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affrecaTo save time, here is the guide I got from Mike for Trier. I saw most of this, though not necessarily in the order he mentions:
Here is my guided tour of Trier.
You will probably enter Trier at the main train station. Leave it through
the main enterance and go straight ahead down Bahnhofstrasse, which will
quickly come to the corner of two great sets of boulevards. These are the
main streets that were made by knocking down the old city wall, and run in
pairs. You want to keek going in the direction you were, following the two
parallel streets named the Christophestrasse and Theodor-Heuss-Allee.
You will need to follow this street for a time, but I know you've never
been afraid of walking. Eventually to your left will rise the huge black
bulk of the Porta Nigra, the Black Gate; it's quite unmistakable.
Look at it! Built by the Romans; it was one of four gates to the city.
Trier was Roman, Trier is old; this is the oldest city in Germany and she
has her secrets. Look at the rounded part to the left, note how it doesn't
really seem to fit. That is because St. Simeon died in one tower of the
gate, and it was made into a church, with that rounded nave added and a
now vanished steeple. Lucky for us; it's the only reason the Porta
survived.
Pass through the Porta Nigra. Immediately to your right are the cloisters
of St. Simeon, which now are a place for having coffeee and soda under
striped umbrellas. Oh, and the tourist office is a little past that, but
never mind that now. You are at the beginning of the Simeonstrasse, the
great heart of Trier, and I wish to God I could trade places with you.
In addition to the crowd and the noise you will note the fine houses on
every side. One of them, two your left, has three status high up of lordly
figures. This is the Dreikonigshaus, the House of the Three Kings, and I
mention it because it serves extremely good coffee-andcake, and also sells
a ware unique to Trier, that being a cunning form of wax ornament.
Walk down the Simeonstrasse. Eventually to your right will come
Stockstrasse, keep on going, but sharpen your eye now and keep looking
right. There, do you see that curved archway between the eaves of those
two houses? People can walk by that arch every day and never notice. This
is the enterance to the old Judengasse, the Jew's street. Do not go in the
pub on it that bears the name of 'Pumpe'; it was a neo-nazi bar when I was
there. Not that we had many neo-nazis; for all I know it doesn't even
exist anymore...
Anyway, back on the Simeonstrasse. It will eventually empty out into the
marketplace. Check out the market cross, which records Trier's ancient
trading rights, and the Fountain of Virtues. Note with amusement the
McDonalds that occupies a fine old building. See that white building to
your left with the armored knight on it? That is the Steipe, the old town
hall of Trier. Next to it, somewhat around a corner, is a red house, the
Roteshaus. There is an inscription in Latin upon it, and this is what it
says:
"Ere there was Rome Trier had stood for over a thousand years. May it
stand enjoying peace forever. Amen."
Do you see the single steeple that rises over the market? That is the
steeple of St. Gangolf, the market church. If you feel the need to poke
about in it, the gate is between two houses at the far end of the market,
but IMHO it's not that spectacular on the inside. Now, next to that gate
is a narrow little shop that sells 'Turkisher Specializate', by which they
mean meat sandwiches called doner kebabs. If you still eat meat this is a
great place to grab lunch. Mmmmm.
Anyhow! Turn around, and march back up the Simeonstrasse. You'll come to a
street called the Glockenstrasse on your right; go down it. We come now to
a curious part of our tour. You are following the route I took to school,
but you are going to make a rather significant departure. Having come into
a sort of square or plaza, you will note to your far right a curious sort
of alley, lined on either side not by shops but by high walls. This is the
Sieh um Dich (literally, the "Look behind you") and here is the story of
it: in the old days, a thief caught stealing in the market or
Simeonstrasse would tend to flee down this way to try and reach the
cathedral, where he could claim sanctuary. At the very end of the Sieh um
Dich is a boundary stone, signifying where the sway of the chruch started
and the arm of the law ended. Once a thief passed it, he was safe, and
could turn around and mock his pursuers.
Go down the Sieh um Dich like a good little thief, and you will emerge on
Windstrasse next to the Dom, the cathedral. You will quickly percieve how
Windstrasse got it's name! Go and poke around in the Dom if you like; it's
a handsome building that is made of a horrible mishmash of archetectural
styles, with the romanesque arches of the main Dom being liked to the
gothic lines of the connected Liebfrauskirche. A pity that the Holy Coat
of Christ won't be on display this year.
