Andante Travels

Introduction

Germany is one of the best places in which to follow the story of the making of a Roman province. Here we meet military history at its most exciting; we see how endless were the problems on the frontiers; we recognise the way in which new settlers made vast fortunes in the new territories, and follow the story through to the creation of an Imperial capital under Constantine in Trier.The largest army of the Roman Empire was at one time amassed along the Rhine-Danube frontier, to be replaced by the largest man-made structure Europe had ever seen, known as the Limes (limitates) - the frontier fortification which controlled the borderlands.

This is ancient military and civilian history at its most exciting, following Rome's ambitions to annex the 'badlands' of Germania Libera (free Germany) and to quell the endless guerilla strikes and raiding parties from the Germanic tribes beyond the border.  Juxtaposed with this, is the story of the new settlers and the nouveau riche of the existing Germanic and Celtic aristocracy within the bounds of Empire; the opulent creations of the Pax Romana which the “Limes” protected.

Safe behind the border and the buffer zone there flourished the full benefits of the pax Romana - wealthy villas with magnificent mosaics and rich towns. One of these, Trier, was to become the seat of one of the two western Caesars, and magnificent imperial buildings still dominate the attractive market town today, many of them built by Constantine the first and constructed with the intention to strike any visitors with amazement and awe - an intention which is not lost even on the visitors today. These have survived to a degree unparalleled north of the Alps and span at least four centuries of Roman Imperial history.

We will be crossing through some of Germany's most beautiful landscapes - forested hills; wide, verdant uplands, pretty river valleys covered in vineyards and areas of many rounded volcanic hills (long extinct!).  Many of the towns and villages we visit are the stuff of picture books, half-timbered and reminiscent of fairy stories.  German cuisine is "hearty", and the best place to try it is in the big, bustling "eating houses" which are often owned by local breweries, so we have included a variety of these, as well as a couple of very good attempts at Roman cuisine (much enjoyed by previous guests).  In the north, beer is the local tipple, but as we move south, the wines of the Rhine and the Moselle take over.

Itinerary

Day One

By Eurostar to Cologne and transfer to hotel.  Eurostar now leaves from its new terminal at St Pancras and there is one change in Bruxelles.  It is fun travelling by train and much less tiring and frustrating than air travel.  Cologne station, where you will arrive, is directly behind the cathedral in the middle of the old town.  The tour manager will meet you on the other side of the square and load cases onto waiting taxis, so you can immediately set off, unencumbered, to make your way with the guide lecturer to the hotel which is nearby, just past the cathedral entrance and the Roman-Germanic Museum.  That evening we have booked dinner in a quiet room of a big, bustling and very typically German restaurant which belongs to the brewery which also owns the hotel.  Cologne is famed for its Koelsch beer, so this might be a good time to try it. Time for an evening walk around the remaining part of the town walls.

 

 

Day Two

You will wake today in the heart of CCAA, The Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippensium, one of the most important cities of Roman Germania.   This is a day for exploring on foot, which means tracing the remains from two thousand years ago through, under and in the buildings of the intervening centuries.The excavations of the Praetorium, the governor's headquarters, are one of the highlights (now completely underground) and we have booked entrance to the deep excavations beneath the cathedral where you can try to understand (and it's not easy) the extraordinary stratigraphy of thousands of years. The present cathedral stands close to the site of a Roman mithraeum...

Day Three

Leaving Cologne, we drive south to the delightful little half-timbered town of Ahrweiler, famed as being the northernmost wine-growing region of Germany.  The purpose of our visit here is the Roman villa discovered during the construction of a motorway sliproad in the late eighties.  This villa was country home to one of the rich officials who administered the area, which was well preserved due to a landslip. A private schoolroom with grafitti by the scholars, large sliding doors opening onto the view over the valley and many other delightful domestic features make this building a charming insight into ordinary life in the area. In driving south from here to Boppard, look out for the crossing of the little valley of the Vinxtbach.  This was once the border between Upper and Lower Germany (Superior and Inferior), and the name Vinxt probably derives from the Latin "finis" = end or border.

