- Trier
When the Romans laid the foundation stone for the Porta Nigra in 170 AD, they could hardly have imagined its success story. After all, the city gate was only one of four in Trier at the time - and of many in the entire Roman Empire. Today, some 1850 years later, the "Black Gate" is the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps and THE sight to see when it comes to Roman rule in the areas of modern-day Germany.
So it is not difficult that we do not know one hundred percent what the Romans themselves called the Porta. What we do know is that it has been called Porta Nigra for at least 900 years. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986. And since time immemorial, people here in Trier have been its biggest fans. But of course we are happy to accept other groupies into our club. Prerequisite: They must have experienced our "Pochta" , as the people of Trier call her, live. They must have felt its stones, climbed its heights and experienced its contrasts. They must have walked from the light-flooded corridors of the upper floors to the dark rooms of the ground floors. You must have discovered its secrets from the monumental blocks of antiquity to the filigree reliefs of the Baroque. And you must have felt a tiny bit dizzy when you stood in the inner courtyard of the Porta and tried to grasp its size while looking upwards. We promise you: You'll get the shining eyes all by yourself.
On the map
General information
Openings
April - September: daily, 09:00 a.m. - 06:00 p.m.
October: daily, 09:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
November - February: daily, 10:00 a.m. - 04:00 p.m.
March: daily, 10:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
October: daily, 09:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
November - February: daily, 10:00 a.m. - 04:00 p.m.
March: daily, 10:00 a.m. - 05:00 p.m.
Next steps