The name Keulsepoort refers to the gate that, from the mid-14th century for about 500 years, was one of the four city gates providing access to the fortress city of Venlo. The Keulsepoort, situated along the road to Cologne, evolved into a complete defensive structure with a round tower, resembling a small castle. The old center of Venlo was once surrounded by a large city wall, ramparts, and a moat. During archaeological excavations at the construction of the Limburgs Museum building in 1994, parts of the old city walls, ramparts, and moats were discovered, as well as during an extension in 2011. The Limburgs Museum is thus built on top of the vanished fortifications of Venlo!
Shortly after the abolition of Venlo's fortress status in 1867, the defensive works and the Keulsepoort were dismantled, allowing the city of Venlo to expand beyond these gates and walls. Despite the absence of the Keulsepoort, this location still provides access to the historic city center of Venlo. Additionally, this location serves as the gateway to the history of the rest of Limburg; you step directly into the Limburgs Museum, where the stories of all Limburgers are told.
The Limburgs Museum is closely connected to Venlo and originated from the Goltzius Museum, the old city museum of Venlo. This museum, initially focused on the municipality of Venlo, eventually transformed into a museum covering the entire province of Limburg. Here, you can find archaeological objects from almost every Limburg town! The Limburgs Museum still manages and displays the Venlo collection from the old Goltzius Museum. The archaeological collection of the Goltzius Museum is quite old, gathered from the 1940s onwards. Museum director Wim Hendriks, in the 1950s and 1960s, also served as the 'city archaeologist' of Venlo, collecting pottery from construction and cesspits. This resulted in the collection of Roman and medieval materials from the city center, including a Roman Terra Sigillata bowl. Other highlights of the Limburgs Museum also come from the Goltzius collection, such as a bronze kettle from the Iron Age, an earthenware early medieval knobbed urn with a bowl, and a seal stamp with the coat of arms of Venlo from 1360.
Information about the Limburgs Museum.
The archaeology collection of the Limburgs Museum consists of over 12,000 objects, divided into five subcollections: Stone Age, Metal Age, Roman Times, Middle Ages, and the Modern Era. The most important objects are displayed in the permanent exhibition, collectively telling the story of Limburg, the province with the richest archaeological finds in the Netherlands. The Limburgs Museum is the only museum public institution within Limburg that collects, manages, and presents the Archaeology core collection on a province-wide scale.
PLEASE NOTE: The location can be found on the left in front of the entrance of the Limburgs Museum.
Also find the other Archeo Route Limburg locations