Holiday apartments in Trier – stay with private hosts.

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, coffee roasters and the banks of the Moselle. Here's our guide: the highlights, what the tickets really cost, our honest places to eat – from the star restaurant to the ice cream parlour – and a 48-hour plan that works without rushing.

The highlights

Tickets: what actually pays off

The four Roman monuments – Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre and Barbara Baths – each charge admission. From two monuments onwards, the AntikenCard is almost always worth it:

• Basic (€18): two Roman monuments of your choice plus the Rhineland State Museum
• Premium (€28): all four Roman monuments plus the museum
• (M)ein Jahr (€60): unlimited entry to all four monuments and the museum for a year

The best part for families: with Basic and Premium, one adult may bring up to four children and teenagers under 18. Both cards are valid until the end of the year, so you don't have to tick everything off in a single day. The cathedral and the Church of Our Lady are free anyway.

Prices as of August 2026, without guarantee – current conditions are published by the Zentrum der Antike.

Food, wine & ice cream: our addresses

Hand-picked and tested by us – no paid entries. We've deliberately mixed it up: from the burger joint to the star restaurant.

All details as of August 2026, without guarantee – it's best to check opening hours before you go.

48 hours in Trier: how we'd do it

Day 1: Romans and the old town

Start at the Porta Nigra, before the coaches arrive. From there, walk down Simeonstraße to the main market – five minutes, passing the coffee roasters in the side lanes. Then on to the cathedral and the Church of Our Lady, both just behind the market and both free.

For the afternoon you have two options. The short version: the Imperial Baths (15 minutes on foot from the cathedral, straight across the Palace Garden) and then on to the Amphitheatre, only ten minutes further up the slope. The relaxed version: just the Imperial Baths, followed by coffee in the Palace Garden.

Spend the evening in Olewig: first a tasting at the winery, then dinner – from the wine tavern to the star restaurant, everything here is within walking distance. Without a car, the bus from the main market takes a good ten minutes.

Day 2: the Moselle, the view and the water

The second day belongs to the river. The Roman Bridge – a UNESCO World Heritage site in its own right – takes you to the left bank and into Pallien, beneath the red sandstone cliffs our guests at the Red Rock Home look out on every morning. From there the path climbs to the Mariensäule: around 30 minutes uphill, and at the top the best view over the whole city.

In the afternoon, choose between water and wheels: a boat trip from Zurlauben, or cycling upstream to Konz, where the Saar joins the Moselle – ten flat kilometres on the Moselle cycle path. Back in Zurlauben, the day ends with evening sun by the water.

When you come makes the difference

Spring is our favourite season: mild air, few crowds, the Roman monuments almost empty. Summer means the wine stand on the main market, beer gardens in Zurlauben and festivals – the Zurlauben home festival by the river, the old town festival in the lanes and, in late July or early August, the Olewig wine festival, the city's largest. Autumn is harvest time: golden steep vineyards, a quieter old town, ideal for winery visits. Winter belongs to Trier's Christmas market, which stretches from the main market to the cathedral – for many the most atmospheric in the region.

In 2026 the city has extra reason to celebrate: Trier's Roman monuments have been UNESCO World Heritage for 40 years, and the anniversary year brings special exhibitions and events. Exact dates change – it's worth a quick look at the city's event calendar.

Three questions our guests always ask

Is Trier worth it with children? Very much so. The amphitheatre with its vaults and the underground passages of the Imperial Baths are the opposite of a boring museum, and with the AntikenCard up to four children come along free per adult. Afterwards, Kartoffel Kiste or Christis – that has reconciled every child so far.

What do we do when it rains? The Rhineland State Museum (included in the AntikenCard), the Karl Marx House, the cathedral treasury – and Trier's centre can be crossed surprisingly dry beneath its arcades.

What makes a good half-day trip? Three destinations, all under 30 minutes away: Luxembourg City with its fortifications above the gorge – public transport across the whole country is free, and we've written a separate piece on the day trip to Luxembourg. Igel with its Roman column, a twenty-minute stop on the way there. And Konz, where the Saar meets the Moselle – with the Roscheider Hof open-air museum and wine estates.

Still need a home for your weekend in Trier? Our apartments are in the loveliest corners of the city – and booked direct, always at the best price.