Trier

One of the places I've been to several times now is Trier.  Trier is the oldest city in Germany and it's about a half hour away from where I live.  It still has several Roman pieces of architecture still standing.  The best introduction I got to the city was a train trip to Trier offered by the base.  We had a real tour guide who gave us a quick overview on how to use the trains in Germany, then we took a bus to the Bitburg train station and then got on the train to Trier.  Along the way, our tour guide, Easter, gave us quite a bit of history about Trier. (Of course, I don't remember much.)  One of the interesting things was that Trier was once completely walled in and at one time the number of residents that Trier currently has was the same in Roman times except that they were all inside the walls, a much smaller area.  The only part of the wall left standing is the Porta Nigra (Black Gate).  I will have to add the pictures later.

The area around the Porta Nigra is a great shopping area, the Hauptmarkt.  There are some great shops, including the U.S.'s own Claire's and restaurants.  Also nearby is the Trier Cathedral, the Roman baths, a pretty good museum and a Roman ampitheatre. (pics to come)  One of my favorite places to eat is right in the center where you can get a great Turkish Kebap/Doner.  They're very good.

In getting off the train at Trier we had to walk about five blocks to the Hauptmarkt and along the way Easter pointed out a building that during World War II was one of the headquarters for the Nazis.

Trier is definitely one of the places I will take any visitors who come visit me because it's a pretty cool place.