Roman Catacombs
Roman Catacombs
4
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Museum Romeinse Katakomben brengt de kleurrijke catacomben van het Rome uit de derde en vierde eeuw in beeld, samengebracht in een mystiek ondergronds labyrint. Het museum is aan het begin van de 20e eeuw gerealiseerd in opdracht van de familie Diepen, onder leiding van de architect Pierre Cuypers. In de aan het gangenstelsel grenzende expositieruimtes wordt een actueel programma gepresenteerd waarbij de verbinding tussen verleden en heden centraal staat.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
196 reviews
Excellent
91
Very good
74
Average
18
Poor
9
Terrible
4
Jantine S
Zwolle, The Netherlands53 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
This was a tour which tokd about a rich guy from somewhere in the 1900's who was bored to dearh and had nothing better to do than make some fake catacombs.
It should be more clear in the description of the tour that the catacombs are fake. I wasted my time on this stupid tour.
It should be more clear in the description of the tour that the catacombs are fake. I wasted my time on this stupid tour.
Written 25 August 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Birgit V
Vancouver Island, Canada2 contributions
May 2015 • Solo
Some 100 years ago, it was in the first decade of the 1900's, a wealthy heir of a textile family suggested they might as well make out a copy of the catacombs situated in Rome in one of the marl caves owned by the family in the country site of Holland.
It would serve a number of goals:
- the unique frescos in the catacombs of Rome are scattered over a large area. In Valkenburg they would be able to bring al of those beauties in just one cave.
- at that time (and for sure nowadays) a number of the caves in Rome were not accessible. Because of the good relationship with the catholic church access was allowed to almost all sites they wanted to copy.
- quite a lot of people (early 1900) would never be able to afford a trip to Rome. Now Rome would be brought to them.
- obviously it also would be a tremendous employment programm, not in as much for the family involved as well for their friend and the supporting architect, Pierre Cupyers, the one who designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The job was completed in about some 4 years and officially opened in 1910.
Ever since yearly thousands and thousands of people have visited the Roman Catacombs in Valkenburg. So while being in Holland you too can get a touch of the beauties of Rome, just around the corner.
It would serve a number of goals:
- the unique frescos in the catacombs of Rome are scattered over a large area. In Valkenburg they would be able to bring al of those beauties in just one cave.
- at that time (and for sure nowadays) a number of the caves in Rome were not accessible. Because of the good relationship with the catholic church access was allowed to almost all sites they wanted to copy.
- quite a lot of people (early 1900) would never be able to afford a trip to Rome. Now Rome would be brought to them.
- obviously it also would be a tremendous employment programm, not in as much for the family involved as well for their friend and the supporting architect, Pierre Cupyers, the one who designed the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
The job was completed in about some 4 years and officially opened in 1910.
Ever since yearly thousands and thousands of people have visited the Roman Catacombs in Valkenburg. So while being in Holland you too can get a touch of the beauties of Rome, just around the corner.
Written 11 June 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hendrik_NL
Vlaardingen, The Netherlands7 913 contributions
Jun 2013 • Couples
This attraction is something completely different. In 1912 a rich benefactor decided that it would be nice to copy the Roman Catacombs of ancient Rome in artificial caves in the marl rock hills in Valkenburg. He sent engineers and artists to those original catacombs to make drawings of the underground caves, layouts and frescoes in order to copy them in the Valkenburg caves. So if you don't have occasion to visit the real thing at the Via Appia Antica in Rome, here is the second best without the skeletons of course. The guided tour is every hour on the hour; the first tour starts at 11 am. Group size is limited to 24. The guide carries a big lantern; the participants are equipped with small wax candles..... and off into the darkness. What shall I say about the experience. Obviously the copying work is done meticulously, and the explanation of the guide is competent, but in my personal opinion, one hour is just too long to hold the attention. Furthermore, while is is a different experience from a regular museum, it stays second best to the original in Rome of course. I don't think I will repeat my visit; the appeal has been exhausted by the first visit. By the way, the Dutch annual museum pass is valid here.
Written 7 June 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex F
Minneapolis, MN92 contributions
May 2019 • Couples
Not really a historical place. This is a copy of most representative rooms of Roman catacombs, or so the guide said. Interesting, especially if you are interested in early Christian history. One note: wear something warm, it's cold undeground even on a warm day.