 

There is time to find your own lunch in Boppard, which is one of Germany's most picturesque little towns on the Rhine, but was once a fortified late Roman military and civilian base.  Here is an opportunity to follow the enormous Roman walls as they pop up inbetween, or built into medieval houses, appearing in the back walls of restaurants or in people's cellars.  In the late afternoon we have succumbed to a traditional tourist acitivity by booking a boat trip up one of the very prettiest stretches of the Rhine, past the infamous rock of the Lorelei to Mainz, Moguntiacum, where the coach will be waiting to take us the last short stretch to the hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Four

After a morning introduction on foot around Roman Mainz, one of the big legionary bases for a time, and then a provincial capital, we drive into the forested hills of the Taunus mountains to explore the enormous border known as the Limes, and see reconstructions and original fortlets which once guarded and controlled traffic coming in and out of the Roman province.  It is easy to visualise the soldiers from all over the Empire who were garrisoned here, looking out across the "bristling forests" described with such distaste by the Historian Tacitus. (the imposing gateway to the reconstructed fort at the Saalburg is pictured as a header at the top of the page).
We continue to the small fort at Feldberg. In this remote forested setting, at the highest pass in the Taunus, it is possible to feel a sense of what it might have been like to have been stationed here, some way from the nearest larger forts, staring out ober the clearing into Germania libera. Continue through hilly countryside to the reconstruction of a watch-tower at Zugmantel.

 

Day Five
Today the whole day is devoted to Mainz and her museums before leaving in the afternoon for Trier. We shall visit the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Mainz (if re-opened) and the Shipping Museum, which whilst small, houses some wonderfully preserved boats from the muds of the former Roman harbour on the Rhine, a highlight of previous tours. Not included, but of great interest to previous guests, is a visit to the Museum devoted to the inventor of the printing press, Gutenberg, which is almost next door to our hotel. Early evening drive to Trier with a possible stop on the Hunsrucker Hohenstrasse at the important cross-roads settlement of Belginum, a big prehistoric settlement and cemetery and later Roman staging post.  We dine tonight in the hotel in Trier very close to the Porta Nigra - the great black gateway of the city.

 

Day Six
Today is Saturday, and there will be a colourful market in the centre of Trier. We pass on our way to the Rheinisches Landesmuseum. This is a day to encounter everyday Roman life - mid morning we drive to see the funerary monument at Igel which is decorated with remarkable detail of wool merchants’ lives, and then on to the enterprising reconstruction of the Villa Borg, a unique chance to experience a Roman middle class home in 3D. Return via the little museum over the mosaics from the villa at Nennig, clearly owned by a fan of the amphitheatre, and depicting glatiatorial and wild-beast combat in grisly detail.

Day Seven            
Full day on foot in Trier, one of Europe’s lessrecognised treasures. As the capital of the west under Constantine, the town was endowed with extraordinary monumental buildings, much of which remain, built over by a pretty medieval and modern town. We visit the iconic Porta Nigra, the Episcopal museum which displays the painted ceiling found under the cathedral, one of the panels is shown above, and examining the exterior walls of the double cathedral (some of it is still Constantine’s vast church); the uncompromising brick walls of Constantine’s Aula which would once have been painted and now forms an austere backdrop to the later confection of the baroque palace (above); Imperial baths; the amphitheatre,
and the Porta Nigra - right next to our hotel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day Eight
Leaving Trier today, we will be driving north through the volcanic hills of the Eifel to Aachen. Control of this region in the medieval period was tricky - as shown by the large numbers of castles perched precariously on the summits of hills.  There should be time to stop enroute and explore one of the typical Eifel villages and find a coffee before continuing to Charlemagne's northern capital at Aachen.  Once we have checked into the hotel, which is right in the middle close to the cathedral area, it will be good to spend the afternoon walking around the main area of the old time, which is very pretty, to see the layout of the Roman city and the major buildings of Charlemagne's heritage.  Supper tonight is in a typical "brewery" restaurant very close to the hotel.

