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The Roman Empire wasn’t built in a day, and neither were its roads. New research estimates the total length of these ancient pathways at nearly 300,000 kilometers, a network that once connected Britain to North Africa. Curator Carsten Wenzel of the Archaeological Museum Frankfurt notes that while the scale is impressive, much of this network exists only in historical records.
A modern echo of this ancient connectivity can be found in Frankfurt, Germany, where a 1.5-kilometer stretch of a Roman road once linking the city of Nida to the Saalburg fort is now a public footpath. This route, dating back to the early second century AD, served as a vital artery through the Civitas Taunensium, a Roman administrative unit in Upper Germany, until around 280 AD.
A Path Through Time
Andrea Hampel, head of the frankfurt monument Office, describes the ancient route as “a very outstanding monument” – essentially, a Roman highway. The preservation of this section on the riedberg is a recent victory; initial building plans didn’t prioritize historical considerations, but were later revised to protect the road’s course.
Today, the footpath winds through a 35-meter-wide green space, flanked by lawns, playgrounds, and benches. Six sandstone steles, resembling ancient milestones, display details about the road’s history.
