Trier and Bernkastel

Trier: Founded by the Romans in the late 1st century BC as Augusta Treverorum ("The City of Augustus among the Treveri"), Trier is considered Germany's oldest city. Trier was one of the four capitals of the Roman Empire during the Tetrarchy period in the late 3rd and early 4th centuries. Because of its significance during the Roman and Holy Roman empires, several monuments and cathedrals within Trier are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first traces of human settlement in the area of the city show evidence of linear pottery settlements dating from the early Neolithic period. Since the last pre-Christian centuries, members of the Celtic tribe of the Treveri settled in the area of today's Trier.

Views of Trier from vantage point. If you zoom in you will see that the roofs are out of slate. All the vineyards are on slate. Twofold use of slate, keeps the vineyards warm and the houses as well.

A Roman caldarium, which was a room with a hot plunge bath, used in a Roman bath complexes. Those Romans sure knew how to build things to last. Well, the walls at least.

Roman Basicillica

Interior, which we didn't actually see, as we had to move on to other sites before this site opened up

The Aula Palatina looked like that until about 1600. The next significant change happened under Archbishop Lothar of Metternich at the beginning of the 17th century. He tore down what remained of the Roman buildings outside the aula and had a four winged palace built around the it. Most of the southern wall was dismantled to obtain an immediate connection. One of his successors, Johann Philipp von Waldendorff (1756-1768, archbishop and prince elector), wanted an even prettier palace, so the architect Johannes Seitz built him that pink thing you can see on the photo below.

Fireplace at bottom of walls to heat the whole interior and upwards. These were around the walls and had pipes that sent the heat up to warm the air and walls. It was a cavernous area to heat, but apparently it worked.

Trier Cathedral - 4th Century Romanesque style but built in the 11th century.

Metternich Altar, 1623

Beautiful decorative pipe organ

Baroque west choir ceiling

Detailing of ceiling

Porta Nigra (Black Gate) - was built in grey sandstone after 170 AD and was used as a town entrance for centuries until the end of the Roman era. In the early Middle Ages the Roman city gates were no longer used for their original function and their stones were taken and reused for other buildings. Today, generally the Porta Nigra is still in remarkable condition. Its modern appearance goes back almost unchanged to the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon. The gate is closed to cars today, but stands right next to one of the main streets of Trier. Air pollution, particularly the exhaust fumes of passing cars, continues to darken and damage its stones.

A brief break for an "award winning" ice cream stop.

Back to the town square

Hopped back on ship for official safety review and then off to Cochem

The day turned beautiful and sunny. The fall colors with the grapevines and sycamores changing colors for the fall season added to the beauty.

Viking Hild waiting for us from our early morning tour of Trier

Off to Berncastle

Bernkastel-Kues lies in the Mosel valley, roughly 31 mi from Trier.

Fun Green Scuplture in front of this building

Fall trimming of the promanade sycmores - common practice in many locations

Half timbered buildings in this square

Unique construction

Good up close inspection of the typical slate roofs in this area - it is common and important for the growth of the riesling grapes and the warmth of the houses in the winter

Grapes are grown on evey steep slope around. The grape vines were introduced by the Romans and are everywhere in the Mosel and Rhine valleys. The grapes were harvested in late September and early October this year.