Day Nine
This morning we visit the monuments of Aachen (Roman Aquae Granni), and later the northern capital of Charlemagne’s Empire. The octagonal chapel here is a testament to his vision of another empire based on the Roman past.  Gem stones, precious glass vessels and other vestiges of the greatness of Roman culture were used in strange combinations as the outward and visible attempt to bring the past to life.  Visit to Cathedral Treasury before gathering at Aachen station for our afternoon departure Aachen to London.

 

Included

WHAT IS INCLUDED:

• Trains
  Eurostar from St Pancras to Cologne, returning from Aachen to St Pancras, both via Brussels. (Wheeled suitcases useful, and you should be able to carry your own luggage a short way even if there are steps.)
• Local Travel
  Private a/c coach in Germany, staying with us throughout the journey; afternoon boat trip on Rhine south from Boppard.
• Meals
  All dinners are included, as is either beer or wine and water. We try to ring the changes to ensure a good variety and an authentic experience, eating in hotels after long travelling days, or when it makes sense to do so, but otherwise trying local restaurants within walking distance of where we are staying.
• It is good to be able to meander back to bed when you are ready, or into a "Kneipe" for a nightcap on the way back. 
  German food is wholesome, hearty and very traditional. There is usually a good selection of regional dishes too.   It can be absolutely delicious, and it is worth being adventurous!  Italian food in the form of pasta and pizza is as popular there as it is here. Beer is often taken with meals in the north of the area we are travelling through, but increasingly wine as we move south into the Rhine and Moselle regions.
  Try Sauerbraten and Spaetzle (marinated beef with home made noodles), or Schweinehaxe (huge pork shank) with a tall glass of cold Koelsch (the beer of Cologne).
• Lunches on Days 2, 4, 5 & 8.
  For the German equivalent of a ploughman's, try a Kaeseplatte or a Wurstplatte or if you like street food, there are likely to be Weisswurst and Bratwurst stalls in the towns (varieties of hotdog!)
• Guide Lecturer
  Not to be confused with "guest lecturers"!  The guide lecturer will be with you from breakfast to supper, and probably even a drink in the bar afterwards.  There is the occasional site where they may not be allowed to guide because of local regulations (we normally manage to circumnavigate these) but otherwise the guides are just that.
• They will have been chosen because of specialist knowledge and their ability to communicate and interest you.  After 22 years of making tours worldwide, we are highly appreciative of the attributes of a good guide, and intensely critical of people who do not possess them.  If you would like to know more about Alan French please click his name.
• Tour Manager We never know how best to call the very special people whom we choose to accompany you on your tour.  They are usually employed in this capacity only by us, and have been trained to do things in the Andante way - unobtrusive, friendly and quietly efficient.
• Fieldnotes
  written for the tour
• Entry & tips
  Entry to all sites in programme; tips included.

Trains & Visa

Trains
Eurostar from St Pancras to Cologne, returning from Aachen to St Pancras, both via Brussels. (Wheeled suitcases useful, and you should be able to carry your own luggage a short way even if there are steps.)

Visa and Passport Requirements (for British passport holders only)*

Passport must be valid for the duration of your stay.

Hotels

We have put a lot of effort into choosing these hotels, and tried and rejected rather a lot on the way....  As always, comfort, character, cleanliness and position were the guiding criteria and we have chosen a good variety of hotels for this tour: some stylish, plain and modern, and some very comfortable and one very old and quirky and authentically "German".  All are in really superb positions, allowing you to spend time at the end of the day wandering and exploring in the town centres, or sitting with a beer to watch the world go by.  Most, however, enjoy either a pleasant, open outlook, or are tucked away from the main hubbub of city living.  We hope you will enjoy the mix!

COLOGNE: 2 nights in a stylish, and fairly minimalist modern hotel in a super spot in the pedestrian area by the cathedral - tucked away reasonably quietly at one side, but a stone's throw from the major museum - you couldn't really be more central.  Previous guests have enjoyed it very much.

