Meeting the Romans Today: A Visit to the Roman Festival in Carnuntum, Austria
What does it feel like to walk through a Roman city brought back to life?
At the European Heritage Label Site of the Archaeological Park Carnuntum, visitors of all ages discovered history in motion — from ancient crafts and games to military drills and everyday life scenes. The festival offered a vivid journey through time, bringing the values and ingenuity of the Roman world closer to the present.
Roman festival in Carnuntum
On 6 September, I took part in the big Roman festival in Carnuntum. On this day, many people wore traditional clothes and imitated the Roman lifestyle. At the festival, the visitors could taste the original Roman bread, see the soldiers’ camp and the Roman market too. In the Arena, they watched the real gladiator fights and parades with traditional costumes. In the afternoon, they took a look at the typical wedding ceremony. There were also handworkers, who created traditional boots and clothes.
The Romans first settled in Carnuntum in 6 AD, because Tiberius erected the winter camp here. In the 19th century, scientists found the old ruins of the military camp, and in the 20th century also found the city quarter.
Violence, culture, innovation and slavery. Those were the first words that came to the visitor’s mind if I mentioned the Romans to them. At the festival, I asked the visitors about the Romans’ culture, and I was really curious about how you bring the old culture closer to the younger generations. People said that besides the school education, taking trips is also fascinating for students, because they can experience the real lifestyle. They also emphasised lots of ancient cultural heritage, for instance, the Latin language and innovations, such as the underfloor heating system.
Carnuntum isn’t just a park with several ruins; it’s much more than that. “We don’t want to show the history, we want visitors to relive the history in our Roman city quarter. I think that’s something very special also for young people because they can come here and just see the houses from the Romans and it’s something very touchable”- said Anna-Maria Grohs, the Pressperson of the Römerstadt Carnuntum. In order for the new generations to also enjoy the visit, ancient buildings were reconstructed as the ancestors would have built it, for example, the experts used only old chopped wood for roof constructions.
Carnuntum and the roots of European unity
Designated as a European Heritage Label Site in 2014 and part of the UNESCO World Heritage, Carnuntum stands as a powerful reminder of how Europe’s shared values have deep historical roots. As Anna-Maria Grohs emphasised, this recognition honours the ancient Roman city’s key role along the Limes frontier, a vast defensive and administrative system that once marked the border of the Roman Empire.
Yet Carnuntum was never merely a military outpost. It was a vibrant crossroads of cultures, where soldiers and citizens, merchants and craftsmen, rich and poor, coexisted and interacted. The archaeological evidence found here reveals an active exchange between the Romans, Celtic and Germanic communities, a reminder that cultural and linguistic diversity have always been part of Europe’s DNA.
Today, the Archaeological Park Carnuntum continues this legacy by welcoming visitors from across Europe and beyond. Each year, the Roman Festival brings history to life, allowing guests to experience ancient traditions, crafts, and performances in reconstructed Roman houses and streets. In 2026, the festival will mark its 20th anniversary, offering another opportunity to explore how the spirit of European cooperation and diversity thrives in this unique site.
