Bingen

  • Bingen am Rhein is a city on the confluence of the river Nahe with the Rhine, and is where the Rhine enters the Rhine Gorge. It is in the State of Rhineland Palatinate in western Germany.
  • It was founded as the Roman Castra of Bingium to protect the crossing of the Nahe, and was located in the Province of Germania Superior.

History

  • The Navigation of the Rhine:
    • There is a rock barrier at Bingen which historically divided the Rhine into two navigable sections.
    • Until 1834, the river was unnavigable past Bingen without a pilot, and most barges transhipped their cargo by road around the reef to Lorch.
  • Classis Germanica:
    • The Roman Navy in Germany operated two separate fleets on the Rhine, one based above Bingen at Mainz, and the other below Bingen at Cologne.

Roman Sites

  • Drusus Bridge
    • This is a stone bridge which crosses the Nahe and dates from c. 1,000 CE, despite being rebuilt in 1772 and again in 1945.
    • The original Roman Bridge was built out of wood, then rebuilt in stone in c. 70 CE, which lasted until 891 CE.
    • A small Roman Chapel was built at one end of the bridge, which can be visited today.
  • Roman Villa (Ruins)
    • The Remains of a Roman Villa Rustica can be seen in nearby Weiler bei Bingen in the Binger Forest, about 2 miles (3km) west of Drusus Bridge.

Roman Roads

 

Drusus Bridge, Bingen

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