Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
Most people in the world probably know Karl Marx: the author of the Communist Manifesto and Das Kapital (Capital: A Critique of Political Economy), the father of Marxism and famous thinker of the Socialist and Communist world. But did you know that he was born at Trier, Germany?
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Slightly outside the city center but only a short walk away from the Kaiserthermen of Trier you can discover the ancient Roman Amphitheater. The arena is well-preserved and it is easy to image where the visitors were seated and how the ‘games’ happened.
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One of the main sights of Trier are the Kaiserthermen: ancient roman baths. It is today mostly a ruin, but you can still see some arcs standing and walk through the underground tunnels that have been restored. What can still be seen is astonishing as the building dates back to the year 300 CE. It was used by the Romans as a public spa and also as a military ground.
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The massive Konstantinbasilika at Trier is a special church. The architecture is plain, the walls are high and inside this house of prayer is mostly undecorated. When the Roman emperors used this place in the fourth century it was a hall for audiences.
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The Liebfrauenkirche of Trier is one of the oldest Gothic-style churches in Germany (together with the Elisabethkirche of Marburg). Therefore it is enlisted in the list of UNESCO world heritage sites and very well worth a visit! What might be confusing at first sight is that the cathedral of Trier and the Liebfrauenkirche (two separate churches) are directly connected to each other.
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The Porta Nigra is simply amazing: a decorated and well-preserved Roman city gate at Trier. You can enter the building and climb up three floors to enjoy the architecture and wonderful views on the city. The gate to the city Augusta Treverorum was built from the year 170 CE on, but it was never finished.
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If you want to get out of the touristy areas of Lëtzebuerg and dive into ordinary everyday life you can turn towards the West and visit the city quarters Hollerich and Bel Air. At their border you’ll find the Parc de Merl which feels like the center of this residential zone.
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Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban was a French general and an expert in fortification building. He was responsible for many fortresses and fortifications in the French-speaking world and also created a fortress in Luxembourg. As a result of the London Conference of 1867 the fortification of Lëtzebuerg was removed and on the grounds of the former fortress built by Vauban a villa was created in 1873. As the rest of the fortifications has been converted into a large park, this villa is now standing in a nice green area close to the city center.
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Only 300 meters away from the main railway station of Lëtzebuerg the Hôtel Perrin is a good place to stay for people travelling by train. It was built in 1932 and the Art Déco architecture combines well with the modern approach of the hotel. The heart of the hotel is the gentleman behind the desk who seems to speak every language of the modern world.
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It’s one of the perfect places when you have a rainy day at Lëtzebuerg: the Musée national d’histoire naturelle. The museum is modern, fun and educating; it gives you insight into natural history on three floors, from the big bang to life in the seas, from biodiversity in the city to minerals and volcanoes. Or you just use your time to watch leafcutter ants to their work.
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