Ruins · Rheinbach · Updated on 1 November 2026.

Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach

Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung is a ruin in Rheinbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. This place has an audio tour of about 2 minutes, in English or Dutch. Within 130 m you'll find a bench.

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Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach

Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach, photo 2

Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach, photo 3

The story

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Audio tour · Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung

2:16

You're standing near Rheinbach, on the route of the Eifel Aqueduct. It was one of the longest water lines in the entire Roman Empire. From the year 80, water flowed through here from the Eifel hills to Cologne, back then called Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. The line ran about 95 kilometres, and with all its side branches, 130. No pumps involved. It all worked on gravity, sometimes with just one metre of drop per kilometre.

Read and hear the whole story in the Outdoor Pitstop app: check in at this place and it is yours (with Pro; new users are Pro for the first 4 weeks).

Photos

10 photos from Wikimedia Commons. In the app you add your own photo when you are there.

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Photo: Mediatus · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach: Roman ruin

This is a ruin of a Roman aqueduct, a section of the Eifelaquaduct. It was one of the longest Roman aqueducts, around 95 kilometres long. From the year 80, water flowed from the hills of the Eifel to Keulen. There was no pump: the water simply ran downhill by gravity. You will find the Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung in Rheinbach, in Noordrijn-Westfalen, on the route of the aqueduct.

What you can see at the Römische Wasserleitung

Tall arches, like those at the Pont du Gard, are not found here. They laid the pipe roughly one metre underground almost everywhere, so there is little to see above ground. They only built bridges over valleys. The largest bridge stood over the Swistbach, but today it is mostly rubble. Walk along the medieval town wall of Rheinbach as well. It was partly built using pieces of the aqueduct, and some of its blocks still carry the plaster from that time. The Römerkanal-Wanderweg follows the pipeline, with around 75 information points along the way, so you can see what is still left as you go.

Roman aqueduct: history and later use

The aqueduct was built to supply Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium, the city's name at the time. Including all its branches, the system was 130 kilometres long. In the year 260, tribes attacked the city, and the aqueduct was never used again. Centuries later, it served as a quarry. The limescale deposit on the inside was especially prized, as it was sometimes 20 centimetres thick. Polished, it looked like brown marble. This Eifel marble was used for columns and altars, including in the cathedrals of Paderborn and Hildesheim. It can also be found in gravestones in Roskilde. In medieval times, nobody knew what the pipeline had been for anymore. According to a legend, the devil bet the master builder of the cathedral that he could dig a tunnel to Trier faster than the cathedral would be finished. Some writers even believed that wine flowed through the pipeline.

Toilet, drinking water and benches nearby

Please bring your own water, as there is no drinking water at Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung. According to our map, there is no water point within 1 kilometre either. There is also no toilet at Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung, and there are no public toilets within 1 kilometre, so visit a toilet before setting off. There are only a few benches at Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung. The nearest bench is 133 metres away, at Naturpark Rheinland. There is just 1 bench within 500 metres, so you won't find a place to sit everywhere you go.

Walking and more to see nearby

After your visit to the Ruins Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung, you can see 2 other places in Rheinbach. The Rheinbacher Burg, a castle, is 1,383 metres away, and the Glasmuseum is 1,448 metres away. You can visit both on the same walk. You can also hear more about the water pipeline in the Outdoor Pitstop app, where there is an audio story of 2 minutes. You can listen to it on the spot while you look at the remains.

Facilities near Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung

The nearest pitstop of each kind within 1 km, as the crow flies. No water point, public toilet, bike pump or honesty box within 1 km.

Bench in Naturpark Rheinland, RheinbachBench · 130 m

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Photo: Wolkenkratzer · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

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Photo: Sir James · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0View the photo on Wikimedia Commons

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Frequently asked questions

Where is the teilstück römische wasserleitung in Rheinbach?

The Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung is in Rheinbach. It is a ruin on the route of the Eifelaquaduct.

How long was the Eifel Aqueduct near Rheinbach?

The Eifel Aqueduct was around 95 kilometres long, and with all its branches even 130 kilometres. From the year 80 it carried water from the Eifel, with no pump, using gravity alone.

Why is there so little left of the teilstück römische wasserleitung?

After the attack in the year 260, the aqueduct was never used again. Centuries later it served as a quarry, and pieces of it are built into the medieval town wall of Rheinbach, among other places.

Are there any benches at the teilstück römische wasserleitung?

Yes, the nearest bench is 133 metres away, at Naturpark Rheinland. There is 1 bench within 500 metres.

Is there a toilet at the teilstück römische wasserleitung?

No, according to our map there is no public toilet within 1 km of the Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung.

Is there drinking water at the teilstück römische wasserleitung in Rheinbach?

No, according to our map there is no drinking water point within 1 km of the Teilstück Römische Wasserleitung.