Strasbourg

Strasbourg is located on the border of Germany and France and has an interesting mix of both cultures.

Valentine's Day is a thing in Europe too!

Strasbourg had a lot of fun bars serving local and Belgian beer. Barbar is one of our favorite Belgian beers.

Strasbourg Cathedral was built between the 1000s and 1400s.

The Cathedral was the world's tallest building from 1647 to 1874 and is the tallest structure from the Middle Ages.

Strasbourg was a Roman city, then became governed by Bishops.

In the 1200s the citizens rebelled against the bishop and became a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire (modern successful cities in Europe seemed to often throw of the yoke of a rule by a bishop).

Strasbourg was conquered by the French by armies of Louis XIV in 1681. It passed back into the hands of the Germans in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian War, switched hands again during WWI and WWII, and ended up part of France after WWII.

The city looks great at night with the Ill River winding through it.

Another cathedral that looks great at night

Trier

Trier is the oldest city in Germany and one of the capitals of the Western Roman Empire. Emperor Constantine built this throne hall here in 310, which was later converted into a Protestant church.

The Electoral Palace of Trier is attached to its side.

A fountain with statues representing various rulers of Trier: Celts, Romans, Franks, Holy Roman Archbishop-Electors, France, and Germany

The Rheinisches Landesmuseum is an excellent collection of artifacts from the area.

The Roman Empire conquered the Celtic Treveri in the 1st century B.C. and established Augusta Treverorum.

The city was the capital of Belgic Gaul and later the Western Empire after Diocletian partitioned the Roman Empire.

In the 4th century Trier was one of the largest cities in the Roman Empire and may have had over 100,000 inhabitants.

Roman cleats

One of my favorite Roman statues of all time

Trier was supplanted by Arles as the most important city in the Western Empire in the 5th century.

Romans liked to show off their war slaves.

Another great statue: a Roman wine boat. Trier has been a hub of wine production for most of its history.

Unusual colors for Roman painting

Your standard Roman fertility charms.

Quite the outfit

A Roman influenced gate made in the 1500s

Trier during Roman times

I'm sure that was a memorable gladiator fight.

Early Christian Art

The Franks conquered Trier in 459.

Trier had a sizeable Jewish population in the 1200s. They were expelled in 1418.

Like most Archbishoprics, the locals in Trier attempted to gain independence from the Archbishop-Elector.

The Imperial Baths were built in the 300s.

You can explore the old underground passages used to heat it.

Spooky

The Porta Nigra was built in 170.

Napoleon converted it from a church back into a gate.

It is four stories high and has pretty good views of the city.

Sturdy

Karl Marx was born in Trier in 1818.

Downtown

St. Peter's Cathedral is the oldest church in Germany.

Hello!

Its initial construction was in the 300s, but was rebuilt in the 900s after Franks and Vikings destroyed it.

Beehive organs are always impressive.

Crooks from the 1200s from Limoges

A reliquary from the 900s.

The Liebfrauenkirche is attached to the Cathedral.