2014 Germany Trip - Roman Bridge (Römerbrücke) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Electoral Palace and Palace Gardens

next: Main Market (Hauptmarkt) ->

The Moselle was a considerable distance away from most of Trier's cluster of historical offerings but there was one UNESCO World Heritage Listed site there. I was willing to go out of my way to take a look at what the Roman Bridge had to offer, which unfortunately wasn't much.

The Roman Bridge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The black blocks of stone serving as the pillars are basalt from the Eifel Mountains.

2014 Germany Trip - Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Palais) and Palace Gardens @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Aula Palatina (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Roman Bridge (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Almost every famous cities or towns in Germany has a castle or palace, which are as ubiquitous as an aging church in the country. Trier's own representative is the Electoral Palace, an elaborate Rococo beauty situated close to the heart of the historic town center and adorned with spacious Palace Gardens. During my visit it was unfortunately not opened for visit - I realized only quite late that it was still used presently as a district administration office and not opened regularly for public visit. It was a pity because a beautiful Rococo staircase adorned the palace's interior and it would be great to see it up close.

The beautiful south wing facade of Trier's Electoral Palace

2014 Germany Trip - Aula Palatina/Basilica of Constantine (Konstantinbasilika) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Imperial Baths (UNESCO World Heritage)

next: Electoral Palace and Palace Gardens ->

Most of the UNESCO heritage site of Roman architecture in Trier were in ruins, with Aula Palatina the sole exception. The iconic building of red brick is also called Basilica of Constantine as it was built by Emperor Constantine I as his palace and throne room. Its purpose transformed into a religious one after the fall of the Roman Empire, first used by the Bishop of Trier as his residence during the Middle Ages, and then currently used by Church of The Redeemer.

Aula Palatina as viewed from Konstantinplatz

2014 Germany Trip - Imperial Baths (Kaiserthermen) @ Trier (UNESCO World Heritage)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

<- previous: Evergreen Hostel (previously Hilles Hostel)

next: Aula Palatina (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

I was drawn to the Imperial Baths from afar by its gigantic see through arches, recognizable from afar as the ruins' distinguished feature, even though I was not aware that it was one of Trier's UNESCO heritage treasure. In fact there wasn't much left of the original bath, the arches and some supporting walls being the only structure still standing. The structures looked impressively tall and sturdy when I stood close to it, and I could only think: the Romans were really capable engineers and architects to be able to build something that can last so long.

The impressive ruins of Imperial Baths

Hotel review - Evergreen Hostel (Hilles Hostel) @ Trier

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

Note: This article was written base on experience of staying in Evergreen Hostel's (previously Hilles Hostel) Single Room without private bath. The following info is important to you because it tells you on which month we stayed, and the price relative to the amount of time between the date of stay to the date of booking. You may experience higher or lower price at different months/seasons and if you book further or nearer to the date of stay.

We booked on:     March 2014

We stayed on:      March 2014

We paid in total:  €108(~RM495) (in total, tax included) @ single room w/o private bath, 1 person, 3 nights, without breakfast

<- previous: 1 Day Trip to Trier with Itinerary

next: Imperial Baths (UNESCO World Heritage) ->

Evergreen Hostel (previously Hilles Hostel) was a random hit when I surfed the net in search of an accommodation that was economical and close to both the train station (because I arrived at night and was not confident of navigating the streets at night) and to the major spots that I wanted to visit (the Roman ruins, what else). It came with mixed review though so I decided to try my luck since it was not like I will stay in the room for long anyway.

The front of the hostel entrance - the sign was quite small and easily missed unless you were looking for it.

2014 Germany Trip - 1 Day Trip to Trier (with itinerary)

Location: Trier, Germany

Itinerary and full experience of my visit to Germany can be accessed through the link below:

List of all 2014 Germany Trip | Trier places I went to

next: Evergreen Hostel (previously Hilles Hostel) ->

The train rumbled high on the banks of the Moselle, offering a magnificent view of the river snaking its way through a valley of rolling hills. I gazed dreamily on the lush landscape and before long I realized that the train had pulled into the station of Trier, my latest destination in my Germany trip. Italy was too far for me to travel to considering my short weekend getaway from work, so I decided to look for a slice of Rome in this border city.

Trier is famed for being the Germany city with magnificent Roman ruins. From the famed dark city gate of Porta Nigra to the remnants of amphitheater and Roman baths, a treasure trove of Imperial Roman architectures awaited my exploration. It would not be difficult to imagine oneself to be in Rome instead of a city in Germany when taking a stroll in the city.

Roman era walls are easily visible a short distance away from the train station.

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To the interested readers, here is my 1 day itinerary in Trier which assumes that you will stay overnight in the town. Exploring Trier can take a full day for the interested, or just half a day for the merely curious. Click into each link to visit the dedicated post to the place of interest.

Morning: 

• wake up and leave Hilles Hostel
• stroll to Imperial Baths; enter to visit if you wish to, I did not enter
• stroll around the Palace Gardens, take photos of Electoral Palace and Aula Palatina (1 - 2 hours)
• continue to stroll to Roman Bridge (Römerbrücke) (~1/2 hour)
• walk towards Hauptmarkt, visit St Gangolf Church (1 hour)

Noon: 

• enjoy lunch
• walk towards town center and visit Liebfrauenkirche then go next door to visit Trier Cathedral (1 - 2 hours)
• visit the must see attraction of Porta Nigra; you could choose not to enter as it is impressive enough from the outside (1 hour; more if you enter)
• go to the far side of town to visit Amphitheater (1 hour)

One could spend more time wandering the streets of Trier and just let yourself stumble upon art treasures like the few beautiful fountain sculptures I posted below. Do not limit yourself to a 1 day itinerary.

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Singapore Food Blog - Antoinette @ Penhas Road

Location:  Central Business District (CBD), Singapore

Recommended: various cheese tarts (~SGD3)

Antoinette has appeared in the scene for quite some time but despite the fact that my place is relatively close to it, I never get to visit its main branch in Penhas Road until quite recent. Even though the Lavender scene is packed with novelty hipster cafes (such as Chye Seng Huat Hardware) and great dining spots (such as Lighthouse Bistro), Antoinette still manage to secure itself as not just another cafe but an original entity.

The pristine white exterior and its name are clear giveaways that this is a place with a focus on French food and pastries. Upon entering, I immediately succumbed to the rows of colorful macarons and cakes demanding the attention of my sweet tooth. Recently one of the owner chef's offer that grabbed foodie's attention is their own lineup of cheese tarts to ride on the sudden craze, so naturally I had to grab some for myself.

A pristine white front