Trier: A Guide to Germany’s Oldest City

Trier (pronounced "tree-air") is located in the Mosel Wine Growing Region of Germany, on the Mosel River and near the border between Germany and Luxembourg. Trier is about 143 miles (230 km), or about a two-hour drive, away from Frankfurt, Germany.

As Germany's oldest city, Trier has a long history. The Roman troops first arrived in 30 BC to establish a military camp in the land of the Treveri people, and they called their new city Augusta Treverorum. In AD 152, the Romans built a stone bridge across the Mosel to replace their older, wooden one, and in AD 180 a town wall was built, including the Porta Nigra, which is the largest surviving Roman gate.

Constantius Chlorus makes Trier the official second capital of the Western Roman Empire in 293, and his son, Constantine the Great is later born and rules from here until about 316 when Constantinople becomes Constantine's main headquarters. His throne room in Trier, built around 310, is the largest surviving single room from antiquity.

A few years later construction is begun on the Cathedral, and it will continue to be renovated and expanded for the next 1,500 years. A lot goes on during that time. Trier is attacked by the Germanic Franks and the Huns in the fifth century, and destroyed by the Vikings in the ninth century.

In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, Trier briefly becomes annexed to France and then belongs to Prussia before returning to Germany. Trier is taken by General Patton's troops in 1945 and they help to ensure the original Roman Bridge is not destroyed, even though about 75% of the town is either destroyed or damaged in WWII.

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization whose mission is to protect the world's natural heritage, like the Great Barrier Reef, and cultural heritage, like the Pyramids of Egypt.

The Porta Nigra City Gate: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Porta Nigra, or Black Gate, is the largest surviving Roman city gate. They used no mortar to build it, instead fastening the blocks with iron clamps inserted into holes filled with molten lead. Some of the clamps are still visible. It's called the "Black Gate" because the sandstone blocks the Roman's used to build it in AD 180 gained a darkened appearance from pollution centuries ago. The name seems to have originated from the Middle Ages when the gate was used as a church. There are four stories, accessed by an interior spiral staircase. It's pretty dark inside, but the view of the town from the top windows is amazing. The Tourist Information is located just outside the gate, so it's the perfect place to begin a walking tour of the city

The gate is open April to September daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and October to March daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Main Market

The Main Market, or Hauptmarkt, has been in the same place since AD 958, where it was moved after the Viking's destruction of Trier. The market cross (featured in the photo at the very top of the page) is constructed from an original Roman column. Located near the market is the Judengasse, or Jew's Alley, that leads to the former medieval Jewish Quarter, through the Jews were actually expelled from Trier in 1414 and didn't return again until after 1600.

The House of the Three Magi

The House of the Three Magi, or Dreikönigenhaus, is located near the Main Market. Built in 1230, it is one of the oldest stone houses in Germany. Since it was built before the medieval defensive city wall was built, the house has its own defenses: a front door that is built into the second story. In the photo you can see there is now a business on the first level, but also a door floating to the right above it where the original residents attached a retractable wooden staircase, as a matter of protection. The Moorish style of the house was popular at the time.

St. Gangolf

After the Vikings destroyed the city in the ninth century, there was a church built near the Main Market that was replaced in the 14th century by the Gothic church of St. Gangolf. The church's tower is one of the tallest structures in the city at a height of 200 feet, or 61 meters. Our favorite part of the church was a tile mosaic in the entryway that depicted a knight (probably St. George) slaying a dragon.

The church is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., but there's no sightseeing during church services.

St. George's Fountain

The baroque St. George's Fountain, or Georgsbrunnen, is located in the Kornmarkt. The basin corners are decorated with statues representing the four seasons and the center obelisk is topped by St. George slaying the dragon.

The Trier Cathedral: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The history of Trier's Cathedral, or Dom, begins when Roman Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena, donated her house to the local bishop so that he could use the land for a church. Underneath the present day Cathedral, excavations uncovered the large, muraled ceiling of a stateroom, believed to be Helena's, which is now displayed in the Bishop's Museum.

Emperor Constantine is thought to have commissioned the Cathedral that was built in 313. The expansion of the Cathedral began in 329, making it the largest Christian church in Antiquity for awhile, and various expansions and renovations continued until the eighteenth century, with extensive restorations taking place in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Fifteen centuries of construction have resulted in a magnificent structure, but the Cathedral is more than just the building itself. Inside the Cathedral is one of Trier's famous relics: the Holy Robe of Christ. The reliquary of the Holy Robe is located on the east end of the Cathedral, behind the altar. It is said that Helena brought the Holy Robe, also called the Tunic of Christ, to Trier from Jerusalem. There have been many pilgrimages to Trier when the Robe has been on display, about a dozen times between 1513 and 1959, but only the box is visible to view now. There is no inconclusive evidence that it is really the Robe that the Roman soldiers cast lots for, and so it functions mainly as a symbol of faith for believers.

