Description
Small town, big history
We have become accustomed to the sight of old walls in the Wachau. The walls in Bacharnsdorf, which tower up to 9 meters high and are barely 50 meters from the main road towards the banks of the Danube, are nevertheless something very special: here we see the exceptionally well-preserved remains of one of the late antique watchtowers with which the Romans guarded the Danube border ("Limes").
The almost square tower had 12 meter sides in cast masonry. It tells us a lot about how the "guarding" of the Danube Limes took place: The lowest storey served as a storeroom. The first floor with its narrow embrasure slit windows served as living quarters for the crew. The second floor with its arched windows was the actual guardroom. The tower was probably covered with a tarpaulin.
Would you have guessed?
The Kupfertal valley also offers an amazing encounter with antiquity. The hike leads along well-preserved sections of the Roman road into the Dunkelsteinerwald forest. Driving grooves cut into the cobblestones by carts 2,000 years ago are clearly visible. The path leads through the picturesque "Turk's Gate", which Emperor Ferdinand I had built in 1529 during the war against the Ottomans.
