GERMANY TRIER DESTINATIONS I
t’s the oldest city in Germany, a treasure trove of Roman ruins, and the birthplace of radical philosopher Karl Marx, whose 200th anniversary was commemorated this year, so why is Trier still relatively under the radar for British visitors? With a prime location on the
border of Luxembourg, right in the heart of the Moselle wine region, it’s also a gateway to one of Germany’s most attractive areas, but there’s plenty for visitors to discover in the city first.
w SEE: ROMANS AND RADICALS The best place to take in views of the German city of Trier? The
top of the Porta Nigra, the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps.
But if you’re a budding
historian without a head for heights, don’t panic as Trier has the most Roman ruins of any city outside Rome. Other spectacular examples are the enormous Basilika – built for Emperor Constantine, and the world’s largest single-room surviving structure from the Roman Empire – and the Imperial Baths, one of Trier’s nine Unesco World Heritage Sites. In the heat of summer, a
wander around the baths’ labyrinth of underground tunnels provides welcome respite from the blazing sun (Trier is
Germany’s warmest city, as well as its oldest). Not so in Roman times, when
they were a workplace for the slaves tasked with stoking the fires that heated the water. The unluckiest conscripts were consigned to the tunnels which doubled as the sewage system. There aren’t many German cities where the biggest attraction is a Roman ruin, but stranger still is the story behind its connections with Marx. In May, the city unveiled a
rather unusual birthday present – a 5.5-metre-high statue of Marx, donated by the Chinese government. It was originally going to be taller, until a representative dispatched to
China convinced the artist that a lesser height of 5.5 metres would be a fitting nod to Marx’s birth, on May 5, 1818. Trier’s shops are filled with Marx memorabilia: Das Kapital-clutching rubber ducks, Karl Marx-adorned wine (his family owned a nearby vineyard) and Karl Marx cookie cutters. On Fleischstrasse, traffic lights
display red and green caricatures of Trier’s controversial former resident. Many museums have unveiled temporary exhibitions, and at the Karl Marx House, a museum that’s also Marx’s birthplace, you’ll find plenty of interactive displays, making it a great option for younger visitors. Must-sees include a priceless
2 August 2018
travelweekly.co.uk 55
The TrierCard offers discounted museum entry and bike hire, plus free bus travel in the centre, for €9
trier-ingo.de
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