"Trier: Where the Romans left their... " a Trier Travel Page by ger4444

Trier is a beautifull town in Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Trier is the eldest city in Germany and is stuated on the right bank of the river Mosel. The town has about 100.000 inhabitants. The order to build the town was given by the Roman Emperor Augustinus in 16 b.c. The town originally was called Augusta Treverorum and the town was meant to function as the capital of the region. During several decades Trier has been the capital of the West-Roman Empire. The town?s most outstanding monument is the ?Porta Nigra? (Black Gate). Its best kept Roman city gate in North Europe. There are numerous of other monuments stemming from the Roman Age, such as lots of bathhouses (Termae) of which the ?Kaiserstermae? are the best known. You can also find an Amphitheater, a huge area just near the centre of the town. The town of course also has many monuments dating from later periods, amongst which the beautiful impressive Dom and of course the Karl-Marx house, since Trier is the cradle in which this grand man was born. Trier is also the regional centre of winetrade and it has a graet nightlife which you can find around the Judengasse near the marketplace.

November 2005, the idea came intoour mind to spend a long weekend in Germany's oldest city: Trier. The journey to Trier itself was already fun! As we went from Maastricht by car to Trier, somewere a 100 km above trier our car hit into a mast cuz of the snow on the road. So our car got broke down and had to be brought to a garage. The last 100 kilometers had to be reached by an expensive taxi. At evening we reached the town of Trier,what a grat place! We were dropped at the old Roman towngate, from were you enter the citycenter. So here our first evening in Trier started. At the right side when you enter the Porta Nigra, the towngate, you ll find the tourist info office. Outside there is also a billboard with info's on the location of hotels and guesthouses. They all can be reached by walking. After checking in its then time to explore the renowned medieaval Beercellars near the Marketsquare.

Trier is actually the oldest town of Germany, but it seems, as we have to believe the inscript at the Roten Haus at the Marketplace, Trier is even elder than Rome itself since the fact that 1300 year before Rome was build there already were settlements in the valley were Trier is now located. The most important sight of the town are the Porta Nigra, the Roman Bridge (often not seen by toursists because its outside the citycenter), the Amphiteater, the Basilika, Kaiserthermen. In the ?Landesmuseum? you can experience the many artefacts from the Roman area. About in the same area as the Romans were at Trier, early Cristianity got developed. Parts of the famous Dom were build in the Roman age and are still preserved. In the 5 th. Century Trier was conquered by the Franken and became a part of the Karolinger Reich. As in the 10 th century the Marktkreuz had been founded the Hauptmarket became the center of the medeavel town. This marketplace can be considered as one of Germany?s most beuatifull medeaval marketsquares. Next to the Kreuz you find the Marktbrunnen, as created in the 16 th century by renaissance artist Hoffmann. In the direction to the Dom you find many beuatifull houses build in Classism style. The most important and outstanding building at the market is the ?Steipe? build as a Trinkhaus (a place to get drunk) for the medeaval towncouncel. The marketplace is the place to start also your nightlife. Next to the place you find the Judengasse, when you enter the gate to that alley, you find all the beercellars and pubs. The other direction, when you go the way to the Dom you find on your left hand also a number of cozy Trinklokalen. (pubs)