As a recent walking tour ended in front of Trier's ancient Porta Nigra gate, an Italian visitor stopped his guide and exclaimed, "This is even better than Rome!"

It wasn't the Riesling talking. Germany's oldest city, Trier contains the largest collection of ancient Roman buildings outside of Rome - with nary a touch of that city's traffic and in a more concentrated, pedestrian-friendly area. In Trier, travelers can walk past and inside the Porta Nigra, the Roman Empire's largest intact city gate. They can gaze in wonder at the size and majesty of the Basilika, used in the early 4th century by Emperor Constantine as an audience hall and throne room, and with the largest unsupported room of antiquity. They can explore the expansive ruins of the Imperial Baths, remodeled during the 4th century as a barracks for more than 1,000 soldiers. Many of the walls still stand. They can see the foundation of Germany's oldest bridge, then as now a gateway to the Mosel vineyards first established by the Romans.

Visitors who sit on the Amphitheater's terraced seats can easily imagine the roar of 20,000 spectators, the snarls of tigers and the cries and groans of gladiators and prisoners of war. It was here that Romans gathered to watch animal fights as a prelude to fights between man and beast and, ultimately, man against man to the death. In the dank dungeons, one can still imagine the last moments before the condemned were forced into the arena.

Founded in 16 B.C. under Emperor Augustus, Trier expanded as an imperial residence and capital of the Western Roman Empire. To serve its emperors and a growing population, the Romans built a city of such unprecedented proportions that it was known as Roma Secunda. At its height, Trier's population reached 80,000 - just 20,000 short of today's figure.

Despite the fall of the Roman Empire and Trier's decline during the Dark Ages, Trier rebounded strongly during the Middle Ages thanks to the power of the Catholic Church and the city's role as residence of archbishops and prince electors. As a result, Trier also offers an extensive collection of medieval, renaissance and baroque buildings. Early 20th-century prosperity also brought about the construction of charming Jugendstil buildings.

 This and the following pages of the article appeared in its original form in Gemütlichkeit Travel Newsletter.