Porta Nigra (UNESCO World Heritage)

Walk through the mighty archways, enter the west tower, stroll through the entire structure up to the top floor and enjoy the view over the city. The Porta Nigra was once the northern gate in a city wall more than 6 km long that generously surrounded Roman Trier. That it is so unusually well preserved is thanks to the medieval monk Simeon, who lived here as a hermit and was canonised after his death. In his honour, the archbishop had the Porta Nigra converted into a double church. Right next to it, the Simeonstift was built, today the seat of the city museum, where you can still find remains of the ancient city wall. The "Black Gate" was built around AD 170 from sandstone blocks that were once light in colour. Some of them we now know came from the "Pützlöchern" quarry near Butzweiler, which you can still visited. With the secularisation of ecclesiastic property under Napoleon, the church building became a Roman town gate again - but not completely: you can still find traces of the Christian past.

A station on the Roads of the Romans.

Discount Passes

Discover Germany's centre of antiquity conveniently and at reduced rates using the AntikenCard Trier. The discount pass (available in four different versions) offers admission to Trier's Roman buildings as well as other reductions around ancient Trier.