The Capital of the Western Roman Empire

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Trier is a magical place where history maniacs (like myself) can step back in time to the era of the Late Roman Empire or the age of Charlemagne.
The ruins of the amphiteather are incredible, but the piece de resistance had to be Porta Nigra.
The amphiteather complex can be fully visited; the day we went there it was pouring it down, and although the mud was a mighty foe, it could not prevent us from exploring the underground chambers and passages.

The great gate, Porta Nigra, kept us dry for awhile. You can climb the tower and the interior all the way to the top. The intricate workings of the gates are still quite visible.

The Carolingian cathedral was quite an impressive site; most of us have an image of decayed cities and unwashed people during the dark ages, but this building clearly demonstrates that Medieval Europe was not as dark and savage a place as the word dark ages conjures. Very impressive.

Trier is definetely a nice break from the hustle and bustle of cities such as Frankfurt, definetely worth a stop.

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Photos

Porta Nigra
The main surviving Roman gate that lead into the city.

Porta Nigra
This was the main entrance to the early Christian chapel inside the gatehouse.

Constantine's Basilica
This was the site of the Roman Imperial Court when Trier was capital of the Western Empire.

Roman Amphiteather
Here are the impressive ruins of the theater, the underground tunnels were amazing!

Roman Amphiteather
The entrance to the underground tunnels and chambers of the theater complex.

The Carolingian Basilica
After Rome came the Franks, the city was an important centre of Charlemagne's empire.

Trier Main Square
The beautiful centre square of Trier. Where we had a coffee!