Grin

I'd like some opinions and advice on Trier. I'm planning to be there on a Monday (hoping to avoid some crowds?). Is it a very large city? I'll be on foot, and using public transportation when necessary, but I'd like to know if most of the sights are walking distance from the train station. The Trier website is great, but I'd like to hear what you guys have to say. Any recommendations on must-see sights? Thanks!

Russ

The Dom, the pretty little cathedral next door, the Port Nigra, the Basilica, the Roman history/archaeological museum, and the baths are within easy walking distance of the old town center. The Roman theatre, the Roman bridge over the Mosel are a little further out, okay if you've got good shoes, but there are buses. It's maybe a 15-20 min walk from the train station to the town center along a busy but attractive boulevard. I found the baths less interesting than the other sights.

Bitter

Russ' info is right on. The city is not as quaint as others you may visit along the Mosel, with traffic zipping by feet from the Porta Nigra, which anchors a large pedestrian square. We walked everywhere after arriving by train. Did not make it out to the bridge or theater, though. Keeping that in mind, of all the sites we visited, I think I liked the baths the best. We spent approximately 24 hours(one night) in Trier. Maybe two nights and a day would have allowed us to see the peripheal (sp?) sites, also. One other comment, there is a French influence that caught us by surprise (our hotel owner spoke little German).

indytravel

Please keep in mind that Monday is a popular day for museums to be closed in Europe. You'll want to make sure what you want to see will open the day you are there.

xxxx

We picked up an organized walking tour that originated right near the Porta Nigra. We enjoyed it. If I remember correctly, it ended out near the baths and from there, the ampitheatre was not far.

anissa

I liked the Roman Baths - we used to spend hours exploring them when I was younger (esp off the "approved paths&quot. However, there really isn't very much to actually SEE there - a lot of grass and ruins of walls. The museum in Trier is very good (or it used to be). Also, if you like museums, Karl Marx was born in Trier and his house is in the Fussganger Zone. It is very easy to miss as there is only a small sign letting you know it is there. You ring a doorbell to get in and I think it was VERY cheap to see the place. But it was interesting to see where it all began, and they have of course his books, etc. The Dom has what is reputed to be Christ's robe (has been carbon dated to that time frame and matches discriptions in the Bible, so who is to say?) and is a very magnificient church in general. The crypt area (way down in the bottom of the church) is from the 4th Century and the newest part is from the 1100's I think. There is a local legend that the LARGE rock outside the door (you can't miss it) fell trapping the Devil underneath it. According to the legend, if the rock is ever moved it will start the end of the world. I was never impressed with the Basilicca or the ampitheater, but most people will go and visit them and like them. Trier is a quiant little town that is good for walking around in and is a good base for the surrounding areas. It has been under many different rules over the centuries (many people don't know that it was the seat of the Eastern half of the Roman Empire under Constantine) and has taken the influence of all that have ruled there. Most of the people there speak German, French and English, although to have someone that speaks French and not much German is surprising - perhaps the hotelier was not native from there?