Trier's Roman Ruins Walking Tour (Self Guided), Trier

Nowadays it sounds a bit weird that a small German town of Trier, some 20-minute drive from the Luxembourg border, was once the capital of the mighty Western Roman Empire. Still, "the second Rome", as the emperor Diocletian used to call it, today fully lives up to its former status.

Founded in 15 BC by the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, this oldest city in Germany is a home to the largest number of Roman ruins outside Rome. Many of these buildings, especially the one called Porta Nigra, are perfectly preserved and together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Dating to the 2nd century AD, “the Black Gate” was one of the four gates in the roughly rectangular city wall, and today is the real highlight of the Trier Roman ruins.

Other remnants from the glorious era, both pre-Christian and those built under Emperor Constantine I, are just as remarkable and include Aula Palatina (the Basilica of Constantine the Great), commissioned in the 4th century AD by the first Christian Roman ruler, and the Römerbrücke (Roman Bridge), the oldest bridge in Germany, erected in 152 AD.

Just as any other significant Roman city, Trier had public baths. Three of them have been excavated and can be viewed:

Thermen am Viehmarkt (Forum Baths) – currently encased in a glass box, date from the 3rd-4th centuries AD; in later years served as a source of construction materials, a Jewish cemetery, monastery garden, and a cattle market (viehmarkt);

Kaiserthermen (Imperial Roman Baths) – completed in the 4th century AD, when Trier was the capital of the entire western portion of the Roman Empire;

Barbarathermen (Barbara Baths) – predating the Imperial Baths; 2nd century AD.

Another prominent monument of the Roman epoch is the Amphitheater, dating to the 1st century AD, with a seating capacity of 20,000.

If you find value in the ancient Roman monuments and sacred sites, you'll be interested in this self-guided tour. All of Trier's Roman ruins are within a walking distance of each other, so you can see them all at your leisure, in a single go, in the town center.