History
Boppard… In the 3 rd century AD the river Rhine once again became the northern border of the Roman Empire. The “Limes” on the right bank of the river was dropped and the castellum “Bodobrica” was built around 350 AD on the left bank. This fortress was surrounded by a wall – 8 m high and 3 m thick with 28 towers. Its size of 308 m x 154 m provided enough space for 600 legionaries.
South of the castellum the Roman military road went through the Rhine valley. Throughout the castellum went a main road that still could be find as the Oberstraße (now pedestrian area).
After the departure of the Roman forces in 405 AD the walls of the castellum were used as the city walls of the medieval town of Boppard until the 12 th century.
The northern wall where you can find our restaurant nowadays was broken down when building the church of St Severus. This Roman wall became unnecessary because a new wall was built nearer to the river Rhine.
The city of Boppard was pawned by emporer Henry VII to the archbishop of Trier Balduin in the 14th century. He errected a larger city fortification that surrounded the new residential areas in the east and the west by using parts of the Roman castellum walls. So only the southern wall of the castellum belonged as an outer wall to the medieval town fortification.
Archbishop Balduin also extended the castle keep (donjon or large tower) that once was built by Richard of Cornwall to a stronghold now known as the „Alte Burg“ (old castle or electoral castle).