AVE Roman Landscape makes the Roman landscape of the Gelderland–Niederrhein region accessible as a unified, cross‑border and innovative cultural experience. Dutch and German partners – including the GMR Arnhem‑Nijmegen, Valkhof Museum, Erfgoed Gelderland, Stichting Verborgen Stad, and Landschaftsverband Rheinland with the Amt für Bodendenkmalpflege and its museums (APX) as well as museums in Kleve and Krefeld – join forces to make the shared Roman past visible and meaningful. Additional regional museums participate through the networks of Erfgoed Gelderland and LVR and are connected as associated partners. Through the exchange of expertise, the scope extends beyond the region itself and strengthens international cooperation along the Lower Germanic Limes, UNESCO World Heritage. The Nederlandse Limes Samenwerking is also an associated partner.
AVE links Roman sites with digital technologies such as VR, AR, 3D reconstructions. The project aims to make the Roman landscape understandable and engaging, enabling citizens to recognize the shared heritage and the historic connections across today’s borders. A joint digital infrastructure brings all virtual services together and ensures long‑term management. This new public digital service provides open access to a virtual Roman landscape, including a “Roman Street View” and shared narrative frameworks that museums and schools can use for education and interpretation.
Partners develop XR applications and explore how virtual reconstructions can be translated into scalable exhibition formats, ranging from immersive rooms to simple AR tools and objects. In this way, Roman sites across the region become both physically and digitally accessible. AVE strengthens regional identity, encourages innovation within museums, and establishes sustainable cross‑border collaboration. The technical infrastructure is future‑proof and can be adapted for other Roman or historical periods and for use in additional regions.
