Search
Close this searchbox.

In the footsteps of the Romans

22 Add to favorites Remove from favorites

Content:

The region around the Black Forest is one of the most popular holiday regions in Germany today, after all, varied natural areas, mountain and hiking trails, many leisure activities and wonderful old towns await the traveler here. But the low mountain range in the southwest of Baden-Württemberg also has a lot to offer for holidaymakers interested in history: the ancient Romans left their first mark on the country with their buildings. The following article reveals how the Roman presence in the Black Forest came about and which legacies you can still explore today.

The Roman arrival in the Black Forest

The beginning of the Roman presence in the Black Forest is forever linked to their most well-known ruler: Gaius Julius Caesar had ascended the throne and urgently needed foreign policy success. In ancient times, this usually meant war, and so it came to the Gallic War against the Helvetii. The campaign then led Caesar's troops to the edge of the Black Forest, where 58 BC. a victorious battle for the Romans took place against the Germanic tribe of the Suevi. The exact location of the battle is difficult to reconstruct today, but it was probably in present-day Mulhouse.

The Roman settlement of the Black Forest

However, the actual settlement on the western edge of the Black Forest only took place after the conquest of Alsace and Switzerland at the beginning of the first century. As everywhere else in their dominion, the Romans immediately began building roads and building larger baths (thermal baths) such as in today's cities of Baden-Baden, Hüfingen or Badenweiler. However, most of the construction activity involved the construction of several forts for the Roman military, such as the forts in Rottweiler and Waldmössingen. Apart from that, the Romans avoided the Black Forest, which they probably found scary, which they called “Silva nigra”, “black forest”.

Gambling in Ancient Rome

The Roman legionnaires must have enjoyed the freedoms far away from the capital, because gambling was forbidden in ancient Rome and was considered a purely private matter. Numerous finds of dice and dice testify to the fact that the Romans were very fond of gambling gambling boards such as "Duodecim Scripta", a forerunner of today's backgammon. Even at that time, the advantages of private gambling were very much appreciated. More and more players today also see it the same way: The stationary casinos in the hotels in the Black Forest usually require a certain etiquette, including clothing regulations and minimum deposits. They are also often not open XNUMX hours a day and require quite a bit of tipping, plus they have a limited game selection unlike online casinos. So if you want to experience some exciting distraction from your historical vacation, you should rather have a look at one of the well-known online casinos. There are lots of great games to discover here, and with a bit of luck you might even be able to improve your holiday budget. The best part: with one No deposit casino bonus 2023 you can start playing immediately without having deposited a single euro. The ancient Romans would certainly have had little objection to that.

Ancient Roman destinations in the Black Forest

Anyone who has now caught fire and would like to see the sometimes impressive legacies of the Roman presence in the Black Forest has a rich selection. Combine with a city trip the popular excursion destinations to the Roman thermal baths in Baden-Baden, Hüfingen and Rottweil. In the latter city you can not only admire the ruins of Roman architecture (Rottweil received Roman city rights "Municipium" in 75 AD), but also explore the remains of the original fort. Who would rather go on a bike tour, which is recommended a round trip from the Waldmössingen fort via Hochmössingen to Rötenberg. A Roman villa can be admired near Heitersheim, and the well-preserved remains of a fully developed Roman road can still be found near Niederschopfheim and Friesenheim. As you can see, evidence of Roman settlement can be found throughout the Black Forest - we wish you lots of fun exploring!

Image courtesy of pafra - stock.adobe.com