Trier - Where Roman heritage and Gallic charm meets on German grounds

Are you interested in the Roman Empire and ancient history?

Do you love wine, shopping and delicious food?

Then let us take you on an unforgettable journey to Trier, Germany!

 Trier was founded in 16 BC as Augusta Treverorum during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.  It is Germany's most important site for classical monuments and art treasures.  There is no doubt that the Romans designated Trier as a city rather than a settlement.  Seven of the monuments have UNESCO World Heritage status and art treasures have been preserved and tell of fascinating times gone past.

   It's being said, Trier is the oldest city in Germany! It definitely has the oldest ruins outside of Rome!

Porta Nigra

   Starting with the Porta Nigra (Latin for "black gate", you will see at daytime that the stones look black) - the best preserved city gate from antiquity and today the most famous landmark in the city.  The amphitheater, the famous Imperial Thermal Baths (Kaisertherme) where the Romans went to relax, remnants of the St. Barbara Roman Baths form the second century and, just as old, the Roman Bridge, which is still part of a main road into the city (now, this is some serious civil engineering!), they all bear witness to Trier's extensive classical heritage.

Aerial view of the Kaisertherme

   Just as impressive are the medieval buildings such as the Cathedral of St. Peter (the oldest in Germany) and the early - Gothic Church of our Lady. Trier's other historical sights include medieval Hauptmarkt square with the Steipe building, the Red House, St. Gangolf's Church and many more.

The Roman Bidge

   Karl Marx was one of the great German thinkers and philosophers.  His birth place, the Karl Marx Haus, is worth a visit regardless of your ideological standpoint.

Karl Marx Haus

   With all those beautiful sights and interesting facts, one should not forget to shop, right?  We recommend the shops in "Neustrasse", all these boutique style stores offer individually selected or even hand crafted goodies, you wish you could take them all home.  With names like Rapunzel, Fraeulein Prusselise or Kreisel (dreidel) for a toy store, it shows the individuality of these shops.  Check out the boutique "Lieblingsstuecke" , we are sure you will find an accessory that still fits into your suitcase.

Shopping at Neustrasse

   If you are looking for a fun and adventurous tour, go to the tourist office right next to the Porta Nigra and book an adventure tour which will take you back in time with themes like "Secrets of the Porta Nigra" or a walk together with Gladiator Valerius to the Amphitheater where he tells you about the dungeons and his life as a gladiator, we are sure you will find something you are interested in.

Velarius telling the visitors about the dungeons and his life as a gladiator

   Trier's proximity to its French neighbor and Luxembourg is noticeable throughout the city, especially when it comes to eating and drinking. Outstanding restaurants of international standing offer an unparalleled dining experience.  Start the day with an excellent breakfast buffet at the "Jahreszeiten" in Petrisberg, which also is the perfect spot for lunch and dinner with seasonal offerings to satisfy any palate.  If you would like to take your beloved one out for dinner, we recommend the restaurant " Schlemmereule " with an exquisite wine selection of the neighboring wineries or visit the wine bar at "Becker's" with a selection of more than 60 local and international wines, their restaurant holds two Michelin stars.  For a more casual dining experience, we recommend two wonderful authentic Italian restaurants: "Da Massimo" in the Eurener Strasse and "Quo Vadis" in the Neustrasse. 

  How about a wine tasting? The "Cask Cellar of the Bischoefliche Weingueter (BWG) " which is located directly underneath the center of Trier's old town would be our recommendation.  The cellar covers 30000 square meters and its history goes all the way back to the year 600 AD. Once you descend down in the historical vaulted cellar, built by the Romans, there is an impressive view - 240 traditional Mosel casks, called "Fuder", are being stored here.  Running through the oldest part of the cellar is an historic water line from the Romans. Over 1400 years ago it led directly to the nearby "Imperial Baths" (Kaisertherme).

   All these excellent wines from the Moselle, Saar and Ruwer area are of course very much in evidence and delight visitors to the many wine festivals and town celebrations.  The annual highlight is the Moselle WeinKulturZeit, a month - long series of wine, gourmet and cultural events.  You can sample excellence of all kinds in and around Trier - so why not spend the whole month here?

Hauptmarkt at Christmas time

   Trier is a thoroughly young and vibrant city thanks to its two universities and strikes a wonderful, lively and appealing balance between its past and present.  Shops, cafes, bars and bistros across the city invite visitors to stroll around or watch the world go by.

   When it comes to nightlife, dancing in the Zebra Cluba or Metropolis is an option or check out the website www.hunderttausend.de for daily updated events. 

   There are many ways to visit Trier - as an individual tour by car, easy train ride or even as a stop on one of our famous river cruises. 

   

   

Cruising along the Danube

Flowing from Germany's Black Forest to the Black Sea, the Danube offers a chance to explore some of Europe's grand Old World cities. Whether you prefer to bike, hike, cruise or drive along the banks of the "blue" Danube, you will be astound by the beauty of the countries (10!) and even capitals (4!) you will pass. 

The Hungarian capital of Budapest is divided by the Danube. River cruise passengers usually visit the Fisherman's Bastion, a large terrace that overlooks the city and river. You might also see the Great Market Hall, founded in the late 19th century.

Bratislava is the heart of Slovakia, and it's the only national capital that borders two other countries, Austria and Hungary. It has an attractive Old Town and baroque palaces, and your guide will probably point out Michael's Gate, the only surviving portal from Bratislava's medieval fortifications.

In Vienna, visit the Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen's Cathedral, and see the Ringstrasse -- a broad avenue lined by stately buildings. Your itinerary may even include a private concert of classical music in the Austrian capital. Watch Rick Steve's travel video Vienna and the Danube here:

During a port call in Austria's Melk, most passengers head for the 900-year-old Benedictine abbey that looms over the town from atop granite cliffs. Be sure to check out the beautiful ceiling frescoes, the enormous library filled with nearly 16,000 books, and the great views from the terrace.

Austria's Wachau Valley is one of the most scenic parts of the Danube, lined with terraced vineyards and picturesque villages like Durnstein, centered around a pretty blue and white church tower. Some Danube River cruises sail through the Iron Gates, a spectacular gorge that forms the boundary between Serbia and Romania.

In Passau, Germany, you may be treated to a concert on the 17,774-pipe organ in St. Stephan's Cathedral. That city also has some fine examples of Gothic and Baroque architecture.

Regensburg is a cultural hub in eastern Bavaria, originally a Celtic settlement and then a Roman garrison. Here you can glimpse the old Roman gate, explore the well-preserved medieval center and stand upon the 12th-century Old Stone Bridge.

Nuremberg is another beautiful medieval city. It gained notoriety as the site of Nazi party rallies and later was the location of the Nuremberg war crimes trials in 1945 and 1946. Local guides show travelers the former Nazi parade grounds and the Palace of Justice, where the trials took place.

Many Danube River itineraries include an excursion to Salzburg, where you can seek out the mustard-yellow home where Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in 1756 and stroll through the manicured gardens of Mirabell Park, used in the filming of "The Sound of Music."


Finally, wintertime brings festive holiday scenes to cities along the Danube as outdoor Christmas markets open in town squares. Guests on these late-November and December sailings have numerous opportunities to visit the traditional bazaars and browse the merchants' booths for handcrafted ornaments, toys and woodcarvings. Sample local cold-weather treats like grilled sausages, gingerbread and the mulled wine called glühwein

Ellen's article in the Fort Mill Magazine: Cruise the Rhine River - Spring 2013 edition

I am writing this article while sitting on the sun deck of the AmaCello, our cruising home for this past week while exploring one of the most romantic rivers in Europe, the Rhine...

Sipping on a café latte, I watch the breathtakingly beautiful scenery pass by.  I am taken to my inner calmness by the mumbling of the water and the simple wave to a family of bikers along the riverbank.  Ever since we stepped aboard this 4.5 star vessel, we cannot stop wondering why we had not ventured on this cruise until now.
We arrived, unpacked, and set off to explore the ship already able to relax and enjoy discovering what this special journey would behold.  No running in and out of a tour bus or cars.  No checking in and out of hotels every day.  Our floating home took all the hassle out of traveling.  We embrace beautiful landscapes on the way to romantic towns and vibrant cities.  We often wish we could hold onto these moments forever.
With a maximum of 150 passengers and a crew ratio of 1 to 4 aboard most river cruise ships, it is the intimate personal atmosphere that discerns a river cruise from other cruises.  Our 170 sq ft cabin features 5-star amenities of down bedding, bathrobes, slippers, and upscale toiletries in the luxurious bathroom and a flat panel television.  The French balcony doors slide open to the romantic slate roofed villages, medieval castles, and vineyards which float by.  “Doesn’t it feel like we’re in the middle of a fairy tale?” I asked my husband.
Every morning felt like unwrapping a present.  What scenic gift would await us today?  Each and every time, we were amazed by the port cities and enriching experiences our Captain offered.  Daily options included a day of land exploration or relaxing onboard with personally selected plans.
Our mornings began with the breakfast buffet, including a glass of champagne, made to order omelets, accented with freshly baked pumpkin seed bread or pastry.  All AMA Waterways cruise ships in Europe include personal pastry chefs that begin baking at 2:30 in the morning.  So, the scent of freshly baked goods winding through the aisles of the ship serve as the only wake up call you need.

