Xanten (, Low Rhenish: Santen) is a town in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the district of Wesel. Xanten is known for the Archaeological Park, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the world, built at the site of the Roman settlements Colonia Ulpia Traiana. Other attractions include the medieval town centre with Xanten Cathedral, many museums and large man-made lakes for various watersport activities. Xanten is visited by approximately one million tourists a year. Geography Xanten, the only German town whose name begins with X, is made up of three boroughs (Ortsteile): Hochbruch, Niederbruch, and the town centre. Other localities (Bezirke) belonging to the town of Xanten include Birten, Lüttingen, Marienbaum, Vynen, Obermörmter, Wardt, Mörmter, Willich, Beek and Ursel. Parts of a nature reserve called Bislicher Insel are located in the municipality as well. The town borders the Lower Rhine and the town of Rees to the north, the town of Wesel to the east, the municipalities of Alpen and Sonsbeck to the south, and the towns of Uedem and Kalkar to the west. The closest international airport is Weeze Airport (also called Niederrhein Airport; Ryanair hub) in Weeze (25 km); the closest intercontinental airport is Düsseldorf Airport (60 km). It has a station on the Rheinhausen–Kleve railway, which connects to Duisburg via Moers. History Antiquity The first settlements by isolated tribes can be dated to around the year 2000 BC. Around 15 BC the Roman castrum or camp Vetera was created on the Fürstenberg near modern-day Birten. It was intended as a base for campaigns into Germania and until its destruction during the Revolt of the Batavi in 70 AD it was occupied by 8,000 to 10,000 legionaries, and was the main base of the Classis germanica. After the destruction of Vetera a second camp was established at the Bislicher Insel, named Castra Vetera II, which became the base camp of Legio VI Victrix. A nearby created settlement, which was inhabited by 10,000 to 15,000 former legionaries and others, was given the rights of a colonia in 110 AD by the Roman emperor Marcus Ulpius Traianus, who renamed the town Colonia Ulpia Traiana. The colonia was a completely new town with a town wall and other buildings like an amphitheater. For this town the old settlement was completely destroyed. The colonia became the second most important commercial post in the province