Two ArchaeoTrails published!
A while ago I reported that I was running an interdisciplinary course on the app ArchaeoTrial. The app is used to create tours and scavenger hunts of archaeological sites. In my course, groups created tours of Roman Cologne. The students put in a lot of work and effort and since a few days two ArchaeoTrails are available!
Recap: The ArchaoTrail course
So the idea was that we would create tours of Roman Cologne and teach about its past and archaeology. We only offered the course for one semester and then the students had time to complete their trails. I tested one of the trails myself and it impressed me. As I am not originally from Cologne and do not live in the city, so many things and places were new to me. I really enjoyed the experience.
Once the ArchaeoTrail tour has been created, it has to go through a quality assurance process. We have been waiting for this for a while, but a few days ago one of my students wrote to tell me that her tour had been accepted and was online. So I had a look myself and actually there are now two tours available: one for tourists and one for specialists.
Tour 1: Roman Cologne for tourists
So the shorter route is the one for tourists. It is basically for anyone interested in Roman Cologne who can spare 2.5 hours to walk around the city centre. The trail starts at a Roman castle and continues through the city to various points of the Roman city wall and towers. It ends at the local museum and its surroundings. The tour is well done, available in German, English and Greek, and is about 1.26 kilometres long. Of course, you will also pass Cologne Cathedral!
Tour 2: Roman Cologne for specialists
The specialist route is more suitable for archaeology students or real Roman nerds. It takes almost six hours! But it is well worth it, as you will see almost everything Cologne has to offer when it comes to its Roman past. The whole trail is about 27 kilometres long, but you only walk about eight. This walk is more suitable for students who are planning a field trip or excursion to Cologne and are interested in its Roman past.
Some of the stations are the same as those for tourists, but there are also some specialised stations. From the main route, you can branch off to visit a pottery district, a Roman tomb and much more. The trail has 38 stops, so be prepared for a lot of information.
Where can you get the tours?
Well, it’s quite simple. You can find the ArchaoTrail app free on the Google Play store, as well as its Apple counterpart. Once installed, you can open the app, click on “Search Trail” and then on the little list icon in the bottom right corner. There you will find the two tours “Roman Cologne (Tourist)” and “Roman Cologne (Excursion)”. If you open one of them, you can start the tour at the bottom and choose your language. There you go!
If you visit Cologne in the future and decide to try one of these tours, please feel free to comment here and give us some feedback. It would be greatly appreciated!