Trier is rich with awe-inspiring architecture, beautiful backdrops of rolling grape-topped hills and history dripping from every street corner. Here are five of Trier’s most beautiful sights which demand a visit during a trip to the city.
PORTA NIGRA
The largest Roman city gate north of the Alps, Porta Nigra is part of the city’s designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The gate is believed to have been built around 200 AD by the settled Romans as one of four walls around the rectangular city. The gate fell into disuse in the Middle Ages, and some of its stones were used to craft other buildings, before being saved and turned into a church by the Greek monk, Simeon.
In the early 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the Porta Nigra to be returned back to its original Roman form.
In the early 19th century, Napoleon Bonaparte ordered the Porta Nigra to be returned back to its original Roman form.
CATHEDRAL OF TRIER
Boasting typical Romanesque architecture, with Gothic interior flourishes; the High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier (to give its full title) is the third cathedral on this site. The previous two were destroyed by the Franks in the 4th century and the Normans in the 9th century – with the current structure completed in 1196.
PALACE OF TRIER
Widely regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful rococo palaces, the Palace of Trier is immediately recognisable thanks to its pink façade. Built over a number of centuries, the palace offers completely different spectacles and experiences when explored from every different angle. Make sure to visit the stunning gardens whilst paying tribute to the beautiful palace.
THE LIEBFRAUENKIRCHE
Translating to Church of Our Lady, the Liebfrauenkirche is renowned as one of the most important examples of German Gothic architecture. One of the two earliest Gothic churches in the country, the Liebfrauenkirche is believed to have been built midway through the 13th century and was designated a Minor Basilica by the Pope in 1951.
ST. MATTHIAS’ ABBEY