Park of the meeting Holiday in the ramparts in Xanten

The historic town centre of Xanten is enclosed by a 14-hectare town park - the Wallanlagen. The historical origin lies in the defence of the city boundaries, today the ramparts serve as a recreational and leisure area in the heart of the city. In the spirit of strengthening Xanten as a tourist location, the ramparts were redesigned into a spa park from 2017 to 2019.

We are building on the existing green potential and developing a contemporary, fresh appearance while emphasizing the historic structures. With an eye on current and future users, innovative offerings expand the profile of a classic spa park. The resulting "Park of Encounter" appeals to all generations, and barrier-free design was a priority in all considerations from the outset.

The park is characterised by generous lawn and meadow areas with groups of trees, individual trees and shrubs. The structures and dimensions of the ramparts have been partially exposed and

made tangible again. Along the Bundesstraße 57 in the Ostwall, the existing copses were supplemented with a free-growing hedge of low shrubs.

The green spaces are crossed by a hierarchical path system, which we have partially rearranged and adapted in the course of the redesign. Perennial plantings emphasize the entrances to the park, from which the main path is always reached. The barrier-free circular path, paved with refined mastic asphalt and illuminated, connects all areas and crosses all access roads via traffic-calming roadway narrowings. Benches along the circular path provide places to sit and relax. In the north rampart three pergolas emphasize special resting places with view of the gabled houses, the Kriemhild mill and the new dragon sculpture.

The ground monument rampart plant remains thereby as far as possible excluded from structural interferences. Only artistic interventions - the dragon sculpture in the north rampart, the stone circle in the

west rampart, perennial plantings, playgrounds and themed gardens - were permitted.

The new perennial plantings also serve as recognition markers of the ramparts at the street crossings and to emphasize the city entrances. They are each site-specific in their plant composition and coloration and all have a more meadow-like character.
The ramparts are divided into four sub-areas: East rampart, North rampart, West rampart and South rampart. Each part has a special character and was developed based on the given structures according to its own thematic priorities:

Ostwall - movement, play and fitness, nature conservation and ecology.
Nordwall - stay, adventure play and outdoor gastronomy
Westwall - spa park with rose garden and Bible garden, Kneipp facilities and graduation house, play and dance
Südwall - entrance to the historic city center or prelude to the spa park.