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Travel in Trier Germany

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For hundreds of years Trier was the capital of the Western RomanEmpire in Europe. In the third century, Emperor Diocletian madeTrier, a Roman imperial residence and it's capital and ruled thecontinent, from Scotland through to Spain and across to what isnow Bulgaria. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. Emperor AugustusTrierfounded Augusta Treverorum, later called Trier; around 16 B. C.It is Germany's oldest city because of the several fascinatingRoman remains scattered throughout. It is a pretty town withsteep and narrow pitched roofs, a pedestrianised centre and icecream-coloured buildings, and has not been over-run by tourists.It is located in western Germany, on the banks of the RiverMoselle and Saar near the border with Luxembourg. Still standing from this historic era are the Porta Nigra, amassive Roman gate and fortification, the Amphitheatre, andthree thermal baths. The Roman antiquities are best seen duringthe off-season, because by the middle of June they are preparedfor the outdoor performing season. The Roman Porta Nigra gate dates back to A.D. 180 when theRomans often erected public buildings of huge stone blocks, withthe biggest weighing up to an incredible six metric tonnes The stone blocks were spared from recycling because a Greek monkcalled Simeon walled himself up in the eastern tower as a hermitin 1028. After his death in 1034/5, he was buried inside thegate and made a saint. In his honour, two churches were builtinto the gate (demolished around1804-1819). Beyond the medieval city wall lays the Amphitheatre. Cruelanimal and gladiator combats were performed here with immensepopular public entertainment. The arena, built in the 2nd century A.D.had an astonishingseating capacity of about 20,000. With its crystal-clear acoustics, the Amphitheatre serves as avenue for the Antiquity Festival and is used today foroccasional open-air concerts. Underneath the arena is a vastcellar where, in Roman times, prisoners sentenced to death werekept alongside exotic wild animals like African lions or Asiantigers. A moveable platform took them up to the combat arena forthe final showdown. The so-called Basilica, Constantine's throne room, is thelargest surviving single-room structure from Roman times. TheRomans wanted the architecture to show off the magnificence andmightiness of their emperor. The size is truly amazing, even by today's standards: 27 m (90ft) wide, 33 m (108 ft) high, and 67 m (220 ft) long - with anadjoining hall outside even 75 m (250 ft). The Roman building was built with colourful marble, mosaics, andstatues and made very comfortable by a hollow-floor heatingsystem. However all this splendour and technology were destroyedin the 5th century by Germanic Franks, who built a settlementinside the roofless ruin. Later on, the archbishop used it as his administrative centreand three palace wings enlarged it after 1614. Since the middleof the 19th century, it has been used as the first and oldestProtestant church in Catholic Trier with a splendid organanswered by a seven-second echo. The Barbara Baths were built in the 2nd century as what was thenthe largest Roman baths. Although only one third of the originalfacility has been excavated, a tour of the passageways takes anexceedingly long time. The


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extensive ruins were used as a castle in the Middle Ages,then torn down and recycled as building material until theremains were used for constructing the Jesuit College in 1610. Only the foundations and the service tunnels have survived, butthe technical details of the sewer systems, the furnaces, thepools, and the heating system can be studied better than in theother two baths. Lastly, The Archaeological Museum (Landesmuseum) near theImperial Baths is well worth a visit. It has the richestcollection of Roman discoveries in Germany; it is so rich, infact, that only a small part of the collection can be exhibited. The inner courtyard, used as a storage place for sarcophagi,columns, capitals, paving stones, and building blocks is initself worth looking at, if only because of the painted replicaof the 23 m (76 ft) Igel Column, a Roman burial monument about8km/5 miles outside of Trier. On the inside, a series of burialmonuments and display patches of original Roman paint on scenesof everyday life in Roman times (school, hunting, hairdressing,feasting, dancing, rent collecting). The museum displays magnificent mosaics such as Roman chariotdrivers, an exquisite glass collection, the most valuable pieceof which is the cage cup from nearby Piesport-Niederemmel, paganand Christian finds, and, above all, one of the premier Romancoin collections in the world. Stone age, Celtic, Merovingian,medieval and early modern artefacts and artwork are othernotable treasures of the museum Travel by Train Germany's efficient national rail service provider is DeutscheBahn and this is one of the best railway networks in Europe. Theefficient railway service, which includes high-speedInterCityExpress (ICE) trains, offers comprehensive travelacross the country with numerous mainline stations. Travel by Taxi Many of Trier's taxis is made up of Mercedes Benz sedans andprovides a convenient comfortable way to travel. Prices arebased on metered mileage and there is a minimum charge. Thereare numerous taxi stands throughout the city and beside all maintrain stations. Travel by Car Hire/Rental Traffic in Trier has increased in the last few years andalthough the city can become somewhat congested at peak times, acar provides a very convenient way to travel outside of thecity. With many one-way systems in the city, Trier can be adifficult place to drive, although there are plenty of largeroads in the centre that are easier to drive in. Major roads are prefixed with a 'B' and the motorways areprefixed with 'A' which stands for Autobahn. Parking in shoppingareas can prove difficult at the weekends, so it is advisable toarrive early. The minimum age for driving in Germany is 18 yearsold, and traffic drives on the right-hand side of the road. Seatbelts must be worn at all times and children under 12 yearsold are forbidden to travel in the front of the car without asuitable child restraint. Car rental companies are well represented throughout Trier andto rent a car you must show a full national driver's licence andbe over 21 years old, although some companies may makeexceptions. Luxembourg and nearby Belgium are within easydriving distance. About the author: For information on car hire or car rentals visit Every Car Hireat CarHire Trier Germany .

Written by: Ispas Marin

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