Bye Bye Summer of 2011 (a mini-series)..... visit to Trier

Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC.Trier lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of ruddy sandstone in the west of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and within the important Mosel wine region.( (source Wikipedia)

Trier lies just a few miles from the present day border to Luxembourg & just a short distance from the French border.The historical monuments, unique churches & splendid roman backdrops make a visit to this romantic Moselle city an unforgettable experience.

The Elector’s Palace & Garden - with the Constantine Basilica in the background.

Our first stop was the beautiful & inviting Electoral Palace gardens,a place for nature-lovers like myself. The pink Electoral Palace directly next to the Basilika is considered one of the most beautiful rococo palaces in the world. Part of the red-brick Constantine Basilica can be seen on the left. It was built in the 18th century. Today the Palace houses Trier city government offices.


with my darling Thomas at the Elector´s Palace

with my mum

Next was the Hauptmarkt(main market) with its picturesque backdrop reflecting it’s architectural history.

pedestrians-only Hauptmarkt(main market)

This alone gives the pedestrian zone a whole new unique experience. The pedestrians-only “Simeonstraße” runs between the Porta Nigra and the Hauptmarkt square in Trier.

Main market square

The unusual Dreikönigenhaus

The Dreikönigenhaus (House of the Three Magi) on Trier’s Simeonstraße, was originally built in 1230 as a Romanesque tower house (Wohnturm), but has undergone many changes in the centuries since then. Today it is an apartment house with a café on the ground floor. The building’s name is said to come from a painting that once graced the interior.

Trier is well known for its well preserved roman and medieval buildings, which includes:

The Porta Nigra, the best preserved roman city gate north of the Alps. In Roman times, Trier had four city gates in the wall surrounding the city. Today, the Porta Nigra (“black gate”) is the only one still standing. It has become the main symbol of Trier and its roman past.

The Porta Nigra - “(The black gate)”

This i believe is one of those old town antiques that bring us back in the day ... the days when Romans had gladiators. As harsh as it may have been, there is still something romantic about it all.....(check out the couple in the background :-))

Thomas amd Miss B(my mum) infront of The Porta Nigra

Our next stop was at the oldest bishop’s church in Germany, Trier cathedral. It is also a central point of attraction.

The Trier Cathedral (German: Trierer Dom or Dom St. Peter), a Roman Catholic church which dates back to Roman times and is home to the Holy Tunic, a garment with a recorded history back to the 12th century, in Catholic tradition said to be the robe Jesus was wearing when he died. It is only exhibited every few decades, at irregular intervals. (Wikipedia)

The Trier Cathedral (left) and the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady)

Next we visited the church of our lady. The Liebfrauenkirche (German for Church of Our Lady), which is one of the most important early Gothic cathedrals in Germany and falls into the architectural tradition of the French Gothic cathedrals; The Trier Cathedral (left) and the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady) stand side-by-side.

Next we visited the imperial Roman baths (Kaiserthermen) in Trier, which were the largest of the Roman baths in the city.