MAINZ: 2 nights in the Hilton Mainz city hotel

TRIER: 3 nights in two very pleasant neighbouring old hotels almost next door to the Porta Nigra, the black Roman gate which is the entry to Old Trier.  The rooms in one are  modern and functional and in the other slightly older in style.  Both are immaculate and pleasant and both hotels are under the same ownership. There is a pavement cafe for people-watching over an ice cold beer at the end of a busy day. Very good breakfasts here too.

AACHEN: 1 night in a modern, recently refurbished city centre hotel.  The hotel building has considerably less character than the very pleasant staff here, but makes up for it by enjoying possibly the best position in the old part of the city.

Please note: German hotel beds are often composed of two single beds with single duvets which are either pushed together to form a double bed, or slightly separated to form twins.  Sharers may be slightly closer than they expected!

 

 

 

Map

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Comments

TRIP COMMENTS

What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?

 

This tour had the added interest of a strike by the Belgian Railworkers meaning that our Eurostar Rail Journey through Brussels was cancelled.  We found out by chance the day before departure...and managed to lay on a coach at such extraordinarily short notice, which met people at the station so that there was no need for everyone to change their travel arrangements.  We were jubilant at having found a way to beat the strike!

• An excellent tour, throwing light on what have, for me, been an unknown region and a neglected period of history. And a very special congratulation to whoever rearranged our outward trip at such short notice. It all went so well that I almost converted to long-distance coach travel.

• We admired Andante's provision of a coach to Cologne because of the rail strike, and wondered what agonies you must have suffered to ensure we got to Germany with minimum trouble. Thank you for that in particular! Once there, we felt the general pace was reasonable except on the first day, when we raced around Cologne (we have taken note - slower pace next time - ed)

• I was impressed with your last minute re-organisation of the transport. Ferry and coach is not what I would have chosen, but it all went very well.

• Overall we had a very good time indeed. Having visited western Germany fairly often for social reasons we were delighted to see a number of archaeological sites completely new to us, all of great interest, with the possible exceptions of the temple of Isis in Cologne, which we felt to have been smothered in an attempt to impress visitors with over-elaborate technological contemporaneity (sic), and the limes, of which we were given only a glimpse. As usual, the tour notes and booklet were excellent and informative. The hotels chosen for us were all comfortable, with the huge advantages that they were both centrally situated and unexpectedly quiet (for which we were very grateful), and our favourite among the four was the Hotel Schwan in Mainz. The restaurant meals we enjoyed less than we hoped, especially the one in Aachen, which we thought unappetizing and very poorly prepared, presented and served: the best lunch was probably in Blankenheim. Time for wandering and private exploration on sites visited varied as they are bound to, but most of the sites we saw were so rich in interest that it was surprising that we seldom felt short-changed, and most visits were extremely well-timed. The coach was comfortable, its PA system good and the driver very confident.

• This was our 7^th Andante tour. We like your organisation, which is friendly, considerate and efficient; we think your prices are reasonable, your pacing usually fits our failing capacities (though how soon we shall prefer adagio to andante is unclear), and above all we like your conscientious and knowledgeable tour leaders. We have recommended you to friends.
  
• Pamela deserves our thanks for the way the transport problems were managed. How helpful it was to start at St. Pancras!
• Office always excellent!
• Friendly and informative.
• I was amazed and delighted at the extent of the notes supplied- far better than other tour operators.
• I was very happy with the tour and feel that I learned a lot.
• This tour had been meticulously planned to give a tremendous overview of the subject, arranged to balance travelling and viewing of sites. Everyone was interested in the subject, so Alan did not have to teach the basics, and you obviously attract seasoned travellers, who don't moan or turn up late to coach departures. (of course! Ed)
  
• More free time. Rhine cruise was late in the day for October. (so we've put them in September this year.  Should be lovely late summer weather)
  
• Another good Andante holiday! I wasn't so keen on the Mainz hotel- carrying my luggage up two spiral staircases was not easy- I must say I prefer modern comfortable hotels and am willing to go without quirkiness if it means more comfort. The other hotels were all fine. (but some others especially loved it.  It's just not possible to please everyone all the time.  Must say it was something of a favourite of mine too...)
  