The Cathedral is full of tombs, sarcophagi, frescoes and marble statues, and displays a gorgeous Swallow's Nest organ. It is vast, visually stimulating and a little overwhelming, which is perhaps why it is my favorite of all the European churches I've visited, save for St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican City.

The Cathedral is open April to October daily from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and November to March daily from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Church of Our Lady: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Church of Our Lady, or Liebfrauenkirche, is the oldest Gothic church in Germany. The Church is attached to the south side of the Cathedral (Dom), and has Roman foundations, though everything above ground dates back to about 1235 or later.

The main part of the church is built in a crucifix pattern which is supported by twelve large columns. An interesting characteristic of this church is that there are twelve Gothic portraits of the Apostles, each one painted upon a separate column. But, you can only see all twelve paintings at the same time if you stand in one specific spot, designated by a black stone on the floor. It's fascinating to find the brick in the aisle floor and then see all of the paintings at once, which you simply cannot do from anywhere else in the church.

Unfortunately, the Church of Our Lady will be closed for two years time from January 2008 due to renovations.

The Bishop's Museum

The Bishop's Museum is next to the Cathedral (Dom) and is the home to, among many other items, the ceiling from the Constantinian palace that was found in the excavations beneath the Cathedral. They also have various displays of archaeological items and Christian art.

The museum is open April to October: Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5p.m. and Sundays and holidays 1-5 p.m., and November to March: Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays and holiday 1-5 p.m. and closed Mondays.

The Imperial Throne Room: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Imperial Throne Room, or Basilika, is the largest surviving room from Antiquity. The Basilika measures 90 feet wide by 220 feet long (27 x 67 meters) and is 108 feet (33 meters) high. The original roof from the fourth century was replaced after being destroyed by bombs in WWII, but most of the structure is original from its approximate AD 310 construction.

Emperor Constantine built the Basilika and used it as his throne room, though it later became part of the Archbishop's palace and is today used as a Protestant church.

The Basilika is constructed of red clay bricks, which is what you see today. But during its heyday, the Basilika was an extravagant structure with plaster walls ornamented by geometric patterns painted in bright colors and inlaid with marble panels, with a ceiling supported by elegant, Corinthian columns, and under-floor heating running beneath the tiled floor.

This does not mean that the Basilika is no longer impressive. On the contrary, it is amazingly striking in its simplicity and magnificent with its grand dimensions. Photographs just don't do justice to the cool, cavernous masterpiece.

The Basilika is open April to October: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday noon to 6 p.m., and November to March: Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to noon and 3-4 p.m., Sundays noon to 1 p.m., and closed Mondays. There is no sightseeing during church services and concerts.

The Electoral Palace

The Electoral Palace, or Kurfürstliches Palais, is built onto the east side of the Basilika. The three wings of the palace were built between 1615 and 1756 in a Rococo style that is accented by a peachy-pink paint color against the white plaster details.

The color may be, well, a little strange, but it is a nice contrast against the rolling green grass of the Palace Garden (palastgarten). Since the Palace is a working administrational building, it is rare to gain access to the inside, and so the Garden is the real attraction.

The Gardens feature a variety of styles from Baroque to Greco-Roman and are spotted with classical statues. The gardens are not extensive, but are along the walking tour from the Basilika to the Archaeological Museum and Imperial Baths, and the reflecting pool is lined with benches for a relaxing spot to take in the beautiful scenery while resting your feet.

The Archaeological Museum

The Archaeological Museum, or Landesmuseum, claims to have the richest collection of Roman finds in Germany and the largest collection of gold coins from Antiquity. They feature a variety of artifacts from the Stone Age through the nineteenth century, including displays of Piesport-Niederemmel Pagan and Christian finds and Stone Age, Celtic, Merovingian, medieval and, of course, Roman artifacts.

One item of display in the museum is the Roman Wine Ship, or Römisches Weinschiff, from AD 180 that's shown in a photograph near the top of the page. This Wine Ship is actually a replica that I photographed on the streets of Trier because, much to our great disappointment, during both of our visits to Trier in 2006 the museum was closed due to renovations.

The Archaeological Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and closed Mondays. Adult entry is 5 Euro, students with IDs are 3 Euro, children up to five are free, and there are discounts for groups and families.

The Imperial Baths: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Imperial Baths, or Kaisertherman, were constructed circa AD 293 and they are one of the largest Roman baths ever built. The main reason they were built is because the nearby Barbara Baths of Trier were the second largest baths in the Roman Empire at the time, but they were too small to accommodate the local population.

