If there is one thing we learned from our visit to Trier last year, it is that the Romans have been doing some serious construction and city-building in once-Germania. A considerable number of German cities still contain original and well-preserved Roman architecture. The Romans’ never-ending thirst for conquering new tribes and annexing new lands eventually led them into the northern lands of the Germanic tribes. Around the first and second century AD, the Roman Empire reached its largest expanse under emperor Traianus. At this time, the northern border of the Empire consisted of the Rhine and Danube river system. Along those rivers, a number of important forts and, later, cities,…

The famous Loreley rock. To be completely honest, our experience with the Rhine valley consisted of two separate visits. We visited Koblenz on a sunny afternoon and enjoyed every bit of it: taking some time at highlights such as the Vier Turme, Alte Burg, Florinskirche and St.-Kastor Basilica, eating delicious ice cream on the Am Plan Square and strolling around in a relaxed way until we finally reached the Deutsches Eck, where the Rhine and the Moselle converge. It was a great, sunny day and the water playground near the Deutsches Eck was big fun for the kids! A few days later, the weather was much colder, with rain and…