Written 4 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John H
Maastricht, The Netherlands12 contributions
Sept 2018 • Family
The thing to remember with these catacombs is that it's a fake. But it is a very good fake. About 60 Chambers from the Roman catacombs are faithfully copied. You only see about ten but that's plenty. Guided tour only but the guide is very well informed. The tour we took was in Dutch with English "highlights" but these were good enough for most people. Enjoyable and a little eerie.
Written 23 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RHAHJ
Nijmegen, The Netherlands1 972 contributions
Nov 2014 • Solo
These catacombs copy the highlights of catacombs around Rome. Them being a copy is what makes me rate this attraction as average, since these days most people can afford to go to Rome for the real thing. Actually I did visit one of the catacombs there. One advantage of this copy is that you are allowed to take pictures here. On the positive side, this copy itself is already 100 years old, from a time when most people could not afford to go to Rome, and this gives the place its own history. One could actually make a religious-copies theme trip through Valkenburg, Nijmegen, and Oudenbosch. And Valkenburg is one of the nicest places in the Netherlands, so one may as well add a visit to these catacombs to the to-do list. Oh, and going underground is quite something in the Netherlands already.
Written 23 October 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stefano
The Netherlands2 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
It is a replica, but, trust me...fantastic!
If you are here, go and visit them. Much nicer than all the other caves in Valkenburg.
If you are here, go and visit them. Much nicer than all the other caves in Valkenburg.
Written 30 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
exploringwithjune
The Netherlands321 contributions
Mar 2019 • Couples
The Roman catabombs in Valkenburg are replicas of parts of the early Christian catacombs that are located in Rome. Although the tombs might not be original, they give you a great insight into Roman culture, religion and burial rites. Something that is visible is the transition from the believe in the Roman gods to worship of the Christian god and the mixture in between. Symbols play a central part in this and show us how Roman signs were given a Christian meaning over time. Also, because the replicas are crafted in the early 1900, the museum tells us a lot about that time period and it's prevailing views on the goals and set up of museums.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew how to make the material interesting, fun and understandable for everyone in our group. However I am not sure I'd recommend this activity for smaller children as the information can be quite abstract for them.
It is, obviously, not possible to enter the catacombs individually so it's is required that you join one of the three tours a day. The flooring is sometimes unleveled and passages may be narrow, making it less accessible for some. Tickets are 12,5 and entry is free of you have a Museumkaart.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and knew how to make the material interesting, fun and understandable for everyone in our group. However I am not sure I'd recommend this activity for smaller children as the information can be quite abstract for them.
It is, obviously, not possible to enter the catacombs individually so it's is required that you join one of the three tours a day. The flooring is sometimes unleveled and passages may be narrow, making it less accessible for some. Tickets are 12,5 and entry is free of you have a Museumkaart.
Written 28 March 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pieter M
Kortrijk, Belgium60 contributions
Feb 2019 • Couples
Oh, this looked so promising! Roman catacombes!
How disappointed I was when after paying the entree fee the guide proudly announced that it was a replica from Rome. And not a very well done one.
How disappointed I was when after paying the entree fee the guide proudly announced that it was a replica from Rome. And not a very well done one.
Written 22 February 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle
Gold Coast, Australia29 contributions
May 2018 • Couples
Thoroughly enjoyed very interesting and our tour was in dutch but guide kindly explained in english. He thinks we were 1st aussie to take tour worth the visit
Written 15 May 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hallo, mir ist leider ein Fehler passiert. Ist natürlich nicht in der Vulkaneifel sondern in den Niederlanden.
Written 18 August 2019
Hi, I'm clutching at straws here, but hoping to be helped with a past visit many many years ago, to Valkenburg Caves. We were on a school trip, and I've never forgotten this amazing experience, the fact I was claustrophobic, but determined to go.
I remember the subdued haze from the lighting, the art work on the walls, the story of the female ghost, haunting one area, but mostly, the haunting replica, in deep clear water, of a Pleseosaurus? I cannot find any information on this, and I've tried.
If you can help in any way, or point me to someone, I'd be grateful, my visit was approximately 1960, I know, a long time ago.
Thank you
Caz
Written 8 January 2018
RomeinseKatakomben
Valkenburg, The Netherlands
Hi Carole, we think this isn't in the cave here, but somewhere else. But you are welcome to visit us anyway! Kind regards, team marketing Museum Romeinse Katakomben
Written 22 February 2018
De afstand van het station Valkenburg tot de Romeinse Katakomben is 1,2 km. Ruim een kwartier lopen dus.
Written 23 June 2015
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