Public baths were an important part of Roman life and this complex is extensive. There were cold, warm and hot baths, each in separate but connected bathing rooms, changing rooms, a huge courtyard surrounded on three sides by a colonnade and used as a sports ground, as well as an intricate underground tunnel system that functioned as service passages and sewage channels.

The baths were not only for bathing, they were also for socializing, gambling and relaxing and offered the services of salons, libraries and pubs. The foundation of the Imperial Baths measures 480 x 820 feet (145 x 250 meters), which would fit almost three football fields, and even though most of the baths above ground is in ruins, the underground labyrinth of tunnels is open to the public.

The Imperial Baths are open April through September 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., October 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November through February 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and March 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Adult entry is 2,10 Euro, students are 1,60 Euro and children are 1 Euro.

The Roman Amphitheater: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Roman Amphitheater was built in the second century and seats 20,000 people. It was used for entertainment in ancient times, with the doomed prisoners and the exotic animals that were to carry out their bloody death sentences kept in the cellar until show time, and it is still used today for summer festivals because of its great acoustics.

It's actually oval in shape, but appears circular if you climb to the top near the gate. The cellar is open to the public and, like the rest of the Amphitheater, it's not huge, but it's fascinating to walk through the dank cellar of an eighteen-hundred-year-old Roman amphitheater and hear the whispers of history in the chilly echoes of your footfalls.

It's a bit of a walk from the Imperial Baths to reach the Amphitheater, so although most of the sites listed here are within a decent walking distance to each other, I would highly suggest driving to the Amphitheater. I also suggest this because we tried to find it on foot and got lost.

The Amphitheater is open April through September 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., October 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., November through February 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and March 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Adult entry is 2,10 Euro, students are 1,60 Euro and children are 1 Euro.

St. Matthias

The Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias, built in 1148, is located on the south side of Trier. It is the final resting place of Saint Matthias (Matthew), the only apostle buried north of the Alps. His sarcophagus is in the church itself, at the end of the left aisle, and in the crypt are the sarcophagi of Trier's first bishops, said to have been sent to Trier by St. Peter himself.

St. Matthias has a variety of architectural styles, including Baroque and Gothic, and it's a stunning building. Worth a visit, even if you're not interested in the burial site of an apostle, but - again - this is best found by car and not on foot.

St. Matthias is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., but there's no sightseeing during church services.

The official site of Trier's Tourist Information is a great place to read all about Trier's current events like seasonal festivals. You can also read about and purchase the TrierCard and maps, guide books, and various souvenirs.

The Forum Baths

Discovered only a couple decades ago (in 1987) underneath WWII air-raid shelters, the Forum Baths are the smallest baths in Trier. They date from AD 100, but are well preserved. They are encased in a large glass cube that's about three stories tall, even though the ruins are all below ground level.

The Forum Baths are open Tuesday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and are closed Mondays. Adult entry is 2,10 Euro, students are 1,60 Euro and children are 1 Euro.

The Barbara Baths: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Barbara Baths were the largest Roman baths when they were built in the second century and are only about one-third excavated. The ruins were used as a castle in the Middle Ages, and some of the stones were used to make the Jesuit College in 1610.

Unfortunately, the Barbara Baths are closed to visitors until further notice.

The Roman Bridge: A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage

The Romans first built a wooden bridge across the Mosel River circa 18 BC at a point that is believed to have been used as a crossing since the Stone Age. The Romans later replaced the wooden bridge with a stone bridge about AD 152, with a construction method similar to that of the Porta Nigra. The arches and roadway are from the eighteenth century, but the pilings are still original to the second century.

The Jesuit Church and Theological Seminary

In the thirteenth century it was the Gothic Franciscan Church of the Holy Trinity, then a Jesuit Church in 1561, a Protestant Church in 1815, and a Catholic Church in 1857. Friedrich Spee, a Jesuit poet, is buried in the crypt and Karl Marx went to school here. Today the Jesuit Church, or Jesuitenkirche, it is a theological seminary with a seminary library and diocese archives.

St. Paulin

In the fourth century, St. Paulin church was built in a Roman cemetery. That church was destroyed in a fire in 1093, and its replacement was blown up in 1674. The church built next still stands and is well known for its detailed interior paintings and sculptures.

St. Maximin

Now a multi-purpose hall, it was built to be an abbey church in 1684, but the foundations date to the fourth century. The Roman cemetery contains nearly 300 sarcophagi.

St. Antonius

A Late Gothic church, St. Antonius is a simple but elegant structure, built between 1458 and 1514. The church contains a Rococo alter from 1762 which is decorated with figures of the Evangelists, the Church Fathers and Dominicans.

