Trier travel guide

The Porta Nigra (Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain)

Trier on the banks of the Moselle, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, is the country's oldest city, dating from Roman times. In 2019, it had 112,000 inhabitants.

Understand

Trier is rich in ruins from the Roman Empire (protected by UNESCO), such as the Porta Nigra, the Roman baths and Roman amphitheater. As Trier was founded by the Romans as Augusta Treverorum, it can dispute the title of "oldest German city" with Augsburg, Cologne, Kempten and Xanten. Unlike the somewhat provincial and quaint feel the town exudes today, it was actually one of the centers of power during the Imperial Crisis of the 3rd century AD, and certainly the most important Roman town of the province of Germania.

Besides its ample Roman heritage, Trier is also known as the birthplace of Karl Marx, a fact that the city has had difficulty grappling with during more anti-communist times, but now widely markets for tourism.

Basilica of Constantine (Photo: Soloneying, CC BY-SA 4.0)

Get in

By plane

There are several airports in the vicinity with reasonable access to Trier.

• Luxembourg Airport (LUXIATA) is about 50 km (31 mi) away.
• Low-cost carrier hub "Frankfurt"-Hahn (HHNIATA) is 75 km (47 mi) east of Trier. There are roughly-hourly Flibco buses. This airport is also reachable by bus from Bullay in 51 minutes, which can be reached using IC trains (34 minutes from Trier Hbf).
• Frankfurt Airport (FRAIATA) is about 210 km (130 mi) away. The train from there would be about 3 hours via Saarbrücken or Koblenz.

By train

Trains arrive hourly at Trier Hbf. from Saarbrücken, Mannheim, Luxembourg, Koblenz and Cologne. Timetable and ticket information can be found at Deutsche Bahn.

By car

Trier is connected by the European motorway E44 from Luxembourg City (50 km) and Koblenz (100 km), and the E422 from Saarbrücken (100 km).

Trier is connected to the Autobahn A6. This city is about one hour from Kaiserslautern or two hours from Mannheim.

By boat

There are some cruise trips from Koblenz to Trier. However, they are expensive.

Get around

Walking is the best way to travel around the city, though a vehicle is good when visiting the stadium. Also there is a scenic overview up the hill by the stadium where you can see the entire city. The city tours take you up there.

See

Roman Amphitheatre (Photo: Nick-D, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Trier Cathedral (Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0)

• Porta Nigra, Porta-Nigra-Platz. Built between 186 and 200 AD this is the largest Roman city gate still standing north of the Alps.
• Barbara Baths (Barbarathermen). Large ruins of Roman baths
• Trier Imperial Baths (Kaiserthermen), Weimarer Allee 2. Roman baths
• Roman amphitheater, Bergstraße 45. It used to host 20,000 spectators.
• Forum Baths, ☏ +49 651 9941057. Roman baths
• Basilica of Constantine (Aula Palatina), Konstantinplatz. Roman palace basilica that was built by the emperor Constantine at the beginning of the 4th century.
• Roman Bridge Trier (Römerbrücke). Over the river Mosel, nine bridge pillars date from the 2nd century AD
• Trier Cathedral (Hohe Domkirche St. Peter zu Trier), Liebfrauenstraße 12. Incorporates part of a church built by Emperor Constantine and contains the relic of the Holy Robe.
• St. Paulinus Church (Sankt Paulinskirche), Palmatiusstraße 4. It has a lovely Baroque interior.
• Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), Liebfrauenstraße 2. One of the earliest Gothic buildings in Germany.
• St. Matthias' Abbey, Matthiasstraße 85. A Benedictine monastery, centered on a Romanesque basilica which contains Matthew the Apostle's relics, a point of pilgrimage.
• Rheinisches Landesmuseum, Trier, Weimarer Allee 1. One of the most important archeological museums in Germany
• Karl-Marx-Haus (Karl Marx's birth place), Brückenstraße 10. Where Karl Marx was born, in 1818. It contains a museum about Marx and Marxism. It is, rather unsurprisingly, the city's biggest draw.
• Judengasse. A former Jewish Street that is now home to many bars.
• old Jewish cemetery (Jüdische Friedhöfe), Weidegasse. From the 17th century.
• Old Crane (Alter Krahnen). Harbour crane dating from 1413.
• Customs Crane (Zollkran). 18th-century crane.

Do

Interior of St. Paul (Sankt Paulin) Church (Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain)

• Weinkulturpfad. A simple walk over the hill through vineyards, with a few spots explaining the process. Follow the signposted road up the hill next to the amphitheatre, then turn off to walk through the vines and get great views over the valley of Olewig. Take the exit at Olewig and you can stop in to the Blesius Garten.

Learn

Trier hosts a University as well as a University of Applied Sciences (the so-called Fachhochschule).

The Fachhochschule is in sight of the city. The first buildings were built in 1944 and were used by the Nazis to educate the next generation of soldiers. After the war, the complex was not officially used as a school. In the 1970s the University of Trier was refounded and used the buildings until a new university complex was built on the other side of the Mosel valley. Since then the Fachhochschule uses the complex.

Eat

Budget

There are many kebab stores all over the city.

