Porta Nigra: Germany’s Roman Gateway

The idea that the Romans left nothing behind in Germany collapses the moment you stand before Trier’s Porta Nigra. In fact the Black Gate is the largest surviving Roman city gate north of the Alps. Built from massive sandstone blocks in the 2nd century AD, its darkened stone bears witness to Roman engineering, medieval reinvention, and nearly two thousand years of European history.

Picture by Palauenc05, shared here with a Creative Commons license.