Since it was established in 1852, the Romano-Germanic Museum in Mainz has evolved into an organisation that is active around the world and is both a research institute and museum of archaeology. Its research spans an era from the Stone Age, 2.5 million years ago, to the Middle Ages. The collections and exhibitions provide a window onto the archaeological research. Various themed areas inform visitors about the development of the early peoples of Europe, the Celts and Teutons, the political development of the Roman Empire and its military history, the metal ages in Europe and in the Near East, as well as cultural history from late antiquity to the early Middle Ages. The Tyrolean Iceman was also preserved here. Closed on Mondays, Whit Monday, 24, 25 and 31 December.
» web.rgzm.de
The Roman-Germanic Museum, which opened in 1974, is next to the cathedral in Cologne and contains relics from the days when the Romans ruled the city. The museum presents the archaeological heritage of Cologne and the surrounding area, from prehistory through to the early Middle Ages. The museum's best-known exhibits include the Roman mosaic with scenes from the world of Dionysos (220/230 AD) and the reconstructed tomb of the legionary Poblicius (40 AD). Other highlights include the world's largest collection of Roman glassware and an outstanding collection of Roman and early medieval jewellery. Numerous exhibits detailing the everyday lives of the Romans take visitors back to the days of the Roman settlement known as Colonia Ara Agrippinensium. Closed on Mondays, guided tours on request.
» www.museenkoeln.de
When the fossilised remains of a human skeleton were discovered by quarry workers in the summer of 1856, the Neander Valley near Düsseldorf became world famous. Today this historical site is the location of the Neanderthal Museum which opened in 1996 and tells the story of the evolution of man, taking visitors back to prehistorical times. In the stone workshop visitors can experience prehistory "live“ as they learn how to make fire using tinder or how to fashion tools and weapons from stones and bones. Exhibition themes include: "Living and Surviving“, "Tools and Knowledge“, "Myth and Religion“, "Environment and Food“ and "Communication and Society“. Closed on Mondays, guided tours and audio tours are available in various languages.
» www.neanderthal.de
The Celts are our mysterious forefathers. A prominent spur above the Danube near Hundersingen was the site of an impressive Celtic settlement more than two and a half thousand years ago. An unusual open-air museum at the excavation site of this regional centre of power shows 21st century visitors how the Celts used to live here thousands of years ago. The impressive exhibits include a fortified wall made of air-dried mud bricks, the only one of its kind north of the Alps, wine amphoras from the Mediterranean region and fragments of Greek clay jugs. There is also a manor house, a dwelling house, store houses and a workshop building. Closed on Mondays and from November to the end of March.
» www.heuneburg.de
The caves around Blaubeuren are among the most important archaeological sites in Europe, having been home both to the Neanderthals and to anatomically modern man. The Museum of Prehistory shows various aspects of the lives of these two human forms, as well as flora and fauna, how tools have changed through the millennia and the development of Stone Age culture. Spectacular finds from the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Age, scientific research findings, experimental archaeology and modern education programmes are all here under one roof. One of the most prized exhibits is a flute made of a swan bone. It is the oldest musical instrument ever to have been discovered. Closed on New Year's Day, 6 January, Good Friday, 1 November, 24-26 December and New Year's Eve. March to October: closed on Mondays. November to March: open on Tuesday, Saturdays and Sundays only.
» www.urmu.de
Dechenhöhle Cave - one of Germany's most beautiful dripstone caves - was discovered in 1868 by railway workers in Iserlohn. It is famous for its extraordinary abundance of stalactites and stalagmites, and its prehistoric animal finds. Stalagmites and stalactites, extremely delicate stone draperies, dripstone columns and glittering crystals in pools of clear water line your path. Passing by geological features with names such as "organ", "water nymph pool" and "palm column", you reach the Emperor Stalagmite, probably the most beautiful dripstone formation to be found in a German cave. The 600m² museum, which opened in 2006, serves as the gateway to the Dechenhöhle Cave and contains a modern exhibition telling visitors all they need to know about caves. Alongside display cases containing stones and bones there are life-size models of a cave bear from the ice age and a mountain lion, as well as cave paintings, landscape miniatures, illuminated models, an aquarium with cave fish and a small cinema. In January and February open Saturdays & Sundays only.
» www.dechenhoehle.de
The Museum of Pre- and Early History is a modern museum set in the idyllically located moated palace of Werdringen in Hagen. Opened in 2004, it presents 450 million years of history. Visitors are greeted by a lifelike dermoplastic model of a 6.50m long mammoth. The exhibition includes archaeological and palaeontological finds from the region. The museum's collection contains the oldest fossils from the region of Westphalia, early land plants from the Middle Devonian period, giant primeval insects and dinosaurs. The museum also has the oldest human remains to have been found in Westphalia, around 10,700 years old. Closed on Mondays, guided tours on request.
» www.museum-werdringen.de
The museum in Waging am See, opened in 1997, is the only museum dedicated to the history of the Bavarian people. It documents the fascinating birth of the tribe of Bavarii in the turmoil of the era of Germanic migrations. The impressive and informative prehistorical finds from the Bavarii burial fields, dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries AD, give visitors a vivid insight into life in the early Middle Ages. These are burial objects which were given to the dead to accompany them into the afterlife, primarily weapons for men and jewellery for the women. The exhibits shed light on the origin, everyday lives, social structure, economy, crafts and the spiritual world of the Bavarii people. Models, tableaux and multimedia programmes supplement the exhibition. Open from Whitsun to October, apart from Mondays. November-April: open Friday to Sunday, guided tours on request.
» www.waging-am-see.de
