Museum Romeinse Katakomben, Limburg Province, The Netherlands
4.0 (186 reviews) Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #5 in Valkenburg Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks • History Museums
Interesting piece of replicated history
Museum Romeinse Katakomben brengt de kleurrijke catacomben van het Rome uit de derde en vierde eeuw in beeld, samengebracht in een mystiek ondergronds labyrint. Het museum is aan het begin van de 20e eeuw gerealiseerd in opdracht van de familie Diepen, onder leiding van de architect Pierre Cuypers. In de aan het gangenstelsel grenzende expositieruimtes wordt een actueel programma gepresenteerd waarbij de verbinding tussen verleden en heden centraal staat.
Address
Plenkertstraat 55, 6301 GL Valkenburg The Netherlands
Mobile
Website
http://www.katakomben.nl/
Working hours
Monday :
Tuesday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday : 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 22:08
User Ratings
4.0 based on (186 reviews)
Reviews
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5Birgit V 5:00 PM Jun 10, 2015
Replica of the Roman Catacombs in the Marl Caves
Some 100 years ago, it was in the first decade of the 1900's, a wealthy heir of a textile family suggested they might as well make out a copy of the catacombs situated in Rome in one of the marl caves owned by the family in the country site of Holland. It would serve a number of goals: - the unique frescos in the catacombs of Rome are scattered over a large area. In Valkenburg they would be able to bring al of those beauties in just one cave. - at that time (and for sure nowadays) a number of the caves in Rome were not accessible. Because of the good relationship with the catholic church access was allowed to almost all sites they wanted to copy. - quite a lot of people (early 1900) would never be able to afford a trip to Rome. Now Rome would be brought to them. - obviously it also would be a tremendous employment programm, not in as much for the family involved as well for their friend and the supporting architect, Pierre Cupyers, the one who designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The job was completed in about some 4 years and officially opened in 1910. Ever since yearly thousands and thousands of people have visited the Roman Catacombs in Valkenburg. So while being in Holland you too can get a touch of the beauties of Rome, just around the corner.
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3Kevin P 5:00 PM Nov 23, 2015
Replica of Roman Catacombs
These are not real catacombs. In the early 20c, a rich Dutch man visited the catacombs in Rome. He was so struck by them, that he resolved to build a replica of them in the pre-existing marl caves in Valkenburg for the edification of the Dutch. So why would you want to visit fake catacombs when you can visit the real ones in Rome? That is what I wondered until I actually went on the hour-long tour. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the original catacombs, lives of the saints, and early Christianity, and she used these replicas to explain these topics. I also learned that the Nazis occupied the fake catacombs during WWII and that the townsfolk of Valkenburg hid there during bombing raids. So even if you have visited the original catacombs, you will learn something new on this tour.