When you're done with with the Dom, go back out to the small plaza in
front of it, and then turn left and go down Liebfraustrasse. Tell me if
Rappelkiste is still on ths street, btw; I had a brief fling with one of
the owners and would like to know if the place is still around. Anyway,
eventually you will see to your left the sidestreet of An der Meerkatz (on
the sealion); turn down it, and at the end of it you will see across the
street the Red Tower and the Basilika.
The Basilika is that large building of ancient red brick, looking rather
stern and puritan. It was built by the Romans, part of the palace complex
from the days when the Emperor Constantine ruled the entire Empire from
this city. Yes, Trier was, for a brief time, the capital of the entire
Roman Empire. The Basilika was the great audience hall; now it's a
protestant church, and also used for concerts.
But here's a funny thing. Cross the street so that you are in front of the
Basilika, then turn right and walk along its sides. When you come to the
end of the stern brock building... look at that! Look at this
pink-and-white-and-gold wedding cake they've built onto it! It's like you
with multicolored hair riding on John Ashcroft's back. :) This is the old
Bishop's Palace, and was built onto the Basilika so that the Bishops of
Trier, who ruled this city, could use it as their audience hall. There's a
stairway inside that's very pretty.
When you've seen all this, gone inside the palace or the basilika if you
wish to, stand on the steps of the Bishop's Palace and look across the
green expanse before you. These are the Bishop's Gardens, a great place
for an outing or a dog-walking or just plain relaxing. I used to read a
lot here. Start walking down the gardens. Hmm, notice that arch to your
left, with the big building past it? That's the Rheinlandesmuseum. It has
a great deal of Roman artifacts and Celtic items; if it's open it's well
worth a visit.
Going back out to where we left the gardens (or continuing on if you
skipped the museum), keep walking down the gardens away from the steps of
the Palace. Eventually, past a large lake/fountain and a wide lawn, you
will come to a maze of trenches and tunnels and ruins. This is the
Kaiserthermen, the ruins of the old Roman Imperial Baths. You may need to
pay a small fee to enter, but it's a sight to see; the old service tunnels
are still there, as are several chambers.
Your next move depends on your endurance. If you are still full of energy
and don't mind a bit of a hike, cross the big traffic circle that is on
the edge of the Kaiserthermen and go up Olewigerstrasse. You will start to
hike up into the hills, under the vineyards. Trier is a city of wines, you
know, and the green hills with their vineyards are an integral part of
Trier. After a fair time, on your left, you will find the enterance to the
old Roman amphitheatre. It is still largely intact, and one can venture
down into the slave pits beheath the arena floor.
But if you are tired, you may wish to just find lodgings, or get a cab or
bus route to take you to see more of the city. The tourist office
(remember it, way back at the start?) can give you a list of transport
services.
Sights to see in Trier that are beyond the scope of this tour due to
either distance or Mike's memory failing him to a degree where he cannot
provide adequate directions:
*The Roman Bridge over the Mosel. Build by the Romans, added to later,
still handles cars today.
*The medieval crane on the banks of the Mosel.
*The Paulinerkirche, Paulin's Church, which is actually not far at all
from the Bahnhof. It is very plainlooking on the outside, but inside...
damn! what a weddingcake! It's in horrible taste but is pretty
awe-inspiring. Since it is very much within walking distance, (I just
don't remember the exact directions to it) I advise you to see it.
*The Mathaiskirche, St. Matthew's Abbey, which is a rather gloomy-looking
abbey church that contains the tomb of the Apostle Matthew. It's kinda
far, though.
----------------------------------------
Quite neat town. And the train ride town was wonderful. I feel asleep and woke up looking a the vinyards of the Rhine Valley. Off to Luxembourg next.
I have been trying to use the little German I remember, but it is much easier to understand than speak. Mostly I smile and try, and that works. I also used my little Japanese to speak with my roomates of the last several nights. They were impressed that I asked if they were Japanese in Japanese. Ok, that was the extent of what I could say, but I did it. Currently musing about arbitary rules.
