Roman Trails - On the Trail of the Romans in the Weinviertel Region and in South Moravia

Roman Trails is co-funded by the European Union as part of the Interreg Austria - Czechia programme. Under the leadership of the Center for Cultural Property Protection and in cooperation with the Archaeological Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, a transnational thematic region is being created based on the little-known Roman history north of the Danube.

The Roman past of South Moravia (Czech Republic) and the Weinviertel (northern Lower Austria) is historically and culturally significant: the region formed a cultural, economic and military unit. Despite their close connection in antiquity, these areas are now separated by modern borders and are differently developed for tourism.
Roman Trails aims to bring to life the little-known Roman presence north of the Danube and to promote the region's untapped tourism potential under a common brand.
 

The Danube Limes is generally regarded as the 'hard' border of the Imperium Romanum. Less well known is that the Romans were also present north of the Danube, and that it did not form a fixed external border with the neighbouring areas of present-day Lower Austria, southern Moravia and western Slovakia.

Today's borders are modern constructs: In the second half of the 2nd century AD, South Moravia and the Weinviertel formed a cultural unit with a common area of operations for the Roman army and civil interactions with the local population. The Roman expansion northwards, documented by marching camps and numerous archaeological finds, forms the historical basis for the creation of a joint tourist offer, bringing together existing places and communities to form a tourist region that aims to attract visitors interested in culture and history.

The project focuses on three key challenges in the border region that offer potential for sustainable cooperation and the strengthening of tourism:

1. The lack of common cross-border tourist destinations, marketed under a single label and focusing on green, lesser-known destinations.
    
2. The lack of tourism concepts for the Roman sites north of the Danube, which are of great interest to visitors interested in culture and history, but are not sufficiently developed or known.
   Roman branding for the region, especially between Carnuntum and Mušov, should fill this gap and allow less developed sites to benefit from the fame of larger Roman sites.
    
3. In South Moravia, it is mainly individuals and small institutions that are involved in cultural tourism, while the Weinviertel benefits from strong tourism organisations.
   This discrepancy is to be overcome through the joint development of a cross-border strategy and training measures for actors in the field of tourism and cultural education.

Roman Trails aims to promote cross-border cooperation in cultural tourism and to develop a common thematic region based on the Roman history of the Weinviertel and South Moravia. The creation of hiking and cycling trails along Roman traces, supported by digitised finds and virtual reconstructions, is intended to strengthen the local and regional tourism sector.

Recent scientific findings, in particular on archaeological ship landing places and the navigable northern Danube tributaries in antiquity, will be integrated into the joint brand. Evidence of the Roman presence from the imperial period will be complemented by Germanic and Celtic finds illustrating interaction with the local population. By combining archaeological expertise with modern technologies, new insights into the Roman presence north of the Danube will be made accessible: digital technologies will be used to virtually reconstruct historic buildings and landscapes for an engaging visitor experience. In addition, lessons learned from the Interreg DTP project 'Living Danube Limes' will be applied to the communication of archaeological content and the development of sustainable tourism strategies.

The aim is to make the historical past visible and to increase visitor numbers in areas that are less developed for tourism. The focus on ecologically sustainable tourism development and the involvement of local gastronomy should ensure that the region is not damaged. Interactive workshops and guided tours on Roman themes offer additional economic opportunities.

The project is divided into 3 phases:

1. Development of a strategy for sustainable tourism development in the thematic region
2. Digitisation of Roman finds and virtual reconstructions of landscapes to make them usable for various purposes
3. Realisation and testing of the Roman Trails in order to establish a functioning portfolio of tourist offers

The project combines the little known Roman history of the Weinviertel and South Moravia with hiking and cycling trails to promote soft tourism. The common cultural heritage of the Roman period is communicated through innovative approaches to cultural mediation in order to increase the region's attractiveness for tourists. An interactive presentation of history complements this connection and embeds the Roman trails in the historic landscape, contributing to a holistic tourist experience.