• Well organised and well planned tour. I would have welcomed more time in Cologne and in Mainz to see the Gutenbeg museum. The large set lunches were unnecessary. (we've incorporated time to do that this year, and are trying to persuade the restaurateurs to lighten the lunches a little)
  
• The trip, as run, was extremely successful. The alternative transport arrangement worked well. I will never enthuse about German hotel bedrooms, but that cannot be helped! (this is the normal German bed arrangement, please see "hotel" section. Food was good (if often rather salty), wine good.
• What matters most is the sites and objects seen and the commentaries- these exceeded my expectations. I particularly liked the adequate time between the start of breakfast and the departure time every day (other Andante tours not always perfect! what!!!?- Ed).
• All the hotels were ideally placed- all German bedrooms are uncomfortable to us (please note, dear reader, that this is the spouse of the quote above, not everyone took against them!) We never used any public rooms, if available. The tour was excellently paced, apart from rather late dinners. At Cologne, I would have liked somewhat less time under the Cathedral so as to have free time to see the Treasury. The two ‘Roman' meals were very enjoyable. The best ‘local' meal was at the Hotel Schwan.
• We were so glad that there was lots of time for the Aachen Treasury, it was an excellent time of year for the tour, leading to wonderful autumn colours.
• The planned tour was very good. Though the target was Roman Germany it was excellent that time was made available to see the Gutenberg museum. This should be kept in the schedule. The river trip up the Rhine was an enjoyable break.
• I thought Alan's lectures were excellent. I enjoyed the sites we visited, particularly the Belginum Archaeological Park. I did not expect to carry my luggage as much as I did. I understand that the rail journey required carrying luggage on but there were virtually no porters at any of the hotels. This is a disadvantage. (Ed - we do try to warn visitors of this.  Where there are porters, we use them, but where there are none, it's up to you.)
• Breakfast served on top of the piano [in the Schwan] was quaint and our hosts were very friendly and welcoming- a very personal experience and I wouldn't object to staying there again- quiet location too. And the dinner was rather good- rather better than some of the restaurant meals we had. Local guides, especially those in Aachen and Trier, were very good.
• Instructive and enjoyable.

 

What Did You Enjoy Most About This Tour?

• I had always wanted to visit Cologne and thoroughly enjoyed exploring all the city centres owing to your cleverly sited hotels. It's also very pleasant to be with a group of likeminded people.
• Seeing (at last) Trier and being escorted around the sites. Learning about the Limes (I was reared near Hadrian's Wall so the length surprised me).
• The variety.
• I was of course interested in the sites etc but the added bonus was the lovely countryside in autumn colours.
• Alan, Gudrun's attention, Cologne, Aachen Cathedrals, Meal at Zum Domstein, Blankenheim village and a large trout (on my plate!)... Those whom I came to know pretty well; autumn leaves on trees; the castles of the Rhine; the countryside of the Moselle.
• Some very impressive Roman remains, possibly especially those in Trier, and the cathedral at Aachen.
• The superb things seen, the excellent commentaries on them by Alan. (and reasonably good commentaries by the local guides), The possibility of remembering them as photography was permitted; the smooth running of the practical side of the tour by Gudrun. The autumn colours- the timing of this tour was perfect. The inclusion of Aachen was a perfect end to a mainly Roman tour.
• Alan's splendid talks and replies to questions. The Aachen Treasury. The autumn colours (especially trip up Rhine- though the weather was only so-so!)
• Very hard to answer! The museums in particular were excellent (and we had enough time at each). Trier was a great city and was probably my personal highlight- I need to return! Despite the size of the tour (Ed - this was a full tour of 25) everything held together very well and was sociable and entertaining.
• The chance to learn so much about the Romans in Germany in such a vivid but also entertaining manner.
• I enjoyed getting a feel for how the military and civilian Romans would have lived in this frontier location.
• The friendly atmosphere. I much enjoyed the company of staff and guests. Alan French's reading to us on the bus and explaining the sites. Autumn foliage was an ‘extra' I hadn't anticipated- particularly in the mountains and along the Rhine valley and Mosel valley. Wonderful markets in Mainz, Trier and Aachen. The Gutenberg museum in Mainz, the glass in the Cologne R-G museum. The picnic- the sun shone, good view and small but excellent museum at Belginum.
• So many new historical insights. Also a chance to get a good look at so many Rhineland towns, large and small.
• A great tour. The group was rather large which meant that using only one guide under Koln Cathedral or at the villa at Ahrweiler was unsatisfactory. Even for Alan the group was large. Imported guides are usually excellent, but not the one at the villas before Trier. Not sure the second of those was worth going to (Ed - we have dropped these from the itinerary now, and the local guide).
• I missed the opportunity to shop for wine in Trier because the tour left on Monday before the shops opened. Had I known on Saturday, this could have been avoided. (This was a mistake.  Sorry.  Purchase of wine is indeed very important when you have been travelling through vineyards for the past week or so.  We will do better next time)
• I did not realise how extensive Roman remains are in Germany- a great discovery.
• Being able to learn so much about Roman Germany in a few days.

