The Roman Border: Limes Nexus

A new vision for the Lower Germanic Limes (UNESCO World Heritage). Turning a line on the map into a living network of stories, places, and people.

The context

In 2021, the Lower German Limes became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
An important recognition, but also a complex one.

Because this UNESCO site is not a building or a single destination.
It is a 400-kilometre Roman frontier, running through the Netherlands and Germany, crossing cities, landscapes, museums, archaeological sites, bike paths, and places where history is largely invisible.

This raised a fundamental question:

How do you turn a long, fragmented border into a meaningful visitor experience, without turning it into one uniform attraction?

The challenge

Individually, many places along the Limes are strong. Museums tell compelling stories. Local sites reveal specific finds. Landscapes quietly carry history beneath the surface.

But from a visitor’s perspective, these experiences often stood alone.
You could enjoy one place without ever realising you were inside a much larger UNESCO story.

The problem wasn’t quality.
It was connection.

The shift in approach

Instead of designing one official route or one linear storyline, I approached the Limes as a network of encounters.

People meet heritage in moments. A museum visit. A walk. A bike ride. A marker in the landscape. A news article about a new discovery. Any of these moments can be the beginning of a journey, or the end of it.

The key insight was simple:

Every encounter with the Limes should feel like a valid starting point, and naturally suggest a next step.

The Limes in the Netherlands is full of interesting spaces. The key is to connect them to the bigger story.

The result — Limes Nexus

Limes Nexus is an experience framework that connects places, stories, and people across a long and diverse UNESCO site.

Not a masterplan.
Not a fixed visitor journey.
But a flexible system that enhances connection while preserving individuality.

Nexus means connection, and that is exactly what the framework enables.

The system (at a glance)

A connected network of places
Limes Nexus is built around a simple spatial logic.

Gateways (major hubs)
Large museums and flagship sites that provide orientation, context, and the big picture of the Roman border.
Outposts (regional sites)
Smaller museums and archaeological locations that zoom in on specific stories, places, or discoveries.
Markers (symbolic locations)
Places with little visible remains, where interpretation and a light digital layer make the invisible visible.

**Limes Nexus is a connected network.** Key gateways, such as major museums, are linked with surrounding outposts (smaller museums) and milestones (individual places where the Roman past can be experienced).

Each type plays a different role, but together they create flow. Overview, depth, and continuity.

Shared elements, not uniformity
What connects the network is not identical design, but shared reference points. Such as:

a consistent way of showing the border on maps;
clear, human-first language to explain what the Limes is;
subtle signals that a place is part of the wider Limes story;
digital links that connect locations, objects, and narratives.

These elements create recognition and coherence, without forcing sameness.

Freedom by design
Limes Nexus deliberately leaves space.

Each location keeps its own identity, tone, and scale;
Content and storytelling remain local;
Participation can be light or extensive.

The framework defines relationships, not scripts.

My role: strategy, system design. Work done for Nederlandse Limes Samenwerking.