While enjoying a gorgeous view and quenching our energy needs with breakfast, we planned our day selecting from an in-depth guided tour or a more leisurely walking tour.  For either tour, the cruise staff provided every passenger with a state of the art headset.  These allowed us to hear our experienced English-speaking tour guide even if we lingered at a site or shop after the group had moved on.  We also took advantage of the complimentary bikes and explored the town by designing our own route.
One of our favorite detours was the Culinary Delights: Bites and Sights tour in France where we visited a winery in the Alsace region learning to pair wine with dark chocolate.  Yum!
For lunch, we either stayed in town and ventured to try the local fare or returned to the ship where we chose a light lunch or mouthwatering delicacies of the onboard restaurant.
Afternoons were spent aboard the ship or exploring the beauty of the town on our own by visiting breweries, attending wine tastings, shopping the wonderful boutiques, or simply sitting in a café enjoying the atmosphere of a quaint market square.  When staying aboard, complimentary espresso drinks, sandwiches and pastries awaited the guests.
The cruise offered an amazing multi-course dining experience uncovering regional specialties accompanied by free-flowing local wines and beers.  The food was absolutely delicious with choices for any palate and remained truly a 4-star experience at each endeavor.   AMA Waterways is the only river cruise line to be an official member of La Chaîne de Rôtisseurs; ranked one of the most prestigious culinary organizations since being founded in 1950 in Paris.  Membership is considered an achievement of world-class culinary acumen, and we experienced this with each and every meal.
After dinner, our cruise manager, Debbie would greet us joyfully: “Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to tonight’s featured show!”  Whether traditional local folk dance, a classical quartet, or 70s music, our new friends joined us willingly.  Kevin and Sara, newlyweds from California; John, a single traveler from Maine; and Bob and Anne, a retired couple from Florida, now joined us as we embraced the country we cherish.  It is the diversity of people that makes mingling on board so much fun and creates the connections for future cruise trips together.
Returning to our luxurious cabin for the night, we found room service had turned down our beds, adorned them with chocolates alongside a recipe card reflecting the night’s featured main course signed by executive chef, Primus Perchtold.  What a wonderful idea!  I will definitely surprise my dinner guests back home with these amazing recipes.
Even after growing up in Germany, my husband and I always wanted to cruise this particular region of Europe.  We started in Amsterdam and are now on our way to Basel, Switzerland.  We completely agree that Amsterdam is “the Venice of the North” with its beautiful canals, bridges, and colorful houses.  When you visit Amsterdam, make sure to stop by L’Amuse on Stadionweg; a cheese shop that offers over 400 varieties of Dutch cheeses.

We passed through the Upper Rhine Valley, one of many UNESCO (United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage sites on this cruise, emphasized by medieval castles greeting us from the tops of nearby hills.  From there, we traveled onward to Rüdesheim and Speyer, as well as the cosmopolitan city of Cologne.  Approaching Cologne, we admired the two spires of the gorgeous Gothic cathedral long before we docked.  After completing the guided walking tour of old town, we advanced to the Gaffel Haus at the Alter Markt, one of so many local microbreweries, to taste the world famous Kölsch.
The following day we cherished a view looking far beyond the castle walls.  Admiring the rolling Neckar River swaying through the old town Heidelberg was like warm rain on a sunny day that truly warmed our romantic side.  The world’s largest wine barrel is located in the cellar of the castle.   Created from 170 oak trees, the magnificent barrel secures a massive 55,345 gallons of wine.  Heidelberg also houses the oldest university on German soil properly named Heidelberg University.  After visiting Heidelberg, I did say, “I lost my heart in Heidelberg” to borrow that special phrase from Fred Raymond‘s famous song.
Strasbourg presented us with another cathedral, Nôtre Dame.  The 59 foot tall astronomical clock is securely embraced by the architectural design of Nôtre Dame.  We experienced additional historical influences while on a guided tour of Petite France Quarter gaining appreciation for covered bridges and canals of the extended waterways.
While some of our friends detoured to explore Colmar, a quaint town on the French side of the Rhine with picturesque half-timbered houses and a history that goes back over 1000 years, we preferred to visit our former hometown of Freiburg.  Surrounded by the ravishing mountains of the Black Forest on one side and the Rhine Valley with the French Vosges on the other, Freiburg is known as Germany’s sunniest place.  There is no better location to have an ice cream than at Lazzarin’s at the Rathausplatz.  We strolled over beautiful Rhine stone mosaics reminiscing about the Kaiser Joseph Street main shopping mile and ended our tour by accidentally stepping into the famous Bächle.  Stepping into the Bächle solidifies fate’s promise of a return to this beautiful land sometime in the near future.

