Welcome to Rome.....I mean Trier

Porta Nigra

Trier was not a place we knew much about when we were researching places we wanted to visit in Germany.  The Mosel Valley and Burg Eltz were first on our list, but we were wide open after that. After learning about Trier, it's a wonder why we didn't know a lot more about it and have this as the number one spot on our list as it's steeped in history.

Porta Nigra and remains of Old Roman Road

Trier was an important city in the Holy Roman Empire and is the oldest city in Germany.  In some ways, it might be the most Roman city of any outside of Rome.  There are 7 UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites in Trier, all of them dating back to the Holy Roman Empire.  We spent most of our day touring these sites and it was quite the juxtaposition seeing 2000 year-old Roman structures amidst typical half-timbered German architecture that's over 1000 years younger.

Imperial Throne Room

We started our day touring the Porta Nigra or "Black Gate."  It's the largest surviving Roman city gate  in the world from about 180 A.D.  While its Roman name is unknown, it's been referred to as the Porta Nigra since at least the Middle Ages.  This gate has survived millennia even though it was built without the use of mortar.  Its massive sandstone blocks are held together with iron clamps embedded in lead.   In later years, the gate was converted into a church and it became a gate again in the early 1800s.  We toured the various floors of the Porta Nigra and were astounded at the carvings and craftsmanship still evident.  It provided great views of Trier and you could see the remains of the old Roman Road that people would have traveled when the gate was first constructed. 

Interior of Imperial Throne Room

After the Porta Nigra, we toured the Roman Imperial Throne Room of Constantine the Great which dates to the 4th century.  This is the largest surviving single room from Antiquity -- 220 feet by 90 feet by 110 feet.  A significant portion of the walls are almost completely original to its construction in 310 A.D. The acoustics are such that echoes of 7 to 10 seconds during choral performances are not uncommon.

Portion of Walls of Imperial Baths

After touring the Imperial Baths, the Porta Nigra and Imperial Throne Room seem to be in almost pristine condition by comparison.  These ruins are still being excavated and restored today.  As with the Imperial Throne Room, we saw the Roman bricks which are a very distinctive size -- wider and skinnier than bricks you see today. The construction was exactly like what we saw in Rome at the Colosseum and other historic sites.

Roman Bridge

The city still uses the Roman bridge over the Mosel River. The first bridge to be built over the Mosel, the original bridge was built of wood in 18 B.C., which was the oldest datable Roman structure in Germany.  The basalt piers of the current bridge date back to 144 B.C.

Can you tell we like history? Trier is not all Roman history. The city is also the birthplace of Karl Marx whose home has been turned into a museum.  We didn't get the opportunity to tour, but we at

least made it to get a picture. 

Karl Marx House

We have had the best time here.  The historic center of the city where we're staying is full of great architecture, shops, and dining.  It's also very compact which makes it very walkable to all of the sites.  And the final bonus -- it's still part of the Mosel Valley which means lots of great wine.