Trier is a city with history dating back to the 4th century BC! The city is located on the banks of the river Moselle and is most famous for the Porta Nigra, a Roman gate that still stands to this day! Trier is worth a (half)day trip if you are wandering around the area, and is a perfect spot to relax while soaking up all the pretty old historical sights!

Let me straight away start with the main thing why I wanted to visit Trier, the Porta Niagra. We drove through Trier on a Sunday on our way back to the Netherlands, know in Germany most places on Sunday parking is free (so no need to find a parking lot). First thing that took over our eyes was this site(I am straight away going to spam picture for your eyes as well):

Isn’t that an amazing view? Being an Unesco World Heritage site since 1986, you can visit and walk on the gate (we did not do it). The prices valid in June 2020 are in the picture below.

Prices Port Niagra, Trier. Dated June 2020.

Porta Nigra means black gate in Latin, and is the largest Roman gate north of the Alps. The structure is built with greystone and was a part of a four gate system. Unfortunately, only the Porta Nigra still stands today. The church next to it is dated from the Medieval ages, and the monastery saved the site from further destruction during those times. Napoleon had a big role in the 1800’s to restore the gate to its former glory.

If you walk along the gate, the old town of trier has its charm as well. With many nice little shops and food stalls it is a perfect getaway. There is a cute market place, which also has a nice view of the Porta Nigra from the other side.

Close to the market square, you can find the Trier Cathedral. I didn’t know this beforehand, but it is the oldest church of Germany! No wonder it is also an Unesco world heritage site! Both the exterior as interior of the church are amazing. The building right next to the Trier Cathedral is the Church of our Lady, be sure to visit there as well for a nice view inside! The cathedral can be traced back to the 4th century, the Church of our Lady from the 13th century.

Trier Cathedral
View inside the cathedral
Trier cathedral
Church of our Lady
Church of our Lady

As you see, even for wandering a few hours Trier’s old city centre is amazing. Definitely worth a short stop!