Römermuseum Kastell Boiotro

About the museum

In the fall of 1974, construction workers planning to build a kindergarten on Lederergasse came across the walls of a Roman fort. The subsequent excavations uncovered the remains of Boiotro, a small fortification built around 300 AD on the right bank of the Inn, with an unusual trapezoidal floor plan, walls up to 3.80 meters thick, and fan-shaped corner towers. The name was already known from the biography of Saint Severin, who was active in Passau in the late 5th century. In the 5th century, a storage building was integrated into the complex.

In 1982, the city of Passau opened the Roman museum over the foundations. It is housed in a medieval craftsman's house whose cellar shows the exposed fort wall across the entire depth of the building; a light installation makes the construction phases visible. In the outdoor area, parts of the perimeter wall and pillars of the interior buildings have been rebuilt. Since 2021, the fort has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Danube Limes, together with the Batavis fort and the Haibach burgus.

The permanent exhibition on three levels uses about 600 exhibits, models, and media stations to illuminate the roughly 400 years of Roman rule in the border town – from the lapidarium in the basement to the large model of the Boiodurum fort and its civilian settlement on the upper floor. Figures such as a wine merchant and a customs officer tell of daily life on the Limes. In the museum garden grows a Roman kitchen garden with plants documented in the region during Roman times. The museum is run by the Dienststelle Archäologie und Römermuseum (Archaeology and Roman Museum office) of the city of Passau.

Highlights

• Original fort wall in the cellar with a light installation
• Reconstructed parts of the fort in the outdoor area (UNESCO World Heritage Site Danube Limes)
• 8 m² model of the Boiodurum fort with civilian settlement
• Roman garden "Hortus Romanus" with ancient useful plants
• Roman board games, clothing to try on, and a Roman quiz

Permanent exhibitions

• Römisches Passau an der Grenze des Imperiums – Archaeological finds, models, film, and media stations on three levels tell of life on the Danube Limes, of soldiers, merchants, and the end of the Roman era with Saint Severin.
• Kastell Boiotro – Originalbefunde – In the cellar, the exposed fort wall with a light installation on the construction phases; in the outdoor area, rebuilt parts of the perimeter wall and interior buildings.
• Hortus Romanus – der Römergarten – Kitchen garden with grain, legumes, herbs, and fruit trees whose cultivation in southern Germany in Roman times is documented; free to visit during opening hours.

Founded

1982

Operated by

Stadt Passau (Dienststelle Archäologie und Römermuseum)

Director

Dr. Thomas Maurer

Admission & discounts

Free admission with the PassauCard, the Passauer Feuerwehrkarte (Passau firefighter card), for members of the BVMP, and with an ICOM card. The Roman garden is free. Currently, only cash payment is possible at the ticket desk for technical reasons.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom: not available
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: not available
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum in the medieval building is not accessible; the outdoor area can be reached with few barriers from the Jahnstraße entrance via a paved path (the rest of the garden is lawn, seating available). The museum restroom is outdoors and can only be reached via steps; an accessible restroom is available at the Parkhaus Innstadt. Accessible parking spaces in the Parkhaus Innstadt (Jahnstraße 1, about 5 minutes away); Jahnstraße has no continuous sidewalk. City bus lines 3 and 4 are wheelchair-accessible. Sign language interpreters for group tours can be arranged on request (costs are borne by the group).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Baby changing facilities: not available
• Playground / play area: not available
• Kids’ birthday parties: not available

Children's audio tour with Florianus, the son of a Roman customs officer; hands-on stations with ancient board games, Roman clothing, and a digital quiz; in the garden, binoculars with a view into the past. Family tours can be booked, and there are events for families throughout the year. Strollers can only be parked to a limited extent; the building is not accessible with a stroller. No permanent baby changing facility, no children's birthday programs. The large Roman playground is about a 3-minute walk away behind the city wall.

Getting there & parking

Two entrances: Lederergasse and Jahnstraße (access by car or bicycle via Jahnstraße). what3words: turm.anlehnen.umfragen.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

No café and no sale of food or drinks; cafés and restaurants nearby. Museum shop with books and toys on the Roman era. Limited number of lockers and open coat check. Free Wi-Fi. In good weather, groups can take a break in the garden or on the covered terrace.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit