Römergrab Weiden is an extraordinarily well preserved Roman burial chamber or tomb located in the outer Cologne suburb of Weiden. Although well beyond the usual tourist paths in the city, this is a must-see attraction for anyone who has an interest in Roman archaeology. As a commuter tramline passes directly in front of the site, and the nearest stop even called Weiden Römergrab, any perceived difficulty in getting there should not be an excuse. All you will need is a bit more time. A 25 minute tram ride and you are sure to agree it is time well spent.
- Thomas Dowson
- Last Checked and/or Updated 20 August 2024
- Germany
In a seemingly unremarkable building on the side of a suburban main road in Cologne is one of the best preserved Roman burial chambers north of the Alps. The main road, Aachener Strasse, follows the route of the via Belgica. An important Roman road that linked lower Germany and Cologne, or Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium as it was called back then, to Gaul and the Channel coastline. The tomb was an underground burial chamber, probably marked above ground by a burial temple, built alongside the via Belgica, as was Roman custom. As burial within the city walls was not allowed, the main roads out of Roman cities were lined with all manner of funerary structures. The larger and more grandiose, the wealthier the individuals and families interred.
This funerary monument in Weiden would have been part of a rural estate, or villa rustica, owned by a wealthy individual. Construction was some time in the middle of the second century AD, and it was in use until the mid 5th century AD.
In 1843 Ferdinand Sieger, a local farmer, unintentionally broke into the collapsed burial chamber during excavation work. Fortunately, the importance of the site was immediately appreciated. The tomb was transferred into public ownership and the barrel vault ceiling of the burial chamber was reconstructed. Only two columns survive from what is thought to have been a burial temple built above the sunken chamber to hold the sarcophagus. Any other stonework would have been taken and reused elsewhere after the site was abandoned. A new protective structure was built above the tomb, where you can see the two columns, and stairs leading into the tomb. Adjacent to the site a Warden’s House was built – and the site was open to the public in 1848. In 2019 the site was further restored, with the Warden’s House remodelled as a visitors centre and learning facility.
How to Get to the Tomb in Weiden?
Once on the side of the main road out of, or into, Cologne, the funerary monument is still on the side of a main road but now swallowed up by the suburban spread of the city. It is some distance from the historic centre of Cologne with its roman ruins – about 10 km from the cathedral. But do not let this deter you. Really, it could not be easier to get out of the city centre to Weiden.
Of course you could get a taxi, which would be expensive. With a tramline passing directly in front and the Weiden Römergrab stop about 5 minutes walk away from the entrance, for a few Euros and a 25 minute ride this is a good option. And what I opted for.
From wherever you are staying in Cologne get yourself to Neumarkt. There you need to catch the number 1 tram (Weiden West) from platform 4 at the terminus at the south east corner of square. Stay on the tram for about 25 minutes until the Weiden Römergrab stop. From there, continue walking up (from the direction the tram came) the right-hand-side of the road for about five minutes. You will not be able to miss the entrance – it is well signposted.
To return to the city, come back to the same tram stop. From here all trams will take you back to Neumarkt in the city centre. As this is a well used commuter service, it runs frequently, even on Saturday, which is when I used it. You can by a tram ticket from one of the ticket vending machines on the platform. As I was going to be visiting a few other sites outside of the city, I purchased a 24 hour ticket using my bank card.
What is There to See?
Going into the burial chamber is only possible with a guide. There is no need to book these, you simply arrive during the (limited) opening hours and wait for the next guided tour. If a tour is in progress, explore the informative displays. These give a good background to the area during the Roman era, the city, the villa and the tomb. On display is a 1:20 scale model of what the entire funerary monument looked like, with its above ground temple. The reconstruction of this feature is based on other similar structures, as not much of the Weiden structure survived.
Display text is only in German, but the staff will happily let you borrow a folder that has English translations of all the labels. In my travels for this website I visit many sites and museums each year. Every now and then I stumble across a simple feature that goes a long way to conveying some aspect of the past in a simple but effective way. And I found one of the ingenious features here. The Warden’s House, now the museum, looks onto the busy Aachener Strasse, just as the funerary monument would have looked on to a bustling via Belgica. The curators of the learning experience chose the interior wall looking onto the road to convey the significance of the Roman road. Instead of leaving the window as is, or covering it up (it has been done), they added a vinyl window sticker that gives a snapshot of the traffic and footfall in Roman times. A simple, but I think very informative touch.
The guide will come and collect you when it is time for your tour to begin – usually when the previous one has ended. You leave the Warden’s House and enter the burial chamber through the green door you can see in the photograph above. There were only three people in my tour group, four in the group before. The tours are conducted in German, but the guides also speak very good English.
