Roman ship in Bratislava
A replica of a Roman river longship of the Lusoria type from the 4th century will sail along the Danube
Enjoy an adventurous journey of the “Danuvina Alacris”, a modern reconstruction of a “Lusoria” type roman ship which once roamed the untaimed Danube River guarding the boundary between the Roman Empire and the uncivilized wasteland beyond the so called “Barbaricum”.
After two years of construction, a true copy of the Ancient ship will go on its first Danube cruise in mid-July. At the beginning of August you will also see it in Bratislava. You can welcome it to Devín, or check it out in Karlova Ves river branch or near Danubiana.
As a culmination of the international Living Danube Limes project, an authentic replica of the Roman ship Danuvina Alacris, which was built using only period materials according to Roman technological procedures, will sail the Danube from Germany to Romania with the crew dressed in historic costumes from July to November.
The 30-member ship will start sailing from Ingolstadt, Germany, on July 15. An authentic replica of the Roman “lusoria” rowboat, which was given the name Danuvina Alacris, sails to Bratislava on 5 August and stays there for two nights. The programme on the Bratislava section is prepared by the Municipal Monument Preservation Institute in Bratislava with the financial support of the Bratislava Tourist Board.
Choose the place that suits you best. In addition to Bratislava, you can also see a replica of the Roman ship in Slovakia in Gabčíkovo or in Iža near Komárno. However, you will see the rowing boat in seven other countries. The approximate daily distance is 40 km and the journey follows many historical sites and include access to associated events. The crew fully rotates every two weeks.
You will have a unique view of the approaching Danuvina Alacris from Devín Castle on August 5. After visiting Devín, a boat accompanied by kayakers from Bratislava shipyards down the Danube will sail to Karlova Ves river branch, where it will anchor for the night. The main programme will take place on August 6 in Karlova Ves Cove, when the ship will be accessible to the public for the first time in the afternoon in Bratislava.
In the afternoon, a boat accompanied by kayaks sails to Čunovo to the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum, built in the shape of a Roman gallery. This is where it stays to be anchored during the night. On the last day of its stay in Bratislava, August 7, the crew of the ship will visit the Ancient Gerulata. Due to the closure of the dam in Čunovo, the rowboat will be transported to the Danube, so you will be able to watch how the boat is loaded on the truck on August 8. It will be launched on the water again after Gabčíkovo, through which the ship can not sail.
The vessel of the Lusoria type was approximately 17 to 21 metres long, with a maximum width of 2,5 metres and a height of approximately 90 cm. Due to the limited space, the crew of the ship were the soldiers themselves. There could have been 27 to 35 men, 24 to 32 oarsmen, 2 men serving the ship and the sail, and one helmsman, who was probably also the commander of the ship.
In addition to the Municipal Monument Preservation Institute in Bratislava, the Bratislava City Museum is also cooperating on the project as an associated project partner of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava. One of the interesting results of the project is the creation of a mobile application for the monuments of the Roman Empire on the Danube, which gives a new dimension to the expansion of awareness of the Roman heritage along the Danube. The university developed it in cooperation with the Museum and the Institute of Archaeology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Nitra.
Living Danube Limes connects the Danube Region with its shared Roman heritage, fosters a common Roman brand, safeguards and preserves cultural heritage, develops sustainable tourism solutions as well as works towards a Cultural Route spanning the whole Danube Region.
