Fossa Carolina, Archaeological canal in Weißenburg in Bayern, Germany
The Fossa Carolina is a medieval canal near Weißenburg that was meant to connect the Rezat river to the Altmühl. The ditch system cuts through the landscape between two major river basins and shows the efforts made to improve transportation routes at that time.
The canal was begun in 793 under Charlemagne's direction and required large workforces and technical knowledge for this ambitious project. Although the work remained incomplete, the visible earthworks today show the technical ambition of that era.
The site includes interpretive materials explaining medieval engineering methods and showcases artifacts that detail the development of transportation systems in early Europe.
You can visit about 500 meters of the remaining canal and observe earthen banks that reach several meters in height. The best place for your visit is the municipality of Treuchtlingen, where the traces are most clearly visible.
Archaeological investigations have uncovered an unusual stepped profile at the bottom of the ditch, pointing to thoughtful water management. This reveals that engineers of that time were already experimenting with innovative solutions to control water effectively.
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