After our stroll along the Moselle following the old wall contours of Trier we now head towards the Dom following first the same route we have taken the day before from Porta Nigra to the Central Square. We find one more interesting thing along the way, the house where Karl Marx and his parents moved after he was born in the current Karl Marx Museum house. Otherwise it is quite hot and we are thinking of getting some ice cream but for now can only find stands serving hot food which are quite popular also for some reason.
We spend some time again in the Central Square taking photos from different angles but then it gets too hot so we decide to hide into the Cathedral nearby.
We have seen the Trier Dom from outside yesterday but today our plan is to actually enter the cathedral. It is a really popular attraction with lots of tourists but it is also quite a large cathedral so you don’t really notice it. It is the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier famous for its long life span and grand design. The central part of the nave was built of Roman brick in the early fourth century, resulting in a cathedral that was added onto gradually in different eras. It is also in Romanesque style compared to many other ones in Germany which are built in Gothic style.
We then start exploring the cathedral, there is a section that is dedicated to migrants that we assume wasn’t here when we visited before. A sign confirms that this section was rebuilt relatively recently.
There are a few interesting burials in the middle of the church, a bit surprising given that in most cases they are along the walls. And they are in a specific style, quite a beautiful one.
We take in the great views of the cathedral from the side altar to the other end of the cathedral which seems so so far away. But at least it is much cooler here and we can function much better without being beaten down by the unrelenting rays of the sun.
We then continue exploring the cathedral enjoying the many details throughout it. As it is not in Gothic style it is a bit more restrained but there are golden area and there are decorated sections. They just aren’t through the cathedral.
We then make our way towards the altar and the section on the other side of the cathedral where we hope we can catch a glimpse of the Holy Robe passing a few more tombs of the many Archbishop-Electors of Trier, they were between the seven most important people in the Holy Roman Empire as they were electing the Emperor.
Reaching the other side of the church we notice an entrance behind an altar and of course we have to explore. It leads first to a nice overlook of the church from behind the main altar, quite an unusual view as in most cases you are not allowed to access this area.
At the end of the climb is the Holy Robe which is something we wanted to see. Unfortunately it is under lock and key behind a glass window that barely allows a look through it. Above there is a hole with no glass so we have no idea why there is a glass impeding the view at eye level, initially we assumed it is to maintain some type of atmospheric composition or temperature to protect the Holy Robe.
Next we enter the Cathedral Treasury Museum, it seems like a short visit and we really wanted to see what they are exhibiting. To our surprise it is even smaller than we expected, one room, and we are the only visitors.
Of course the whole museum is full of golden objects and relics and crosses and other religious items. Exactly what you would expect including a few beautiful hand written religious books with some impressive covers.
We explore the different objects on display in the many cabinets along the walls but the star attraction seems to be the Congregation Madonna from the 18th century which is in the middle of the room and visible from everywhere.
But the actual major attraction is the Portable Altar of Saint Andrew, also called the Egbert Shrine. This one houses the some of a sandal of St Andrew and a few other relics.
There is also Holy Nail Reliquary with the container made of gold protecting the actual Holy Nail from the Cross of Jesus. Of course the major relic here is the Holy Robe but that one can be seen only rarely, about every decade, which makes it even more surprising that we have seen it before.
We then walk through the outside cloister that supposedly connects the Cathedral with the Church of Our Lady according to the map of the complex. However after exploring for some time we come to the realization that all the connecting corridors are closed and we have to reach it via the exterior entrance, not sure why they did it this way.
The views however are quite impressive and we still have shade in the covered corridors so we enjoy our exploration but soon we have to move on, it is time to see the Church of Our Lady, the other Unesco World Heritage Site building here.
