Trier is over 2,000 years old – and yet a weekend here never feels like a trip to a museum. Between Roman wonders of the world you'll find wine taverns, cafés and the banks of the Moselle. Here's our fully revised guide: the loveliest places to visit, our favourite restaurants and the perfect 48-hour plan – exactly as we'd recommend it to our guests in person.
The best places to visit at a glance
🏛️Porta NigraThe best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps and Trier's landmark – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Early in the morning you'll have it almost to yourself.Old town · approx. €6 entry, the combination ticket is worth it
⛪Cathedral & LiebfrauenkircheGermany's oldest cathedral, with one of the country's earliest Gothic churches right next door – both UNESCO World Heritage, free entry.2 min from the Hauptmarkt
🏺Kaiserthermen & amphitheatreRoman bathing culture with underground passages you can walk through, and the arena where gladiators once fought – easy to combine in a single stroll.Tip: during the Rhineland-Palatinate summer holidays 2026, children & teenagers get in free
⛲Hauptmarkt & old townOne of Germany's most beautiful market squares. From here, lanes lead off to cafés, coffee roasters and little shops – and in summer, winemakers pour their wines at the wine stand right on the square.The heart of the city
🌄MariensäuleThe best view over the whole of Trier – high above the Moselle valley on the Pallien side, and especially magical at sunset.Above Pallien · on foot from Red Rock Home
🚣Zurlaubener UferThe old fishing village on the banks of the Moselle: colourful little houses, beer gardens and evening sun by the water. The Moselle boat trips leave from here too.Perfect for balmy evenings
🚴Moselle Cycle PathOne of Europe's loveliest river cycle routes runs right through the city – downstream to Konz and the Saar–Moselle confluence it's an easy 10 kilometres.Bikes available to hire in the city centre
🗿Igeler SäuleThe best-preserved Roman funerary monument north of the Alps, in the middle of the little village of Igel – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a quick, rewarding detour.10 min by car towards Luxembourg
🖼️Karl-Marx-HausThe birthplace of Trier's most famous son is now a modern museum about his life and times.Brückenstraße · old town
🍇Weindorf OlewigThe wine village of Olewig, home to Trier's winemakers on the edge of the city: tastings straight from the producer, a wine trail through the vines – and our Olewig Suite right in the middle of it all.10 min from the centre
Eating & drinking: our addresses
Hand-picked and personally tested – no paid listings.
🏛️Zum DomsteinTraditional house · HauptmarktGerman and regional cooking right on the Hauptmarkt – with one speciality: dishes based on recipes by the Roman gourmet Apicius, served above an original Roman cellar.Directions ↗
🍷Weinstube KesselstattWine tavern · by the cathedralThe classic opposite the Liebfrauenkirche: Moselle wines by the glass with honest regional cooking – and in summer one of the loveliest spots to sit in the old town.Directions ↗
🦉SchlemmereuleFine dining · Palais Walderdorff by the cathedralRefined cooking in the historic palais right on the Domfreihof – a fixture for years whenever the evening calls for something special.Directions ↗
🦢BagatelleFine dining · Zurlaubener UferCreative cooking in the old fishing quarter right on the Moselle – in summer you'll sit out on the terrace looking over the water.Directions ↗
🥂Weinwirtschaft Friedrich-WilhelmWine restaurant · WeberbachDown-to-earth cooking with real care for the produce, in historic surroundings – plus a wide selection of Moselle and Saar wines.Directions ↗
🥔Kartoffel KisteHearty & cosy · FahrstraßeThe Trier institution for everything to do with the potato – unfussy, hearty and ideal with children or after a long day in the city.Directions ↗
⭐BECKER'SFine dining · OlewigThe city's first address for gourmets: Michelin-starred cooking in a design hotel in the heart of the wine village of Olewig, with wines from the estate's own vineyards – book well ahead.Directions ↗
All details correct as of July 2026, without guarantee – it's always worth a quick check of opening times before you visit.
The perfect 48-hour plan
Day 1: Romans, the old town & evening sun
Start at the Porta Nigra – early in the morning you'll have it almost to yourself. From there it's five minutes to the Hauptmarkt: coffee at one of the roasters in the side streets, then on to the cathedral and the Liebfrauenkirche. At lunchtime, head for the Kaiserthermen and the amphitheatre, both an easy walk away. Let the evening wind down in Olewig: a tasting straight from the winemaker, then dinner – from cosy wine tavern to Michelin-starred restaurant, it's all within walking distance here.
Day 2: the Moselle, Pallien & red rock
The second day belongs to the water. Stroll across the Römerbrücke to the left bank of the Moselle and into Pallien – below the red sandstone cliffs our guests at Red Rock Home look out on every morning. From here the path leads up to the Mariensäule: the best view over the whole city. In the afternoon, take a boat trip from Zurlauben or cycle downstream to Konz, where the Saar and the Moselle meet – you'll find our matching Saar Valley guide here in the magazine too.
Our tips in brief
- Porta Nigra early in the morning – no queues, and the best light
- The combination ticket for the Roman sites is cheaper than individual tickets
- Have lunch away from the Hauptmarkt, in Neustraße
- Summer: the wine stand on the Hauptmarkt – Riesling under the open sky
- Sunset at the Mariensäule
Still need a home for your Trier weekend? Our apartments sit in the loveliest corners of the city – and when you book direct, you always get the best rate.