All these are in the city centre:

• Astarix, Karl-Marx-Straße 11 (next to the theater, in the south-west of the inner city), ☏ +49 651 72239. Inexpensive and tasty meals such as pizza (with your choice of toppings), casseroles, salads etc. can be found in the formerly student-owned pub and restaurant.
• New Mintons, Jakobstraße 13 (a few minutes away from the main square), ☏ +49 651 9790265. When visiting on a Tuesday be sure to check out the special deal. They have schnitzelabend where you can order any schnitzel with fries and salad for a special price between 18:00 and 22:00.
• Cubiculum, Hosenstraße 2.
• Sieh um Dich, Glockenstraße 8.
• Zuppa, Sichelstraße 18.
• Derwisch Kebap Haus, Neustraße 93.
• Restaurant Aleppo Trier, Stockplatz 1.

Mid-range

• Kartoffel Kiste, Fahrstraße 13, ☏ +49 651 9790066. German dishes, every way you can serve a potato.
• Alt Zalawen, Zurlaubener Ufer 79.
• früh bis spät, 6-7, Glockenstraße.

Splurge

• Becker's, Olewiger Straße 206, ☏ +49 651 938080. A two-star Michelin restaurant in the Olewig area of Trier.
• Schlemmereule, Sieh um Dich 1B.
• Plaza Grill - Restaurant & Lounge, Nikolaus-Koch-Platz 1.

Drink

Karl Marx birthplace, a Baroque building constructed in 1727 and now containing a museum of Marx and Marxism (Photo: Berthold Werner, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Trier lies at the heart of a famous wine region. In recent decades, vintners have added reds (especially Spätburgunder) and rosés to the traditional whites (especially Riesling). Apart from the standard wines and beers (Trier - Löwenbräu, Cologne - often Gaffel Kölsch, Bitburg - Bitburger), one should definitely try Viez. Viez is a natural, refreshing apple wine, which many prefer with a splash of orange soda Viez/Limo or with half sparkling mineral water Viez-Sprudel because of the tartness. In October, many enjoy freshly pressed apple juice (süßen Viez) or mixing this unfermented juice with half regular Viez. The drink is traditionally served in a white porcelain or stoneware mug holding 0.4 l.

• Blesius Garten, Olewiger Str. 135 (in Olewig, a couple of kilometres east of the amphitheatre). Easy to reach from the amphitheatre, either along the main road or by walking over the hill along over the Weinkulturpfad, this complex has a hotel, a nice beer garden with good food, and, most importantly, their own excellent brewery, Kraft-Bräu. Makes a good change from the Bitburger and a good destination for an afternoon.
• Weinstube Kesselstatt, Liebfrauenstraße 10 (opposite the cathedral). 10:00-00:00. Great selection of local wines in a nice building with a leafy courtyard opposite the cathedral. Also has light meals like cheese.
• Zum Petrusbräu, Kalenfelsstraße 3. 16:00-00:00. Brewery with some good beers, nice garden, simple meals and a very local vibe.

Nightlife

On www.nightlife-trier.de

• you can find a lot of events in town and Kreis Trier-Saarburg. You can also find some bars on this homepage.

Metropolis, Hindenburgstraße 4.

• Musikpark A1, Über Brücken 4.
• Club Toni, Domfreihof 1A.

Sleep

Prince-Elector's Palace (Photo: Berthold Werner, Public domain)

Budget

• Youth hostel Trier (Römerstadt- Jugendherberge Trier), An der Jugendherberge 4, ☏ +49 651 146620. Directly on the banks of the Moselle. about €20/night.
• Treviris camper parking, In Den Moselauen (Under Mosel bridge). Big parking area. Showers, toilet. No power.

Mid-range

• Blesius Garten, Olewiger Straße 135, ☏ +49 651-36060. Very welcoming hotel, based in the Olewig area of Trier, has its own brewery on site. Rooms are well maintained, staff were friendly & helpful. About 2.5 km outside of the city centre. From €100.
• Casa Chiara, Engelstraße 8, ☏ +49 651-270730. Around the corner from Porta Nigra, this is a solid 3-star hotel with vaguely Italian-style rooms and a sunny roofed garden for breakfast. From €70.
• Hotel Frankenturm, Dietrichstraße 3, ☏ +49 651-978240, fax: +49 651-9782449. A boutique hotel in the Old City a block away from the Main Market. Twelve modern and distinctively furnished rooms above a charming restaurant. En suite bath for €20 extra. From €65.
• Nells Park, Dasbachstraße 12, ☏ +49 651 14440. About 3 km out of Trier, easily accessible by bus, and as the name suggests, within a park. All rooms are individually decorated and in varying states of renovation (ask for a new one). Parking was a bit tight, but plenty of parking on the road next to the hotel. Excellent food too. From €120.
• Römischer Kaiser, Porta-Nigra-Platz 6. Nice modernisation of an old building on the main road, next to the Porta Nigra. Elevator, good staff, champagne breakfast, fancy restaurant, some rooms have views. €100.

Stay safe

Trier is a relatively safe city. Standard travel safety applies. The railway station can be intimidating at night.

Go next

• Konz
• Luxembourg

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