Discover Petronell-Carnuntum: Roman City and Floodplain Landscape

Petronell-Carnuntum combines impressive Roman history with the distinctive landscape of the Petroneller Au. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home can combine different types of holiday experiences here: archaeological discoveries, walks through the town and nature experiences along oxbow lakes and water-bearing ditches. It is particularly appealing that excursions can be planned according to personal interests and the rhythm of the day, without limiting the trip to a single theme.

Roman Carnuntum as a Travel Experience

The Roman City Quarter is a section of a Roman urban district reconstructed at its original location. A visit provides an insight into ancient Carnuntum in the early 4th century. This makes the past tangible not only through individual finds, but also through a reconstructed site.

One of the striking structures is the Heidentor. It was once a quadrifrons, that is, a monument with double passageways through four pillars. The amphitheatre of the civil city was built outside the ancient city walls at the end of the 2nd century AD and provided space for around 13,000 people. It is located next to the Roman City Quarter and can be reached from there in about ten minutes on foot. Anyone wishing to combine both sites can take this short distance into account when planning the day.

At the Auxiliary Fort Museum, the crossing structure of a drinking-water pipeline and a main sewer channel of the cavalry camp was excavated and preserved in a separate protective building. This preserved crossing structure is open to the public. The museum displays finds from the auxiliary fort and its southern forecourt. Numerous informative text panels explain the function and life in the fort and provide the exhibits with an understandable historical context.

Circular Routes for Different Day Plans

For a more extensive exploration, the Great Circular Route begins at Carnuntum Archaeological Park and leads to all 26 sights. The Small Circular Route also starts at Carnuntum Archaeological Park, passes through Petronell-Carnuntum to the Heidentor and then returns. These two routes offer different ways to incorporate the Roman sites and the town into your own plans.

A more compact option is the Petronell-Carnuntum Town Walk. The easy hike is 2.72 km long, takes about 30 minutes and begins and ends at the car park of the Roman City of Carnuntum. Using the “Town Walks” app, you can listen to stories about the once vibrant Roman metropolis of Carnuntum on your smartphone. This allows families or travel groups with different interests to combine a short walk with historical storytelling.

Petroneller Au and the Danube Landscape

Nature also shapes the character of the town. Since 2016, 260 hectares of the Petroneller Au have been under the administration of the Donau-Auen National Park. The floodplain contains an extensive network of oxbow lakes and periodically water-bearing ditches. At higher water levels, some of these are directly connected to the Danube. This creates a landscape in which waterways and changing water levels form important points of orientation.

The Petronell hiking trail begins at the visitor car park at the end of Lange Gasse. It is designated as a “car park for floodplain forest visitors”. Anyone wishing to plan a nature-oriented activity alongside cultural experiences can include this starting point when selecting the day’s destinations. Each of the sites of the Roman City of Carnuntum has its own free visitor car park directly beside the respective entrance.

Further Historical Traces in the Town

The Round Chapel, also known as St. John’s Chapel, is one of Austria’s oldest and most valuable Romanesque buildings. It dates from the first half of the 12th century and was built using ashlar masonry. In the 15th century, a Gothic side aisle, known as the Florian Chapel, was added to the parish church. Petronell-Carnuntum Castle is also part of the town’s history; its construction began in the 11th century. These different eras make Petronell-Carnuntum a destination where Romanesque, Gothic and medieval influences can be discovered alongside Roman ones.

Planning Your Search for Suitable Accommodation

When searching for a holiday apartment in Petronell-Carnuntum, it is worth deciding on your preferred focus first. Those primarily wishing to experience the reconstructed Roman sites and museums can make the archaeological destinations the centre of their trip. Anyone who prefers alternating between culture and nature can also include a circular route, the town walk or the Petroneller Au in their plans.

For further searches in the same selection of towns, you can also choose Hainburg An Der Donau, Rohrau, Sommerein, Prellenkirchen, Götzendorf an der Leitha, Wolfsthal, Bad Deutsch-Altenburg and Wildungsmauer for your accommodation search.

To the higher-level travel overview: Bruck An Der Leitha.