Discover Lahnau: Roman history, local heritage museum and countryside

Lahnau lies roughly halfway between Gießen and Wetzlar, on the northern side of the Lahn. Roman history, a local heritage museum with a distinctive architectural history, and wooded countryside give the town a variety of facets. As you plan your trip, you can consider which of these you would like to focus on: archaeological finds and historical context, insights into earlier building and farming, or the landscape.

Roman history at the Waldgirmes Forum

The visitor centre at the Roman Forum of Waldgirmes showcases numerous artefacts, replicas, models and information panels. There is also a 3D print of the horse's head. These different forms of presentation offer a range of perspectives: original finds and reproductions are displayed alongside models and explanatory panels. This allows you to tailor your visit to the topics that interest you most.

At the Roman Forum, a reconstruction brings the original foundations to life; there is also an equestrian statue. Guided tours explain the peaceful coexistence of Germanic peoples and Romans, as well as the historical context. The focus is therefore not only on individual artefacts, but also on the history associated with the Forum. If you are looking for accommodation in Lahnau, your interest in Roman history can be a good starting point for planning your trip.

Local heritage museum: half-timbering, farmstead and agriculture

The building that houses the municipality of Lahnau's local heritage museum also has a story of its own: it was built in 1840/1841 and is itself a listed cultural monument. The farmstead includes a large courtyard with a core dating from 1620 and a barn from the 19th century. Both are built using half-timbering. Their different construction dates and half-timbered design provide an architectural setting for your visit before you turn to the exhibitions.

The coach house contains the casting mould for the equestrian statue of Emperor Augustus, created by Heinrich Janke of Braunfels. Information panels there provide details about the history of the Celts, Romans and Germanic peoples, as well as the excavations at the Roman Forum. There is also a reconstruction of the Dorlar ladder house, along with agricultural implements. The local heritage museum thus brings regional architectural and agricultural history together with themes from antiquity. This offers a different focus from the finds and reconstructions at the Forum.

Landscape and trip planning

Lahnau is set in attractive, wooded countryside with fertile farmland. The natural and cultural landscape adds to the town's historical themes. When looking for accommodation, you can weigh up your interests: would you like to focus mainly on the Roman Forum and local history, or are you also interested in exploring other cultural destinations across the wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis travel region? This question can help you decide what you want to focus on during your trip, without treating the different places as though they were the same.

In the Lahn-Dill-Kreis, the Lottehaus in Wetzlar commemorates Goethe's meeting with Charlotte Buff and the summer of 1772. Two rooms on the first floor house a permanent exhibition on the origins and impact of Goethe's first novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. In Dillenburg, Villa Grün presents objects and meticulously recreated scenes of industrial and artisanal production in the Dill region across more than 20 rooms; the basement houses an extensive mining exhibition rich in multimedia. Both museums therefore offer different thematic focuses from the Roman and local histories of Lahnau.

Other examples in the wider Lahn-Dill-Kreis travel region include the Fortuna mine visitor mine in Solms-Oberbiel, the only Hessian anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage, and the Fortuna field and mine railway museum. Its collection comprises 50 historic field and mine railway locomotives and 100 carriages; trains run according to a timetable. If you plan to include this museum in your itinerary, check the timetable before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Herborn, Aßlar, Siegbach, Bischoffen, Solms, Greifenstein, Leun, Haiger.

Back to the wider travel overview: Lahn-Dill-Kreis.