Trierer Dom

Top choice in Trier


Looming above the Roman palace of Helena (Emperor Constantine's mother), this cathedral is Germany's oldest bishop's church and still retains Roman sections. Today's edifice is a study in nearly 1700 years of church architecture with Romanesque, Gothic and baroque elements. Intriguingly, its floorplan is of a 12-petalled flower, symbolising the Virgin Mary.

To see some dazzling ecclesiastical equipment and peer into early Christian history, head upstairs to the Domschatz or around the corner to the Museum am Dom Trier.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Trier attractions

1. Domschatz

To peer into Christian history, from late Antiquity through to Romanesque, Gothic, baroque and the 19th and 20th centuries, head to the Domschatz. Along…

2. Liebfrauenbasilika

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Germany’s oldest Gothic church was built in the 13th century. It has a cruciform structure supported by a dozen pillars symbolising the 12 Apostles (look…

3. Hauptmarkt

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Anchored by a 1595 fountain dedicated to St Peter and the Four Virtues, Trier’s central market square is surrounded by medieval and Renaissance…

4. Museum am Dom Trier

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Trier's cathedral was built on the site of the palace of Helena (the mother of Emperor Constantine). The prized exhibit here is a 4th-century Roman…

5. St-Gangolf-Kirche

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Topped by a 62m-high tower, the Gothic St-Gangolf-Kirche was built in the early 15th century on the site of a 14th-century tower. It's reached via a…

6. Rotes Haus

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On the Hauptmarkt, the Rotes Haus was the house of the bakers' guild master and secretary of the cathedral chapter, Johann Wilhelm Polch.

7. Spielzeugmuseum

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Upstairs in the historic Steipe building on the Hauptmarkt, the Spielzeugmuseum is chock-full of miniature trains, dolls, wooden soldiers and other…

8. Konstantin Basilika

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Constructed around AD 310 as Constantine’s throne room, the brick-built basilica is now an austere Protestant church. With built-to-impress dimensions …