The Karl Marx Museum

The Karl Marx Museum, or Karl-Marx-haus, is a building from 1727, and it is the birthplace and home of Karl Marx. The museum contains first editions of Marx's "Communist Manifesto" and "Das Kapital," as well as original photos, documents and manuscripts.

The Museum is open April to October: daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and November to March: Tuesday through Sunday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Mondays 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where Do I Find a Good Map or Guide Book?

The best place to find a good map or guide book of Trier is at the Tourist Information center. This was the first place we visited and while there picked up an excellent, cheap, easy-to-carry guide book called "Walking Tours through Trier: From 30 minutes to 3 hours," which includes a city map. This book, among many others, can also be found at the official Tourist Information website which you can visit by clicking here and then clicking on "Trier-Shop" near the top of the page and searching though the Books. Make sure that if you want one in English, that you get a book with a British or American flag on it!

Also, try browsing the links at the top of the page like "General Information," "Sights," and "Guided Tours" to help you plan your trip.

When Should I Visit Trier?

My husband and I saw Trier in January and in April. In January it was cold and dreary with a biting wind and snow on the ground - but there were no tourists. None. Well, okay, there were probably five or six tourists roaming the streets, but winter is a great time to travel if you want to avoid crowds. You must, however, take certain things into consideration, like the weather. We don't mind the cold and we loved having entire ruins and churches all to ourselves, but having a gray and bleary background in all of our photos is a little frustrating. Also, it's harder to find guided tours in the off-season (which we rarely utilize anyway), the days are shorter and places tend to have shorter opening hours. April had warmer weather and slightly bluer skies, at least until it started raining.

My advice? Go when you can and just plan for the elements: heavy coats in the winter, umbrellas in the spring, and no matter when you go, be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes. If you want to avoid crowds, go in the off-season, but try to avoid visiting Trier on a Monday, especially if you're only going for the day, since many attractions and museums are closed on Mondays!

How Long Should I Stay in Trier?

The first time we visited Trier we stayed for two and a half days and were never bored. Our second trip lasted half a day and topped out at maybe five hours. So whether you are planning a trip solely for the purpose of seeing Trier or if you're just passing through on your way to somewhere else, it's well worth the visit because even though there's more than enough to see to keep you busy for days, most of the sites you'll want to see are within walking distance of each other and can be seen quickly if necessary.

I would suggest getting a hotel and spending the night so that you have plenty of time to explore the myriad sites of Trier while taking the time to understand the historical significance and not just rushing through. Plus, you could use Trier as a home base to see the rest of the Mosel valley.

What's the Best Way to Get Around?

The best way to see Trier is on foot. Nearly everything you'll want to see can be found within a half mile (less than a kilometer) of each other, and many things are located near the Main Market, which is mostly a pedestrian zone and so walking is pretty much required through there. The Amphitheater and some of the churches, like St. Matthias, should be driven to and it's best for you to decide for yourself once you look at a map of the city. Tourist Information should be able to give you a local bus schedule as well.

You can arrive in Trier by train and the Trier Hauptbahnhof (main train station) is a short walk from the Porta Nigra.

Where Should I Stay?

We stayed at the Park Plaza Hotel in Trier. It was elegant, clean, had a nice restaurant, and, best of all, it had a secure parking garage that exited out onto a side street just steps from the Main Market. The Park Plaza would be my suggestion. See below for more information on this hotel.

Is There Any Sightseeing Around Trier?

Trier is located in the Mosel Wine-Growing region of Germany, a beautiful area draped in vineyards. There's a lot around the Mosel (or Moselle) River, including castles like Burg Eltz and Burg Bischofstein. Also, Trier is a stone's throw away from Luxembourg.

You can read all about Mosel Tourism at the official Moselland Tourism website. And even though we usually prefer to travel by car, Germany has a great public transportation system, so don't feel restricted to one place if you're without a car!

I Have Only a Few Hours, What Should I See?

If you only have a few hours, this is the course I would take: Start at Tourist Information (telephone +49 651 978080) which is right near the Porta Nigra and pick yourself up a cheap map or guide book. Visit the Porta Nigra and climb to the top level for a view of the city. Next, make your way into the Main Market where you can see the Market Cross and the House of the Three Magi. Then visit the Cathedral (Dom) and (if the renovations have been completed) see the Church of Our Lady.

Take a short walk to the Basilika and Electoral Palace and Gardens, then walk along the medieval wall to the Imperial Baths and be sure to explore the underground tunnel system. Then (if you've parked your car near the Porta Nigra) walk back towards the Main Market, stopping for some lunch and/or gelato, and then drive to St. Matthias and then to the Amphitheater.

You may prefer to see these sites in a different order, possibly because you're constricted to the city bus schedule, but these are the places I'd highlight as the must-see sites on a tight schedule.