Museum Roman Catacombs
Local name: Museum Romeinse Katakomben
Museum Romeinse Katakomben is a copy of the Roman catacombs of the first centuries of Christianity. A network of corridors and multi-story graves, stone sarcophagi, wall paintings - everything has been recreated from natural materials, with care for the smallest details. The tour takes place by the light of candles carried by tourists. Romeinse Katakomben was opened to the public for the first time in 1910.
The catacombs are the work of Jan Diepen (1872-1930) - a wealthy wool manufacturer, passionate about archeology. From 1908, in his quarry, at a depth of 25 m underground, the reconstruction of the Roman catacombs began. The construction was carried out under the supervision of the famous architect Roermond Pierre Cuypers, who created the design after thoroughly examining and measuring the Roman original.
The accuracy of reproducing numerous frescoes and sculptures is so great that some visitors consider the catacombs in Valkenburg to be more perfect than the original cemetery in Rome.
Attractions inside
