Katzenberg Hillfort

Katzenberg Hillfort is a Roman refuge fort near Mayen in Germany dating to the 4th century.

The fortification on the Katzenberg hill was built around 300 AD after the Roman limes had been overrun and Germanic tribes had invaded and plundered the Roman Empire. The inhabitants of the Roman vicus, which was located on the site of the present-day town of Mayen, could escape to the fort in time of danger. At that time, town walls were built around the provincial capitals of Trier, Cologne and Mainz, as well as around smaller places like Koblenz or Andernach. The Katzenberg was the largest of about 60 Late Roman hillforts which were constructed in the Eifel and Hunsrück regions. They were used for about 70 years and then, after a 30-year pause, used again, in some cases until about 450 AD. On the uppermost crest of the hill is a small military outpost, the lower-lying open areas were probably used by the civilian population in the event of a threat. The fort covered an area of 1.2 hectares.