Roman festival in Wiesbaden
Roman life as it was 2,000 years ago: On Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14, Wiesbaden invites you to the big Roman festival on Kochbrunnenplatz in the historic center of the Hessian state capital.
At the Roman Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14, 2025, the Roman history of Wiesbaden will be brought to life for young and old - from thermal bath culture, the art of healing and cult practices to the military and legions, games, food and music.
On Kochbrunnenplatz, whose open space is also known as Kranzplatz, the event will provide an authentic, entertaining and fact-based presentation of the city's important Roman era, which has its origins in its hot springs.
Program Saturday and Sunday
| Time of day | Program point |
| 10.00 a.m. | Admission |
| 10.30 a.m. | Birds of prey show |
| 11.00 a.m. | Explanation of a marsh raptor |
| 11.30 a.m. | Gladiator fights |
| 12.30 pm | Roman water organ (concert) |
| 13.00 hrs | Explanation of a Celtic chariot |
| 13.30 hrs | Guided tour of the event site through antiquity |
| 14.00 hrs | Wine production as it was 2000 years ago (lecture) |
| 14.30 hrs | Birds of prey show |
| 15.00 hrs | Gladiator fights |
| 3.30 pm | Roman music (lecture) |
| 16.00 hrs | Explanation of the Roman artillery |
| 16.30 hrs | Roman water organ (concert) |
| 17.00 hrs | Germanic crafts |
| 17.30 hrs | Gladiator fights |
| 18.00 hrs | End of the event days |
All day
Celtic representation, The life of the Germanic tribes, Craft demonstrations, Scriptorium, Pictrix: Painting in Antiquity, From Sheep to Wool, Cosmetics in Antiquity, Roman Gods/Religion, Silversmiths, Recruitment to maintain the legions, hands-on activities for children and much more.
Partner offers
sam - Stadtmuseum am Markt:
- Open-air exhibition "Roman Wiesbaden"
- Activities for young and old: Roman games, making bookmarks from papyrus, painting about "Roman Wiesbaden", 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tour guide Wiesbaden:
- "Discover Roman Wiesbaden - a walk to the traces of Aquae Mattiacorum". Start in front of the Hessian State Chancellery, 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Roman life and Roman history of Wiesbaden
Roman life to join in: A journey through time for the whole family
Actors from renowned Roman groups provide insights into the life of the city's population, legionaries and gladiators of the Roman Empire in a diverse program on various activity areas: battles in the arena, camp life, artillery, ancient crafts, Germanic traders, Roman music, painting, fashion and religion, civilian life, birds of prey shows and Roman food and drink transform the Kochbrunnenplatz into a Roman settlement.
The Roman Festival is a unique experience: in the special atmosphere of the historic Kochbrunnenplatz and the authentic festival grounds, visitors with an inquisitive mind are invited to try out the various stalls, try their hand at the various activities and come into direct contact with the groups of performers. With its activities, hands-on activities to try out and games for children, the Roman Festival is also an adventure for the whole family.
The reenactment groups combine science, craftsmanship and entertainment in a fascinating way. They keep Roman history alive through historically authentic clothing, weapons, armor and everyday objects, thus promoting awareness of the cultural heritage and its preservation. Through historically based presentations, practical demonstrations and hands-on activities, they impart knowledge about Roman history, culture and society in an entertaining and vivid way. Roman history thus becomes tangible and understandable.
Get to know the roots of the city: "Roman Wiesbaden" exhibition
Wiesbaden owes its origins to the hot springs and their use by the Romans. The connection to the Romans is an important part of the city's cultural heritage and still shapes the identity and image of the Hessian state capital today.
The open-air exhibition "Roman Wiesbaden", curated by sam - Stadtmuseum am Markt, offers insights into the development of Wiesbaden in Roman times in the 1st century AD as well as in the years before and after.
The exhibition aims to raise awareness of the Roman period of the city's history, which was important for the emergence and further development of Wiesbaden, but is barely visible in the cityscape, and to strengthen Wiesbaden's identity.
Using images of historical finds and sites, the exhibition at sam - Stadtmuseum am Markt presents Wiesbaden's Roman era in ten thematic areas.
- Wiesbaden and the Celts - a glimpse into pre-Roman times
- The Mattiak tribe - Germanic tribes gave their name to Roman Wiesbaden
- The foundation of Roman Wiesbaden - Hesse's oldest city!
- The Roman gravestones of Wiesbaden - international import hits
- The Roman stone fort on the Schulberg/Heidenberg
- Aquae Mattiacorum - The Roman civilian settlement of Wiesbaden
- The Roman water supply in Wiesbaden
- Religion and cult in Wiesbaden
- The Roman thermal baths
- Wiesbaden in Late Antiquity - The period after the end of the Limes
Aquae Mattiacorum
The Romans are the beginning of Wiesbaden's success story as a later world spa and bathing city. Aquae Mattiacorum, as Wiesbaden was called in Roman times, was known as a spa and bathing resort as far away as Rome.
The city's very own theme - the 26 mineral and healing springs combined with cures, bathing and socializing - dates back to this time and has shaped the identity and image of the Hessian state capital to this day.
However, the Roman era, an important period in Wiesbaden's history, is barely visible in the cityscape. Archaeological excavations on Kochbrunnenplatz - one of the city's historically central locations - brought to light the remains of large Roman thermal baths as early as the beginning of 1900.
The best-known and still visible relic from Wiesbaden's Roman past is the so-called Heidenmauer: it is not only the oldest surviving structure in Wiesbaden, but also the oldest Roman building of this size on the right bank of the Rhine
Information about the Roman Festival
Opening hours
- Saturday, September 13: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Sunday, September 14: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission
- Adults: 2,00 Euro
- Children: 1,00 Euro
The value of the entrance fee can be redeemed for all food and drink at the entire Römerfest.
Approach
- Bus/train: Environmentally friendly and stress-free with bus lines 1 and 8 (also departing from the main station), stops Kochbrunnen or Webergasse.
- Car: Parking in/at the surrounding parking garages/parking lots or at the various park-and-ride lots.
Information on municipal parking garages can be found at www.parken-in-wiesbaden.de (opens in a new tab) (see also link at the bottom of the page).
Partner
Promotion
The Römerfest is funded by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building as part of the federal program "Sustainable Inner Cities and Centres" (ZIZ). The aim is to provide new impetus for vibrant city centers with innovative, temporary measures.