A few weeks ago, Mike and I took off for a day trip to Trier, Germany. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. It’s so old, there is an inscription on a red house in town that reads, “Thirteen- hundred years before Rome, Trier stood.” I didn’t actually see that house, but I know it’s there. I just missed it. But what I couldn’t miss, is the Porta Nigra (the black gate). The Porta (as the locals call it) is the largest Roman city gate North of the Alps and it is the main portal into the city of Trier.
The Porta Nigra
The Emperor, Constantine lived in Trier (actually, it was the seat of Roman Emperors). While he was there, Constantine built a Roman palace basilica which was referred to as the Constantine Basilica. Originally, it was part of the palace. But over the years it had several incarnations. Today, it’s used as a church.
Constantine Basilica
Wooden Ceiling of the Constantine Basilica
There are several churches around Trier, including the Cathedral and the Liebfrauen (Church of our Lady) Basilica. The Cathedral is Romanesque in design, and The Liebfrauen is Gothic in design. And even though they were built 600 years apart, they sit side by side.
Cathedral and Liebfrauen
Inside the Cathedral
Inside the Liebfrauen
After a short jaunt in a small park, you can get clean (not really) at the Imperial Baths (Kaisertherman). The remains of the baths are considered to be the largest (although never completed) Roman Baths outside of Rome. They were built in the 4th century, AD.
Thermal Baths
Trier is also home to The Römerbrücke (The Roman Bridge). The bridge, the oldest standing bridge in the country, crosses the Mosel River. The pillars date back to the 2nd century, AD.
Roman Bridge
Another of Trier’s most famous residents is Karl Marx. Marx was born in 1818, and you can visit the house he grew up in…if you can find it.
Let me explain: I don’t speak German. I know a few words, and a few phrases. But thankfully, every German person I have ever met speaks English. However, if I have a question that’s not too complex for me to form, I try to ask it in German. And that’s what I did when I asked a woman on the street for directions to the Karl Marx house. That part went well. She knew what I was saying, and answered me right away. Now, this is where the problem started. Instead of answering me in a very slow and deliberate manner, she answered me in rapid German. Uh-Oh! So, what I think I hear is her telling me (along with hand gestures) is to go to the corner and veer left. What she actually said was that the house was near the corner on the left. So, after going to the end of the corner, veering left and not finding the house, Mike and I replayed what she said, and we still couldn’t figure it out. And we knew we were close. So, we finally retraced our steps and we found the house. What should have taken 1 minute, took about 15 minutes. When we got to the house (now a museum), it was closing for the day.
The Karl Marx House
All in all, it was a good day. We saw a lot and we liked what we saw.