-kel
Here is my guided tour of Trier.
You will probably enter Trier at the main train station. Leave it through
the main enterance and go straight ahead down Bahnhofstrasse, which will
quickly come to the corner of two great sets of boulevards. These are the
main streets that were made by knocking down the old city wall, and run in
pairs. You want to keek going in the direction you were, following the two
parallel streets named the Christophestrasse and Theodor-Heuss-Allee.
You will need to follow this street for a time, but I know you've never
been afraid of walking. Eventually to your left will rise the huge black
bulk of the Porta Nigra, the Black Gate; it's quite unmistakable.
Look at it! Built by the Romans; it was one of four gates to the city.
Trier was Roman, Trier is old; this is the oldest city in Germany and she
has her secrets. Look at the rounded part to the left, note how it doesn't
really seem to fit. That is because St. Simeon died in one tower of the
gate, and it was made into a church, with that rounded nave added and a
now vanished steeple. Lucky for us; it's the only reason the Porta
survived.
Pass through the Porta Nigra. Immediately to your right are the cloisters
of St. Simeon, which now are a place for having coffeee and soda under
striped umbrellas. Oh, and the tourist office is a little past that, but
never mind that now. You are at the beginning of the Simeonstrasse, the
great heart of Trier, and I wish to God I could trade places with you.
In addition to the crowd and the noise you will note the fine houses on
every side. One of them, two your left, has three status high up of lordly
figures. This is the Dreikonigshaus, the House of the Three Kings, and I
mention it because it serves extremely good coffee-andcake, and also sells
a ware unique to Trier, that being a cunning form of wax ornament.
Walk down the Simeonstrasse. Eventually to your right will come
Stockstrasse, keep on going, but sharpen your eye now and keep looking
right. There, do you see that curved archway between the eaves of those
two houses? People can walk by that arch every day and never notice. This
is the enterance to the old Judengasse, the Jew's street. Do not go in the
pub on it that bears the name of 'Pumpe'; it was a neo-nazi bar when I was
there. Not that we had many neo-nazis; for all I know it doesn't even
exist anymore...
Anyway, back on the Simeonstrasse. It will eventually empty out into the
marketplace. Check out the market cross, which records Trier's ancient
trading rights, and the Fountain of Virtues. Note with amusement the
McDonalds that occupies a fine old building. See that white building to
your left with the armored knight on it? That is the Steipe, the old town
hall of Trier. Next to it, somewhat around a corner, is a red house, the
Roteshaus. There is an inscription in Latin upon it, and this is what it
says:
"Ere there was Rome Trier had stood for over a thousand years. May it
stand enjoying peace forever. Amen."
Do you see the single steeple that rises over the market? That is the
steeple of St. Gangolf, the market church. If you feel the need to poke
about in it, the gate is between two houses at the far end of the market,
but IMHO it's not that spectacular on the inside. Now, next to that gate
is a narrow little shop that sells 'Turkisher Specializate', by which they
mean meat sandwiches called doner kebabs. If you still eat meat this is a
great place to grab lunch. Mmmmm.
Anyhow! Turn around, and march back up the Simeonstrasse. You'll come to a
street called the Glockenstrasse on your right; go down it. We come now to
a curious part of our tour. You are following the route I took to school,
but you are going to make a rather significant departure. Having come into
a sort of square or plaza, you will note to your far right a curious sort
of alley, lined on either side not by shops but by high walls. This is the
Sieh um Dich (literally, the "Look behind you") and here is the story of
it: in the old days, a thief caught stealing in the market or
Simeonstrasse would tend to flee down this way to try and reach the
cathedral, where he could claim sanctuary. At the very end of the Sieh um
Dich is a boundary stone, signifying where the sway of the chruch started
and the arm of the law ended. Once a thief passed it, he was safe, and
could turn around and mock his pursuers.
Go down the Sieh um Dich like a good little thief, and you will emerge on
Windstrasse next to the Dom, the cathedral. You will quickly percieve how
Windstrasse got it's name! Go and poke around in the Dom if you like; it's
a handsome building that is made of a horrible mishmash of archetectural
styles, with the romanesque arches of the main Dom being liked to the
gothic lines of the connected Liebfrauskirche. A pity that the Holy Coat
of Christ won't be on display this year.
