The open-air museum Villa Rustica, near the town of Rankweil, consists of three buildings of an ancient Roman farming estate, inhabited from the first to the fifth centuries A.D. In the middle of the Brederis marshlands, on a debris cone left by the Frutz river, Roman settlers built a farming estate in the first half of the 1st century A.D. In 1954 archeologists discovered the first house foundations there. From 2002 to 2007 the remains of two other buildings were uncovered and researched by archeologists. These were the main building and a Roman bathhouse, which provided witness to the amenities enjoyed on this rural estate in Brederis. It is assumed that there are further structures nearby, probably barns or storage sheds for a variety of crops.
Among the remains of the building foundations a platform was erected, which also has a glass display case with archeological objects; this enables visitors to gain a better overview of sections of the original walls of the main structure. Text panels have been provided, with information for visitors about the various historical usages of this ancient farming estate and the functions of the individual buildings. In a display wall there is an impressive collection of objects discovered on the premises, such as weapons, coins, brooches, ceramics and a wine sieve.
