Things to do in Trier
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Konstantin Basilika
Constructed around AD 310 as Constantine’s throne hall, the brick-built Konstantin Basilika (Aula Palatina) is now a typically austere Protestant church. Its dimensions (67m long and 36m high) are truly mind-blowing considering that it was built by the Romans. A new organ, with 87 registers and 6500 pipes, is being installed and should be ready in 2014.
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Porta Nigra
Top billing among Trier’s Roman monuments goes to the Porta Nigra, a brooding 2nd-century city gate that’s been blackened by time (hence the name, Latin for ‘black gate’). A marvel of engineering and ingenuity, it’s held together by nothing but gravity and iron rods. In the 11th century, Archbishop Poppo converted the structure into St Simeonkirche, a church named in honour of a Greek hermit who spent a stint holed up in its east tower.
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Stadtmuseum Simeonstift
Housed in a one-time monastery, this museum brings alive two millennia of local history with carefully chosen objects, many of them exquisite. Highlights include the Trier Kino (Trier Cinema), where you can see 78 short films of Trier, some made as far back as 1904. Admission includes a free audioguide in German, English or French. Situated right next to the Porta Nigra (and reached via the same entrance).
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Hauptmarkt
Anchored by a festive fountain (1595) dedicated to St Peter and the Four Virtues, Trier’s central market square is surrounded by medieval and Renaissance architectural treasures such as the Rotes Haus and the Steipe, which now house an attractive cafe and the Spielzeugmuseum chock full of miniature trains, dolls and other childhood delights. To get up there, take the elevator/lift in the back of the cafe, Zur Steipe.
On the south side, St-Gangolf-Kirche, a Gothic church built in the 14th and 15th centuries, is reached via an angel-bedecked, 18th-century baroque portal.
The Hauptmarkt hosts a small market daily except Sunday.
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Barbarathermen
Diehard thermal bath devotees will appreciate the Barbarathermen, closed for renovations at the time of research. In the meantime you can look over the fence at the foundations, cellars and floor-heating system, all of which survived a 17th-century raid for stones to build a school.
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Kurfürstliches Palais
The adjacent Kurfürstliches Palais, a pink rococo confection entered from the south (garden) side, looks out over the lawns, pools and fountains of the formal Palastgarten (palace garden), perfect for sunbathing on warm summer days.
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Dom
Built above the palace of Constantine the Great’s mother, Helena, this fortress-like cathedral is mostly Romanesque, with some soaring Gothic and eye-popping baroque embellishments.
To see some dazzling ecclesiastical equipment and peer into early Christian history, head upstairs to the Domschatz or go around the corner to the Bischöfliches Dom-und Diözesanmuseum The prized exhibit here is a 4th-century Roman ceiling from Helena’s palace, in vivid colours, that was pieced together from countless fragments.
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Cubiculum
This beer hall and restaurant, in a medieval cellar, serves light meals such as casserole but the unique speciality here is Pizzasalat - you guessed it, a pizza topped with a pile of salad. Occasionally has live music on Friday or Saturday.
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Amphitheater
Trier’s Roman amphitheatre, built in the late 2nd century AD, was once capable of holding 20,000 spectators during gladiator tournaments and animal fights – or when Constantine the Great crowned his battlefield victories by feeding his enemies to voracious animals. Situated about 700m to the southeast of the Kaiserthermen.
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Rheinisches Landesmuseum
This museum affords an extraordinary look at local Roman life. Highlights include a scale model of 4th-century Trier and rooms filled with tombstones, mosaics, rare gold coins and some fantastic glass.
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Dreikönigenhaus
The 13th-century Dreikönigenhaus is a late Gothic residence with a geometrically painted facade. Originally, the entrance was up on the 1st floor, reachable by stairs that could be retracted in case of danger.
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Zum Domstein
A German-style bistro where you can either dine like an ancient Roman or feast on more conventional German and international fare. Roman dishes are based on the recipes of Marcus Gavius Apicius (1st century AD).
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Liebfrauenkirche
This is one of Germany's earliest Gothic churches. The cruciform structure is supported by a dozen pillars symbolising the 12 Apostles and, despite its strict symmetry, has a light, mystical quality.
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Simplicissimus
An unpretentious café-bar with interesting old photos on the walls, rock on the PR system and waiters who've been known to get sloshed. Several other places to drink are right nearby.
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Europäische Kunstakademie
The Europäische Kunstakademie offers a wide variety of short courses (two days to nine weeks) in painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography and ceramics.
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TuFa
This vibrant cultural events venue, housed in a former Tuchfabrik (towel factory) – thus the name – hosts cabaret, live music of all sorts, theatre and dance performances.
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Astarix
A popular student cafe, in a funky part of town, with good pizza and Auflauf (casserole; €4.80 plus €0.40 for each added ingredient). Enter through the arcade.
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Kartoffel Kiste
A local favourite, this place specialises in baked, breaded, gratineed, soupified and sauce-engulfed potatoes, as well as schnitzel and steaks. Check out the extraordinary bronze fountain out front. Situated 400m south of the Hauptmarkt, half a block west of Brotstrasse.
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Thermen am Viehmarkt
Found by accident in the 1980s during the construction of a parking garage, these thermal baths are sheltered by a dramatic glass cube. The site is closed on Monday (or Tuesday when Monday is a public holiday).
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Städtisches Museum Simeonstift
The Städtisches Museum Simeonstift illustrates eight centuries of city history and also has collections of Coptic textiles and East Asian sculpture.
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Bischöfliches Dom-und Diözesanmuseum
The prized exhibit here is a 4th-century Roman ceiling from Helena's palace, in vivid colours, that was pieced together from countless fragments.
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Domschatz
To see some dazzling ecclesiastical equipment and peer into early Christian history, head to the Domschatz.
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Römerbrücke
This Mosel bridge still uses five of the 2nd-century support columns (out of seven) that have been holding it up since legionnaires crossed on chariots. Parts of the arches date from the 1300s.
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Becker's Weinbar
The ultramodern Becker's Weinbar offers 60 wines by the glass and a more experimental menu.
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Spielzeugmuseum
The Spielzeugmuseum is chock full of miniature trains, dolls and other childhood delights.
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