For us, our wonderful time here on the AmaCello had to come to a close.  Looking up from this very paper, I visually captured the outlines of Basel with barges, boats, and cruise ships docking land side like a string of pearls.  Basel is our last stop where we will bid farewell to the AmaCello Rhine River cruise and begin our land program in Switzerland.
My husband nudges me gently, reminding me of a final indulgence that awaits me at the onboard spa.  When done with my massage and facial, we will certainly enjoy making plans for our next dream river cruise.  Maybe the Danube from Budapest to Vienna, or the Douro in Portugal.  How about a wine themed cruise on the Rhône and Seine in France, or even all the way to Vietnam and Cambodia?  There are several river cruises conducted in Europe, Russia, Asia, and Africa.  For now, I am going to enjoy the beautiful scenery while I finish my latte then meander to the spa, where I’ll relax and wonder where in the world our next journey will take us.
Ellen Rauchhaus
Ellen Rauchhaus, a native European, is a travel consultant for almost twenty years, a river cruise specialist and the owner of European Delights by TripDesign.  Ellen can be contacted at (248) 982 4547 or emailtripdesign4u@gmail.com.  More information can be found here: tripdesign4u.com and facebook.com/tripdesign4u.

AmaWaterways: Vietnam/ Cambodia, beautiful video about the Mekong river cruise on the AmaLotus

Watch this beautiful video and find yourself on the Mekong river in Vietnam and Cambodia on the AmaLotus. Indulge yourself into this exquisite river cruise vessel and see what a comfortable way of travelling these wonderful countries can be!

Convinced? Give us a call at 248 982 4547 or email us for your personal quote!

River Cruise - experience total immersion in a destination

Total immersion in a destination is both the beauty and the essence of river cruising. That total immersion also goes beyond guests' onboard experience. Step off the ship and you're in the center of a centuries-old town, walking along cobblestone streets and watching a city wake up.
Most ships have floor-to-ceiling windows that make you feel as though you're right in the towns, villages and farm fields you're gliding by. You can almost reach out and pick a flower or pet a grazing horse. And it's just one or two flights of stairs to get to the top of the ship, where it's just you, the sky and the world around you. Fishermen and kayakers wave at you and, depending on the port you're in, you step from the ship right onto city sidewalks.

Wertheim, Germany

The most known river to cruise is the Danube, which will take you through Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany or towards the Black Sea where you will pass through Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria. 

As the ship slips silently through the fast-moving current past green hills, stately castles and quaint countryside villages, it's not hard to understand why so many passengers have been thrilled while sailing the legendary Danube River. The winsomely picturesque river has been an iconic waterway for generations, serving as an enduring inspiration for musical and literary figures from Johann Strauss to Jules Verne. 

But there are many more rivers to explore, such as the Rhine, Main, the Seine through France or even the enduring Douro through Spain and Portugal. 
Or how about Africa with Ama Waterways' Zambezi Queen?
Russia from Moscow to St. Petersburg?
Even farther? Asia with Vietnam, Cambodia on the Mekong cruise? There is so much to explore and no limit with the essence of river cruising!

See, what Ama Waterways has to say about the beauty of river cruising.

Unpack once and get comfortable:
Visit different cities and countries while your hotel travels with you. A river cruise offers the amenities of a first-class hotel from which you'll never feel uprooted. Discover local delights in shore then return to your large, stylish stateroom. Relaxation comes easy. Watch the scenery slip by from your balcony as you leisurely sail to you next destination.

Dock right in the heart of historic cities:
Enjoy the excitement of waking up in a new town, docked just steps from markets, museums and landmarks. Ships rest close to the town center so you can easily sample local culture and favorite past times. Simply walk off the ship and into the heart of the city. Take a guided excursion or instantly blend in with daily life.

Discover the world's  most scenic waterways:
Cruise through some of Europe's oldest cities or on the world's most scenic waterways. These were the original highways between great cities built along the water's edge. Over the course of your journey, you'll find yourself surrounded by rolling vineyards, hilltop castles and time - honored cities. Vibrant locales not accessible by or that can take hours to reach by motor coach are up close and personal on a river cruise.

Intimate Environment, inclusive value:
With river vessels accommodating a mere 150 passengers, you will never wait in a long line to board or disembark. Smaller tours and intimate meal settings with open seating create a warm , personal atmosphere accentuated by five-star service. Your inclusive vacation provides incredible value from the champagne breakfast and free - flowing hand- selected European wines with dinner to a fleet of bicycles, free Internet access, included sightseeing excursions and a live cultural entertainment onboard. On a river cruise, your vacation's price tag doesn't keep adding up.

A smooth, relaxing way to cruise:
Constant, soft flowing river waters are always peaceful and smooth, so leave any fears of motion sickness behind. Take a dip in the pool or sink into the bubbling whirlpool, get pampered with decadent spa services or enjoy live music in the lounge. The deck invites at any time with a fresh river breeze and unforgettable changing scenery.

European Delights by TripDesign is your river cruise specialist. We have experienced the beauty and essence of river cruising ourselves and are proud to be an Ama Waterways accredited travel agency. We of course offer all other river cruise tour operators. 

You might also like to read Ellen's article in a local magazine about a Rhine river cruise!