April 10, 2012 Trier

Trier is the oldest city in Germany, it also happens to be a heavily Roman influenced city. I have wanted to go to Trier for a while so Spring break just seemed a good time for it. I got up, hoped for the rain to stay away long enough to at least see a bit of the city and was off to meet up with Jennifer to ride together. I swear I have a great time seeing things with her; she is a brilliant person but also a very funny person, so it makes it enjoyable...plus we both spend a lot of time taking pictures so enough said.


It is not a long ride to Trier, so we got a good start. We parked by the Porta Nigra (Black Gate) and started our stroll...which included going up into the gate (well worth the 3 euro). Porta Nigra was built in Trier , Germany and was used as a church during the middle ages. Porta Nigra also called Black Gate because of the layer of black soot on the sandstone. The Gate dates to the time of 180 AD

Jennifer is so silly, and yet so fun!

Can't tell what she is doing? She is being a  gargoyle.

views from the gate

back side of the gate

Going into the market/shopping area (Hauptmarkt).

Yes, that is a McDonalds

St George's Fountain

St. Gangolf Church. St Gangolf was the roman soldier saint. This was a parish church that served as a city church, guild church and university church. The present 14th century Gothic church replaced the 10th century church built after the Viking destruction of 882.

Konstantin Basilika. (aka the Imperial Throne room) It is the largest surviving single room from Antiquity. Built around 310. It is a Protestant church now.  The Roman so called “Basilika” is built of Roman bricks and has been a part of Emperor Konstantin's palace. The Romans wanted the architecture to express the magnificence and might of the emperor, and the hall is the largest surviving single-room structure from Roman times

Kurfurstliches Palais (the Electoral Palace); you aren't allowed to go in, unfortunately. But the gardens are always open :)

More while strolling on the way to the cathedral and Church of Our Lady:

Palais Kesselstatt

Unfortunately, the Cathedral was no open (don't know why)...but the Church of Our Lady was. This is the oldest Gothic church in Germany.

Gargoyles

And then more strolling as we decided to go back to the marketplace for some lunch (before the rains would start):

They take their Pomme Frites (french fries) very serious in this country. Yummy Currywurst and Pomme Frites for lunch.

We left at the right time, as we were driving out of Trier the rain started...so there was little choice, we drove to France to go to a few stores (it's not a big deal, we were basically at the border anyway). Needless to say, I plan to return to Trier (on a less likely day for rain) as there is still so much more to see. I have my walking tour planned out for the next time. Hopefully the pictures are clear enough...I have found that they are usually so much better when enlarged, but space is limited on this when posting them.

Tomorrow it is off to Neu-Isenburg to hopefully find some information for a dear friend...and at the least take a few pictures. Fingers crossed that the information outweighs the pictures. Till then....