When you're done with with the Dom, go back out to the small plaza in
front of it, and then turn left and go down Liebfraustrasse. Tell me if
Rappelkiste is still on ths street, btw; I had a brief fling with one of
the owners and would like to know if the place is still around. Anyway,
eventually you will see to your left the sidestreet of An der Meerkatz (on
the sealion); turn down it, and at the end of it you will see across the
street the Red Tower and the Basilika.
The Basilika is that large building of ancient red brick, looking rather
stern and puritan. It was built by the Romans, part of the palace complex
from the days when the Emperor Constantine ruled the entire Empire from
this city. Yes, Trier was, for a brief time, the capital of the entire
Roman Empire. The Basilika was the great audience hall; now it's a
protestant church, and also used for concerts.
But here's a funny thing. Cross the street so that you are in front of the
Basilika, then turn right and walk along its sides. When you come to the
end of the stern brock building... look at that! Look at this
pink-and-white-and-gold wedding cake they've built onto it! It's like you
with multicolored hair riding on John Ashcroft's back. :) This is the old
Bishop's Palace, and was built onto the Basilika so that the Bishops of
Trier, who ruled this city, could use it as their audience hall. There's a
stairway inside that's very pretty.
When you've seen all this, gone inside the palace or the basilika if you
wish to, stand on the steps of the Bishop's Palace and look across the
green expanse before you. These are the Bishop's Gardens, a great place
for an outing or a dog-walking or just plain relaxing. I used to read a
lot here. Start walking down the gardens. Hmm, notice that arch to your
left, with the big building past it? That's the Rheinlandesmuseum. It has
a great deal of Roman artifacts and Celtic items; if it's open it's well
worth a visit.
Going back out to where we left the gardens (or continuing on if you
skipped the museum), keep walking down the gardens away from the steps of
the Palace. Eventually, past a large lake/fountain and a wide lawn, you
will come to a maze of trenches and tunnels and ruins. This is the
Kaiserthermen, the ruins of the old Roman Imperial Baths. You may need to
pay a small fee to enter, but it's a sight to see; the old service tunnels
are still there, as are several chambers.
Your next move depends on your endurance. If you are still full of energy
and don't mind a bit of a hike, cross the big traffic circle that is on
the edge of the Kaiserthermen and go up Olewigerstrasse. You will start to
hike up into the hills, under the vineyards. Trier is a city of wines, you
know, and the green hills with their vineyards are an integral part of
Trier. After a fair time, on your left, you will find the enterance to the
old Roman amphitheatre. It is still largely intact, and one can venture
down into the slave pits beheath the arena floor.
But if you are tired, you may wish to just find lodgings, or get a cab or
bus route to take you to see more of the city. The tourist office
(remember it, way back at the start?) can give you a list of transport
services.
Sights to see in Trier that are beyond the scope of this tour due to
either distance or Mike's memory failing him to a degree where he cannot
provide adequate directions:
*The Roman Bridge over the Mosel. Build by the Romans, added to later,
still handles cars today.
*The medieval crane on the banks of the Mosel.
*The Paulinerkirche, Paulin's Church, which is actually not far at all
from the Bahnhof. It is very plainlooking on the outside, but inside...
damn! what a weddingcake! It's in horrible taste but is pretty
awe-inspiring. Since it is very much within walking distance, (I just
don't remember the exact directions to it) I advise you to see it.
*The Mathaiskirche, St. Matthew's Abbey, which is a rather gloomy-looking
abbey church that contains the tomb of the Apostle Matthew. It's kinda
far, though.
----------------------------------------
Quite neat town. And the train ride town was wonderful. I feel asleep and woke up looking a the vinyards of the Rhine Valley. Off to Luxembourg next.
I have been trying to use the little German I remember, but it is much easier to understand than speak. Mostly I smile and try, and that works. I also used my little Japanese to speak with my roomates of the last several nights. They were impressed that I asked if they were Japanese in Japanese. Ok, that was the extent of what I could say, but I did it. Currently musing about arbitary rules.
-kel
Wow
Date: 2004-06-08 10:32 am (UTC)Carlee