Villa rustica Leutstetten
Preserved remains of a 2nd-century Roman estate near Starnberg-Leutstetten, with a glass shelter over the underfloor heating.
About the museum
In the late 1970s, fragments of brick and tufa were noticed in a field south of Leutstetten in the Würm Valley, pointing to a Roman settlement site. Because intensive farming was bringing more and more remains to the surface, the Gesellschaft für Archäologie und Geschichte – Oberes Würmtal (Society for Archaeology and History – Upper Würm Valley) applied for a rescue excavation, which it carried out itself under professional archaeological supervision starting in December 2001.
The excavation uncovered the main building of an estate with a frontage of about 25 meters. What survived above all is an underfloor heating system from two construction phases – first with tufa columns, later with makeshift pillars built from broken brick – as well as a small tub with its original lead drain. Timbers from the well allowed the building to be dated to around AD 133; most of the tufa walls were removed in the Middle Ages for use as building material. Notable finds include a terra sigillata bowl from the workshop of the potter Cinnamus and the remains of a wooden writing tablet.
With funding from the district and the town of Starnberg, a shelter in the form of a large glass display case was built over the underfloor heating, allowing year-round viewing. The floor plan of the house is traced by stone-filled wire baskets that the society's volunteers set up on the old wall trenches. The society still looks after the site today and regularly offers free guided tours.
Highlights
- Preserved Roman underfloor heating (hypocaust) from two construction phases
- Glass shelter, visible from outside year-round
- Floor plan of the main building traced with gabions
- Reconstruction of a Roman writing tablet
- Free public guided tours from May to October
- Founded
- 2004
- Operated by
- Gesellschaft für Archäologie und Geschichte – Oberes Würmtal e.V.
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
No admission charge. The society's guided tours are also free; donations are welcome.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Getting there & parking
The site is at the edge of the forest south of Leutstetten, along field and hiking paths, e.g., near the loop trail around the Leutstettener Moos.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop: not available
- Coat check: not available
- Lockers: not available
Open-air site without visitor facilities.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Public guided tours from May to October on the first Sunday of each month at 15:00, without registration and free of charge (volunteer-led, donations requested); also on Open Monument Day (Tag des offenen Denkmals). Individual tours for groups, school classes, clubs, or family celebrations by arrangement with the association's office. |
