Looking for the Romans

The Romans ruled the whole of Lower Austria to the south of the Danube for over 400 years and they left behind a rich legacy.

Thanks to its strategically important location, Lower Austria was of particular interest to the Romans. Their legacy – from small military camps to the capital of the province in Carnuntum – invites you to take an exciting journey into the past.

In 15 BC, Emperor August marched his troops into the alpine uplands to create a secure border between the Roman Empire in the south and the Germanic tribes in the north – it became known as the Danube Limes. Modern-day Lower Austria is made up of two provinces: The west is part of the province of Noricum and the east is part of Oberpannonien. A chain of fortifications (military camps) were created along the Danube, which later became centres for the towns. If you travelled downstream at this time, you passed the sites of Adjuvense (modern-day Wallsee), Arelape (modern-day Pöchlarn), Favianis (modern-day Mautern), Augustiana (modern-day Traismauer), Comagenis (modern-day Tulln), Cannabiace (modern-day Zeiselmauer), Vindobona (modern-day Vienna), Ala Nova (modern-day Schwechat) and finally, Carnuntum. Administrative centres such as Aelium Cetium (modern-day St. Pölten), as well as spa resorts such as Aquae (modern-day Baden), were created in the hinterland.

The city on the Danube: Carnuntum

By far the most important Roman settlement in Lower Austria is Carnuntum. Founded in 6 BC at the junction of the Amber Road and the Limes, the site developed into a central military, administrative and trading base for the Romans on the Danube and even became the capital of the province of Oberpannonien from 103 BC. The city experienced its heyday when it welcomed seven Emperors, who were visiting or even lived there, in 300 AD or 400 AD. With the fall of the Roman Empire, it was abandoned and deserted by its inhabitants over the course of 500 years. Today, Carnuntum is an archaeological jewel: There is no other Roman settlement of this size in Europe which isn’t buried under a modern city. Carnuntum is the largest archaeological site in Austria and has garnered an international reputation in experimental archaeological methods for its meticulous reconstructions.

Following Roman footsteps

The Romans left many traces behind away from Carnuntum in Lower Austria. Remains of masonry from fortified buildings can still be found today in the former castles along the Limes  The museums in Wallsee, Mautern and Tulln, specialising in the Roman era, share the history of the daily life of soldiers and civilians using their own artefacts. The local museums in Pöchlarn, Traismauer and Zwentendorf are dedicated to Roman history. Roman life is also brought back to life in St. Pölten Town Museum in St. Pölten, where a great number of Roman relics have been discovered in recent years.