Above Traben are the remains of the vast Mont Royal fortress, constructed between 1687 and 1698 and designed by Vauban for Louis XIV as a base from which to project French power. Ruinously expensive, it was dismantled before completion by the French themselves under the Treaty of Ryswick. The 1.5km-long footpath up to the site begins at the upper end of Römerstrasse.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.67 MILES
Trier's most famous landmark, this brooding 2nd-century Roman city gate – blackened by time, hence the name, which is Latin for ‘black gate’ – is a marvel…
25.91 MILES
Constructed around AD 310 as Constantine’s throne room, the brick-built basilica is now an austere Protestant church. With built-to-impress dimensions …
18.84 MILES
At the head of the beautiful Moselle side-valley the Eltz, Burg Eltz is one of Germany's most romantic medieval castles. Never destroyed, this fairy-tale…
25.83 MILES
Looming above the Roman palace of Helena (Emperor Constantine's mother), this cathedral is Germany's oldest bishop's church and still retains Roman…
5.14 MILES
The Moselle might be better known for its wine, but a former Cistercian monastery, founded in the 13th century, now houses this extraordinary brewery,…
25.99 MILES
A scale model of 4th-century Trier and rooms filled with tombstones, mosaics, rare gold coins (including the 1993-discovered Trier Gold Hoard, the largest…
25.84 MILES
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…
26.11 MILES
Get a sense of the layout of this vast Roman thermal bathing complex with its striped brick-and-stone arches from the corner lookout tower, then descend…
Nearby Moselle Valley attractions
1.67 MILES
A magnificent 1906 Jugendstil former winery, designed by Bruno Möhring, is the unlikely home of the Buddha Museum, which has a beautifully presented…
1.75 MILES
A 1755 baroque villa proud of having hosted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for a few hours in 1792 is now home to Traben-Trarbach's local history museum…
1.91 MILES
The Grevenburg castle, built in the mid-1300s, sits high in the craggy hills above Trarbach, with incredible valley views. Because of its strategic…
4.38 MILES
Bernkastel’s pretty Marktplatz, a block inland from the bridge, is enclosed by a romantic ensemble of half-timbered houses with beautifully decorated…
4.38 MILES
Facing the bridge, this partly 14th-century-Gothic church has an ornate interior and some colourful stained glass. The tower was originally part of the…
4.41 MILES
Part of the St-Nikolaus-Hospital complex, this small museum has interactive screens (best appreciated by German speakers) and features such as an Aromabar…
4.41 MILES
Most of Kues’ sights, including the Mosel-Weinmuseum and Mosel Vinothek, are conveniently grouped near the bridge in the late-Gothic St-Nikolaus-Hospital,…
4.68 MILES
A rewarding way to get your heart pumping is heading from the Marktplatz up to this ruined 13th-century castle, framed by vineyards and forests on a bluff…