather something "for the barbarians" beyond the Roman Empire, beyond the Limes, so the basic tenor of the Romans.

In Tulln as the former "Comagena", Traismauer ("Augustianis") and also Wels ("Ovilava"), for example, the new UNESCO World Heritage status is expected to result in a significant increase in visitor numbers to the respective Roman monuments. But also hitherto unknown remains of Roman fortifications - such as in Zwentendorf ("Asturis"), Zeiselmauer ("Cannabiaca"), Klosterneuburg ("Arrianis") or Schwechat ("Ala Nova") - are now part of an important UNESCO World Heritage Site. Impressive remains of the Danube Limes can be seen in the following museums and sites, among others:

The Danube University Krems is also planning a very special reappraisal of the history of the Danube Limes in Austria: Under the project title "Living Danube Limes", an authentically reconstructed Roman river ship - for the first time since the 4th century - is to sail the Danube again in 2022 and call at the cities along the river. Together with many Danube partners, the Danube Limes is to be reworked for tourism - it will be built with historical aids and the future "crew" will work and look like the crew of a real Roman river ship. Keyword: Living History. More information about this exciting EU project can be found here.

All those who cycle along the Danube - i.e. to a large extent along the former Danube limes - also come across the former outer border of the Roman Empire again and again. This is because 20 "Roman resting places" along the Upper Austrian section of the cycle path invite athletes to breathe a little historical air during their rest. The exposed concrete pillars, which are meant to be reminiscent of Roman milestones, mark the rest areas, each of which includes a rest bench and a stylized Roman head on the stele designed by artist Miguel Horn, and also provides information about the location. Roman numbers on each pillar are a matter of course.

The westernmost Roman resting place is near Passau in Esternberg, Upper Austria, and the easternmost is in beautiful Grein.

All Roman rest stops along the Danube Cycle Path can be found here.