Aquaduct Kerstendal - Berg en Dal

This five-kilometre-long water pipeline was constructed around 100 AD and served to transport fresh water to the Roman legionary camp in Nijmegen. The aqueduct probably consisted of a wooden gutter that led the water from the hills to the city via a cleverly designed route.

The water pipeline ran through three valleys – the Kerstendal, Louisedal and Mariënbosch – and made use of three dams: the Swartendijk, Cortendijk and Broerdijk. These dams helped to bridge the difference in height in the rolling landscape, allowing the water to flow to the city at a constant rate. The original wooden gutter no longer exists, but the valleys and dams are still there.

The aqueduct was built by soldiers of the Tenth Legion (Legio X Gemina). This legion played an important role in the construction of infrastructure in the area, such as roads and the city of Ulpia Noviomagus, now Nijmegen.

The aqueduct is one of the largest protected archaeological monuments in the Netherlands. From this point, you can follow a signposted walking route along the former course of the aqueduct. QR codes have been placed along the route to provide more information about the history and functioning of the aqueduct. At the starting point of the walk, there is a viewing platform where you can watch a video about this historic structure.