On a rainy Saturday, we took a drive to Trier for some lunch and shopping. We have been to Trier several times and we always end up near the Porta Nigra for lunch, visit the Cathedral , and just walk around town. Although we have seen Roman ruin sites in better condition, we still found the Kaiserthermen a great place to explore.
Building the Kaiserthermen began around AD. It was a massive complex…among the largest baths ever built in the whole Roman Empire and the largest north of the Alps. It is more than meters wide, meters long and could serve several thousand visitors at the same time. Constantine the Great built the baths in the 4th century to rival the baths in Rome. Some external walls, up to 19 meters high remain, but the majority of the existing site consists of the foundations and the underground tunnels that were part of the heating system.
These passageways are still accessible today and available for exploration. Back in the day, the Romans enjoyed hot and cold baths, a hollow-floor heating system and special areas for sports. They bathed naked…and not always separately. Apparently, they could also get a massage, have body hair removed by tweezers or wax and be cleaned with the help of scrapers, pumice stone or fermented urine.
This, I did not need to know. If nothing else, the Kaiserthermen shows the vast systems of baths and saunas used by the Romans and gives you an idea of just how important Trier was during Roman times.
There is a small museum in the entrance building which is worth a look. And, of course, the marble foot taken from a colossal statue of Emperor Constantine. This was a great find for our day trip to Trier. If you are planning to visit Trier, I recommend adding this to your list of things to see. It is not clearly marked, but it is for buses only and you WILL get a ticket. Trust me on this. Opening Hours: April -September daily from 9 a. October and March daily from 9 a. November-February daily from 9 a.
