Archaeology handicrafts and science and technology sites to visit Echternach

It is one of the largest Roman villas in Central Europe! The Villa of Echternach was discovered in 1975, during the earthworks of the artificial lake in the place called Schwarzuecht: vestiges of walls are touched by excavators. Excavation work then began. It is the original name of this house, the Villa Epternacum, which would have given the name of the city of Echternach.

The museum.Located at the entrance of the site, it exhibits reconstructed scenes of Gallo-Roman daily life with life-size models and models, which give a glimpse of the luxurious interior of the house.

The Hortus Amoenus, the adjoining garden, contains no less than 70 species of medicinal and ornamental plants grown in Roman times. A pergola covered with vines is also accessible.

The Roman villa.The main buildings were 118 m long and 62 m wide and had nearly seventy rooms on the first floor. The villa, extremely luxurious, was composed of rich materials and perfectly decorated: frescos on the walls, marble and mosaics for the ground, bathrooms heated by hypocaust, fountain and large ornamental basin. The 10 hectares of land also included ten annex buildings. The villa was modified and enlarged several times between the 1st and^5th centuries AD before falling into ruin and being used as a "quarry" for reused stones.

The garden pavilion, or parlodrome, is a small building of a few square meters that originally proposed the listening of historical texts, thanks to a fixed audioguide system. Although the system is out of order, the place deserves a detour because three historical maps and an explanatory text allow a better understanding of the evolution of the city. At the entrance, you can see one of the 12 steles that were erected in Luxembourg to commemorate the new millennium.

This exciting cultural tour through the city is well worth following! The brochure is available at the Tourist Office but can also be downloaded from its website. In total, 15 points of interest are to be discovered during this beautiful walk, which starts in front of the Tourist Office. Examples include the rococo pavilion (18th century) in the city park, the basilica and the Roman villa (one of the largest in Central Europe!).