Once inside the protective structure above the burial chamber the guide explains the history of the site, when and how it was discovered, and its modern history. You are able to see the two columns, thought by archaeologists to be the only surviving remnants of the above ground burial temple. And then it is down the steps into the burial chamber. Although the wooden door at the entrance to the chamber is not Roman, the circular iron handle on it is original.
Everything you see in the chamber is original, and was found in the chamber during the excavations. Although the sarcophagus is in the chamber, it is thought that that would have been in the above ground temple.
Made using local stone, the chamber is between four and five meters square. It was decorated and furnished as a typical Roman dining room. This is where the funerary meals would have taken place, to honour the dead not only on at the funeral but also remembrance days that followed. There are three ‘sofas’ on which busts now stand – surely members of the landowner’s family. The niches would have held urns for human ashes. Two limestone chairs, intricately carved to imitate wicker chairs make up the funerary furniture.
Only a few items of grave goods were found, as the tomb had almost certainly been robbed in late antiquity. What was found was sent to the Prussian museums in Berlin. Sadly, these were lost in the turmoil of World War II and the movement of collections of artefacts then in the Berlin Royal Prussian museums.
The sarcophagus is made using Carrara marble, from the quarries near the city of Carrara in northern Tuscany. Stylistic analyses of the imagery suggests it was almost certainly carved in Rome, around the beginning of the 3rd century AD. The choice of imagery is typical for funerary sculpture, depicting the seasons and a central medallion that depicts the deceased.
The guided tour lasted about 40 minutes, but we did not feel rushed in any way. Our knowledgeable guide, an archaeologist, was happy (and able) to answer all of our questions. I arrived shortly after the site opened on a Saturday, and there was already a group in the tomb. Two other people arrived while I was waiting. But by the time our guided tour was finished at 11h20, there were quite a few people waiting. I forgot to ask what the maximum size of a group is. But I definitely recommend getting there as early as possible; three people plus a guide felt more than big enough.
When I visited there were a number of books about Roman sites in this part of Germany. Not a huge selection, but some I had never seen before. Also on sale is a book produced by the Förderverein Römergrab Weiden – the organisation managing the site today, in both German and English, about the tomb: An ‘Eternal House’ – The Roman Tomb in Weiden. Besides some truly wonderful photography of the tomb and its contents, the text is excellent. The book does not appear to be available to purchase anywhere online.
Is It Worth It?
With its strategic position on the Rhine River and at the end of two main roads (via Belgica and via Agrippa), Cologne was an important Roman city. Unfortunately, for those who like exploring Roman archaeology and ruins, that importance is not reflected in the Roman era remains that have survived here. Other towns in Germany, Trier and Mainz are two that immediately spring to mind, have much more substantial Roman remains. That is not to suggest there is nothing worth seeing. The museum collection, and its setting, alone make Cologne a good place to visit to learn about the Roman Empire.
For anyone with the slightest interest in Roman archaeology and history visiting Cologne, the burial chamber at Weiden is a must. Certainly, and I doubt this is a controversial opinion, if you are visiting Germany for Roman heritage, Cologne and Weiden should be high on your list. Given the Weiden site is only open a few days a week, I would plan my trip around those days.
For more about the remains in the city, see our Guide to Roman Cologne. We also have a Guide to Roman Germany.
Visiting Weiden Roman Tomb
Opening Hours
Ticket Prices
Adults: €5
Children over 5, students, adults over 65 and Cologne Pass holders: €3.50
Payment can only be made with cash, not bank or credit cards.
Accessibility
The burial chamber is not accessible to people using wheelchairs.
Add the Weiden Roman Tomb to Your Itineraries & Travel Lists
If you are planning a trip to Cologne you can create your own travel lists (such as places you have been to, places you would like to visit) and an itinerary for your visit. These can also be shared with your friends and on social media. You can see how this is done by watching our Using the Itinerary video on YouTube, or reading the Using the Itinerary page.
For more sites and museums in Cologne, see our Cologne City Guide and our Germany Travel Guide.
Weiden Roman Tomb
Discovered in 1843, this Roman tomb is the best preserved funerary monument of its kind north of the Alps. Situated on the Via Belgica, it was about 9kms from the western gate of Colonia. Several generations of a wealthy Roman family were buried in this richly furnished burial chamber associated with a nearby villa rustica (this has not been found). The tomb is all but original, with original funerary furniture, including a beautifully carved Carrara marble sarcophagus.
Archaeology Travel Writer
