Roman frontier history on the Rhine

In Roman times, Herwen lay just south of the Rhine, which then formed the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. The Herwen–De Bijland archaeological monument is part of the Lower Germanic Limes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2021. At Herwen, the Romans built a dam to regulate the flow of water between the Rhine and the Waal. The Roman fort of Carvium was also located at the site of today’s De Bijland. Together, these connections show that Herwen’s Roman history is about more than a frontier line: the river, water management and military site are different aspects of the same historic landscape. Visitors who think of the area primarily in terms of the Limes can also consider its location on the Rhine and the dam’s engineering purpose.

A sanctuary and a tomb monument

In Herwen-Hemeling (Zevenaar), archaeologists excavated the remains of a Roman sanctuary in 2022. It is one of the best-preserved Roman places of worship in northwestern Europe. The finds shed light on the role of the gods in the lives of Romans along the Limes. The sanctuary thus complements the military perspective on the dam and fort with religious history. For travellers interested in archaeology, this distinction is useful: Herwen can be understood not only as part of a frontier, but also in the context of ancient religious practices.

The tomb monument for Marcus Mallius, a Roman soldier, was discovered during work to create De Bijland and dates from the first half of the first century AD. A replica of the tombstone stands on the Herwensedijk near Puttmanskrib in Herwen; the original is kept at the Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen. Alongside the broader themes of frontier and religious history, this monument focuses on an individual Roman soldier. It offers a personal connection to the Roman past, while its discovery is linked to the creation of De Bijland.

De Bijland and its layers of history

On the shore of De Bijland stands the ten-metre-high sculpture Romeinse Baadster. It serves as a contemporary reminder that this area was once part of the northern boundary of the Roman Empire. The remains of a Roman fort believed to have stood there lie beneath today’s De Bijland recreational lake. The sculpture and the fort represent different connections to Roman history: one is a modern commemorative feature, while the fort’s location at the time is reported as probable.

Garden design and architecture add their own distinctive touches. Siertuin Jelle Grintjes is a landscape garden on the dike on the edge of Herwen and also the experimental garden of garden designer Jelle Grintjes. St. Martinus is a neo-Gothic church built in 1904–1905 to a design by A. Tepe (1840–1920). The garden represents a designed landscape, while the church reflects the architectural history of the early 20th century. Both add more recent local perspectives to the ancient connections.

Walking route and crossing

The “Rondom de Bijland” walking route reaches the Herwensedijk after approximately three kilometres. Check the trail conditions before setting out. The Draaipontje Geitenwaard is a hand-operated crossing over the Oude Waal, connecting the Geitenwaard with the area around Herwen. These details provide two different points of reference: an approximate distance along the walking route and a crossing with its own function.

Discover more destinations: Lobith, Tolkamer, Spijk, Pannerden

For the broader travel overview: Rijnwaarden.