Partners:
Municipality of Dormagen (Germany); Monumentenhuis Limburg (the Netherlands)

The project is part of a European INTERREG II program.

Community Context:
Zons is a well preserved medieval city on the Rhine, with a recorded history stretching back to Roman times. It is an increasingly popular excursion destination for visitors from the Netherlands and of western Germany.
In the early medieval era, Zons received its modern name from a villa called "Zunce" belonging to the Bishop of Cologne. This villa eventually became a castle, which was destroyed in 1288.Today, with the impressive fortifications and many historic structures still standing, Zons is one of the finest and most well-preserved medieval towns in Germany.

Historical background 

The fortifications which are still visible and the historic city plan date from a massive rebuilding in the 1372, when the collection of tolls on ship traffic on the Rhine was transferred from Neuss to Zons. As a result of this, Zons experienced a period of prolonged prosperity, withstanding several major fires, plagues, floods and a long siege by Hessian troops in 1646.

Zons

Reconstruction of the river in Zons

 Interpretive Concept:

Interpretive Technology:
An interactive interpretive timeframe has been placed in the new tourist office, offering a multimedia presentation of Zons' history and highlighting the relationship between the visible historic monuments and the story of Zons' development. This presentation offers visitors the opportunity to choose from several character-based video commentaries on Zons' history and urban landscape. The timescope was inaugurated on 9 September 2002.

www.stevensweert-zons.info