The oldest Roman bridge
Sint Servaasbrug, Maastricht
You get a wonderful view of Maastricht’s skyline from the Saint Servatius Bridge. Did you know that the entire city of Maastricht came into being thanks to the first crossing over the River Meuse? The name Maastricht, derived from the Latin Mosa Trajectum (crossing place on the Meuse), reveals the city’s origin.
That first crossing was built by the Romans. The bridge, the cradle of Maastricht, is still there: about 100 meters next to the Saint Servatius Bridge, under water. What remains are wooden and stone fragments on the riverbed of the Meuse. On the riverbank stands a replica of one of these stones: a lion on a column.
The medieval Saint Servatius Bridge is the oldest surviving bridge in the Netherlands. Today, it connects the train station and Wyck with the city center, but for the Romans this bridge formed the link between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Cologne. Between these two cities, the Roman bridge overcame the only major obstacle on the Via Belgica: Mother Meuse.
Bird’s-eye view
Take a bird’s-eye flight over the Roman bridge and see how the Romans built it.
Virtual Reality
Here you can explore several viewpoints of the 3D reconstruction of the bridge. Want more immersion? Experience the viewpoints in VR mode with a VR headset.
Discover
- Find the column with the stone lion
- See how the Roman remains of the old bridge look today.
Fun to know
- Sustainable fellows, those Romans
- Building materials were already a valuable commodity in Roman times. During repair work on the old Roman bridge, stones were reused from dilapidated or destroyed buildings, even from sanctuaries. As a result, richly decorated stones that were once built into the bridge still lie on the riverbed of the Meuse today. Especially in times of war, bridges were more important than temples.