Fossa Corbulonis

The Fossa Corbulonis is a Roman canal that stretches roughly 34 kilometers between the Rhine and Meuse rivers and served as an ancient shipping route. The waterway was engineered to guide Roman vessels through the landscape with protected passages and regular fortifications along its banks.

Roman general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo ordered the construction around 50 CE to create a protected shipping corridor for military vessels. This waterway became crucial for the Roman Navy to defend and patrol the northern frontier of their territory.

The canal became part of the Lower German Limes and served as a vital waterway that the Romans maintained to connect their territories. Today you can walk along sections where the ancient route still shapes the landscape and local water systems.

Several access points along the route have information panels that explain the Roman history and navigation systems of the canal. Wear sturdy footwear since most sections follow paths along the waterway's banks and terrain.

Archaeological digs have uncovered wooden pilings and artifacts from the Classis Germanica, the naval fleet that operated here during Roman times. These discoveries reveal details about Roman shipbuilding techniques and the daily life of sailors who worked these waters.

Location: South Holland

Part of: Lower German Limes, Frontiers of the Roman Empire — The Lower German Limes (Netherlands)

GPS coordinates: 52.09620,4.41580

Latest update: December 8, 2025 19:41