Upper Germanic Limes

Upper Germanic Limes:

The Upper Germanic Limes became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Frontiers of the Roman Empire" in 2005 as a section of the "Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes". Together with Hadrian's Wall and Antonine Wall in Great Britain, the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes forms a transnational World Heritage Site. As an archaeological site, the value of the Upper Germanic-Raetian Limes lies especially in its historical potential preserved invisibly under ground.

The Upper Germanic Limes runs from Bad Hönningen-Rheinbrohl (Rhineland-Palatinate) to the Rotenbach Valley near Schwäbisch-Gmünd (Baden-Württemberg). It consists of two very different sections. The land border was formed by ramparts, ditches and palisades, reinforced by forts and small forts as well as a large number of watchtowers. On the Main between Großkrotzenburg and Bürgstadt, the Limes ran along the river for about 50 kilometres as a natural border. Here, watchtowers and forts were sufficient to secure the border.