Reading List

This list is no more than a guide to some books that you may find useful to read in advance of the tour. Talks given on the tour will attempt to fill in the background to what we are seeing, so no prior knowledge or pre-tour cramming is expected or needed. In many cases, we expect that you will find some of these books even more interesting and useful to read once the tour is over.

Guide Lecturer's Choice: (if you only want to read one or two books)

Carroll, M (2001) Romans, Celts and Germans: The German Provinces of Rome

The latest good summary.

Davis, L (1993) The Iron Hand of Mars.  A Falco novel set in the wilds of Germany.

Tacitus Germania. (available in Penguin paperback)

Germania

Creighton, JD (1999) Roman Germany: Studies in cultural interaction.

The proceedings of a recent conference, containing some interesting articles including one of Kalkriese where the three legions of Varus were destroyed.

King, A (1990) Roman Gaul and Germany (British Museum Explaining the World series)

A useful and readable book on the history and archaeology of Germania.

Mac Kendrick, Paul (1970) The Romans on the Rhine

This is an older book, and rather general, but still helpful.

Sites and Museums

von Elbe, Joachim (1973, 2^nd edition) Roman Germany: a guide to sites and museums.  A detailed source of reference, but rather out of date on the arrangement of exhibits.

von Elbe, Joachim (1995) The Romans in Cologne and Lower Germany: a Guide to Roman Sites and Museums. Accessible and easy on the eye.

Wightman, E (1970) Roman Trier and the Treveri.  Offers a detailed account of how this town and its countryside developed under Roman influence.

The Rhine Frontier

Alföldi, A S (1949) The Moral Barrier on Rhine and Danube.  Interesting examination of the logic of frontier development in this area.

Maxfield, V (1987) ‘Mainland Europe' in John Wacher The Roman World vol 1, 139-197.

Useful and well illustrated historical summary of the development of the European frontiers.

Shonberger, H (1969) ‘The Roman Frontier in Germany: An Archaeological Survey' Journal of Roman Studies LIX, 144-197

Wells, C (1972) The German Policy of Augustus: an examination of the archaeological evidence

Whittaker, C R (1994) Frontiers of the Roman Empire, a Social and Economic Study

Prehistoric Background

Collis, J 91984) The European Iron Age

Schutz, H (1983) The Prehistory of Germanic Europe

Todd, M (1975) The Northern Barbarians 100BC - AD300

Travel Literature

Leigh Femor, P A Time of Gifts

An account of the author's travels along the Rhine and Danube in the interwar years.

Travel Guides

Blue Guide to Germany

Baedeker Guides

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