Argentoratum Archaeological Site

Address: Strasbourg, Grand Est, France

Argentoratum is the Roman-era name for the military camp and settlement that stood where modern Strasbourg now lies in the Grand Est region of France. It refers to the Roman presence and urban origins on the Rhine frontier.

Archaeological traces and historical records document Argentoratum as a garrison site and local administrative centre during Roman times, and Roman-period finds have been recovered in and beneath the later medieval and modern city. The name survives in historical literature and studies of the region’s Roman past.

The Roman camp and its associated settlement were positioned on the Rhine frontier and formed a focal point for later urban development that became Strasbourg.

The site of Argentoratum is in the city of Strasbourg on the west bank of the Rhine, close to the modern border with Germany.

• Roman name: The Latin name Argentoratum is the recorded Roman-era name for the military camp and settlement that developed on the site of present-day Strasbourg.

Argentoratum is in Strasbourg which is accessible by TGV from Paris (about 2 hours) and by the autobahn. The site and associated remains are in the city centre and reachable on foot from Strasbourg-Ville station.

• Wander Strasbourg's older streets to feel how Argentoratum's Roman grid influenced later urban plans.
• Visit the archaeological remains in situ and then the Strasbourg museums for comparative artifacts and context.
• Take time to read inscriptions and city maps that show the Roman layout - the modern city overlays ancient lines in fascinating ways.