20 V i s i t www.theculturalexperience.com C a l l 0345 475 1815 Early Periods XXX! XXX THE LOST LEGIONS THE ROAD TO THE TEUTObURG FOREST Follow in the footsteps of Quinctillus Varus and his three legions on the road to their destruction. On this tour we travel through the little visited regions of the Netherlands and North Germany, stopping at the historic towns of sleepy Leiden, Xanten and Paderborn. We will experience the glory of Rome come to life at a variety of different museums along the fferent museums along the ff way, including the Hogwoerd and Xanten open air Archaeological Parks, built on the sites of old Roman forts. At Anreppen we will see some of the ongoing excavations of the earthworks and foundations of the Fort that once controlled the Lippe Valley. The whole tour will come to a climactic end with a visit to the Hemannsdenkmal and to the rediscovered site of the battle itself. The tour will be led by Tony Wilmott, a senior archaeologist with Historic England and one of the foremost authorities on the outreaches of the Roman Empire. He will present the tragic story in an exciting and innovative way as we examine the roads, forts and battlefields of the legions last journey that will leave you buzzing with questions. 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 10 – 15 July 2019 6 days with Tony Wilmott with Tony Wilmott with Tony Wilmott with Tony Wilmott with Tony Wilmott with Tony Wilmott Activity Level 2 Activity Level 2 ESSENTIALS Return flights from London, 4 star hotel, buffet breakfast, 3-course dinner with drinks each evening, all entrance fees and expert guide throughout. Tour price: £2195 Single supplement: £225 Deposit: £175 Price without flights: £2070 The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was nothing short of a massacre of three Roman legions, resulting in the retreat of the Roman Empire across the Rhine, a border they would never successfully conquer again. In 9AD, Quinctillus Varus, supreme commander of Germania led the doomed 17th, 18th and 19th legion across the Rhine, intending to demand tribute, but instead they were ambushed by four Cherusci tribes, united under the German symbol of resistance and unity, Arminus. The legions were decimated, some captured, some escaped, but most died. Such was the devastation that their legion numbers were never used by the Romans again. Varus escaped, but eventually committed suicide. Day 1 - Depart. Fly from London to Schiphol Airport. Drive to Leiden and visit the world- class National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden to see the course of the Roman Empire in the Netherlands. Look out for the bronze horseman’s mask and see the mixture of culturesthatinfluencedtherulersandworkers during the Roman occupation and beyond. Day 2 - Hogwoerd and Xanten. Start the day at the Fossa Corbulonis, the 23 mile canal dug duringthereignofClaudiustoconnecttheall- important River Rhine and the Meuse. Spend the rest of the day travelling back through the centuries at two intriguing and immersive open air archaeological parks. Discover everyday Roman life at Archaeon by exploring its reconstructed town, full of living history and sights, smells and noise before having lunch in the reconstructed Mansio. Travel to Hogwoerd, the largest site of archaeological research in the Netherlands, where we will get a glimpse of the Roman limes, the frontier Germanic Warriors Storm the Field (Varusschlacht, 1909)