Lahnau: Roman Forum and Local History Museum

Lahnau lies roughly halfway between Gießen and Wetzlar. Its appealing, wooded landscape, with fertile agricultural soils, provides the natural setting. Two different focal points can help you plan your visit: the Roman Forum of Waldgirmes and its finds, and the architectural and everyday history presented by the Municipality of Lahnau’s Local History Museum. This lets you decide whether you are more interested in archaeology or in historic buildings and agricultural exhibits during your stay.

Roman Forum of Waldgirmes

The visitor center at the Roman Forum of Waldgirmes displays numerous finds, replicas, models and information panels. There is also a 3D print of the horse’s head. The exhibition thus combines finds with reproductions and models: if you are interested in archaeology, you can explore these different forms of presentation.

A reconstruction brings the forum’s original foundations to life; there is also an equestrian statue on site. Guided tours of the Roman Forum of Waldgirmes explain the peaceful coexistence of Germanic peoples and Romans, as well as the historical context. The exhibits, reconstruction and tours each offer a different focus, from the objects on display and the foundations to the interpretation of history.

Local History Museum: Buildings and Exhibits

At the Municipality of Lahnau’s Local History Museum, the building itself is part of the cultural experience. It was built in 1840/1841 and is classified as a cultural monument. The farmstead includes a large farm complex whose oldest section dates to 1620, as well as a barn from the 19th century. Both buildings are timber-framed. Their different dates offer insight into the history of the farmstead’s construction.

The museum features a reconstruction of the Dorlar ladder house, along with agricultural implements. The coach house provides another historical connection: it houses the casting mold for the equestrian statue of Emperor Augustus, created by Heinrich Janke of Braunfels. Information panels tell the story of the Celts, Romans and Germanic peoples, as well as the excavations at the Roman Forum. The Local History Museum’s themes therefore range from farming tools and timber-framed architecture to regional history and archaeological finds.

The two cultural sites offer different points of interest. At the Roman Forum, the focus is on the finds, the reconstruction of the foundations and the guided tours explaining the historical context. At the Local History Museum, you can also explore the cultural monument, the farmstead and the agricultural exhibits as distinct topics. The wooded landscape and fertile agricultural soils provide the natural setting for Lahnau.

Cultural attractions in the Lahn-Dill district

The wider Lahn-Dill district offers cultural attractions with other areas of focus. In Wetzlar, the Lottehaus commemorates Goethe’s meeting with Charlotte Buff and the summer of 1772. Two rooms on the first floor house a permanent exhibition on the origins and impact of Goethe’s first novel, “The Sorrows of Young Werther.”

In Solms-Oberbiel, Grube Fortuna is the only Hessian anchor point on the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Villa Grün in Dillenburg displays, in more than 20 rooms, objects and detailed recreations of industrial and artisanal production in the Dill region. The basement also houses an extensive mining exhibition with a wealth of media.

Other attractions include the Optics Trail in Wetzlar and the Bell World at Greifenstein Castle. The Optics Trail invites you to experiment with and discover optical phenomena; it includes, among other things, a walk-in kaleidoscope. The Bell World at Greifenstein Castle presents almost 100 bells on a tour through a thousand years of German bell history.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Dillenburg, Hüttenberg, Ehringshausen, Schöffengrund, Leun, Waldsolms, Herborn, Haiger

See the overview of the wider destination: Lahn-Dill district.