
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
One of the buildings in Trier’s main shopping street that makes visitors stop and stare is a white, orange and brown painted building that at first glance thought might be art deco, but quickly realised is far too old for that and has it’s windows in strange places.
There is a decorative shield on the wall, but also an information plaque on the wall which Himself translated for me as much as he could.
It reads: ” The House of Three Kings“, “The original house ” Zum Säulchen” further developed into a residential tower with a façade that around 1230 changed from Roman style to Gothic.
The painting style is late “staufisch” dynasty style.
The main entrance was reached by stairs. Previous residents included that of an alderman family from Trier.
Renovated / restored 1938 and 1973. ”
There were a few words that he didn’t know and which we also couldn’t find in our German dictionaries, but we got the general idea.
I was however interested in tying to find out more so looked on line and found more information (website links at the bottom of this post) which revealed this to be called this the “House of the Three Magi” (Dreikoenigenhaus).
There I learned: “… built when the medieval wall around Trier was not yet finished, the main entrance was the door on the first floor that was reached by ladder or retractable stairs, a necessary defensive feature”.
Now the penny drops because we saw a similar but older residential tower, the “Frankenturm” when we arrived here.
‘The doors at street level are a modern addition, the building now houses a café so patrons have some limited access but the rest of the building is not open to the public.”
It’s an interesting building that keeps it’s photogenic qualities along with much of it’s history and it also goes to prove that when some tradesman all those centuries ago told the client that his work could be relied upon to be ” built to last”, he certainly meant it!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)