A Week in Trier
Jun 15th, 2006, 10:43 AM
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A Week in Trier
My wife and I are trying to decide if we want to go to Trier (with a small group)in early December when the Christmas Market is open. I have gotten a lot of info on the city and it looks very interesting. Have any of you Fodorites been there? I'd be interested in restaurant recommendations. Have researched most of the interesting things to see.Thank you. We will also take a day trip to Metz, France.
Jun 15th, 2006, 10:57 AM
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While it is certainly a cute and interesting little town I think a whole week is overkill. Even with Christmas Market and a day trip 3 or 4 days should be plenty.
Can't reco any specific restaurants since we were there in the late spring and were looking primarily for places with outdoor dining - of which there were several cute ones around the little town square.
Can't reco any specific restaurants since we were there in the late spring and were looking primarily for places with outdoor dining - of which there were several cute ones around the little town square.
Jun 15th, 2006, 11:09 AM
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I thought Trier was the classic old German town/city. The pedestrian street and all the Roman ruins were very photogenic. A week may be a bit much but it makes a great base.
If you haven't driven the Moselle River valley you can do it easily from Trier. It is a beautiful drive right on the river with castles perched on outcroppings everywhere. Very romantic.
And you can get to a very beautiful area of Belgium and to Luxembourg.
Don't be discouraged but do rent a car.
If you haven't driven the Moselle River valley you can do it easily from Trier. It is a beautiful drive right on the river with castles perched on outcroppings everywhere. Very romantic.
And you can get to a very beautiful area of Belgium and to Luxembourg.
Don't be discouraged but do rent a car.
Jun 15th, 2006, 11:34 AM
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Visit the battlefield of verdun. Very impressive.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun
http://www.verdun14-18.de/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verdun
http://www.verdun14-18.de/
Jun 15th, 2006, 11:53 AM
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Trier bills itself as Germany's oldest town, from 15 BC when it was founded (actually re-founded as it existed long before and disappeared) by the Romans as the capital of Gaul and was second in importance just to Rome in the Western Roman Empire.
Trier Top Sights
The Porta Negra, the finest Roman relic north of the Alps - this city gate was Gateway to the Western Empire, dates from the 2nd century AD and is made of blackened stones - very imposing and a reason to come here all by itself
The Roman Stadium - OK largely pieced back together but still a striking sight
The ancient ex Roman Temple now a now called Constantine's Basilica and the town's over 1,600 yr old cathedral are two very impressive and historic sights.
The Karl-Marx Museum occupies the house in Trier where he was born
The Wine-Teaching Path behind the Roman stadium is a marked path that illustrates aspect of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines as it winds thru a real vineyard.
Otherwise there is a delightful pastel-hued town center, deftly pieced back together from war rubble, with lots of shops, restaurants, etc.
That said a day is enough to leisurely see all these sights so day tripping is suggested like in above posts. Cologne and its great cathedral, the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, Burg Eltz, one of Germany's premier castles, Luxembourg City and the pastoral countryside of the Duchy are some possibles.
Trier Top Sights
The Porta Negra, the finest Roman relic north of the Alps - this city gate was Gateway to the Western Empire, dates from the 2nd century AD and is made of blackened stones - very imposing and a reason to come here all by itself
The Roman Stadium - OK largely pieced back together but still a striking sight
The ancient ex Roman Temple now a now called Constantine's Basilica and the town's over 1,600 yr old cathedral are two very impressive and historic sights.
The Karl-Marx Museum occupies the house in Trier where he was born
The Wine-Teaching Path behind the Roman stadium is a marked path that illustrates aspect of Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines as it winds thru a real vineyard.
Otherwise there is a delightful pastel-hued town center, deftly pieced back together from war rubble, with lots of shops, restaurants, etc.
That said a day is enough to leisurely see all these sights so day tripping is suggested like in above posts. Cologne and its great cathedral, the Rhine and Mosel Valleys, Burg Eltz, one of Germany's premier castles, Luxembourg City and the pastoral countryside of the Duchy are some possibles.
Jun 18th, 2006, 03:39 PM
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Trier is, well, just barely large enough to support a week's stay if you are doing daytrips to other towns and if you have a pretty low sightseeing quota. Bernkastel and its market would be on my list of daytrips if I were going in December.
But you could probably do Trier in just a winter's day, as PalQ says. The market is cute but very small and the town is quite sleepy in the off-season. Instead, with a full week, you'd probably be wise to stay in Koblenz - where there's a bit more off-season activity - and daytrip up the Mosel to Trier and then up and down the Rhine. Ruedesheim and Mainz have terrific Christmas Markets; Marksburg Castle in Braubach, just south of Koblenz, will be tourable then, unlike most castles. Several other Rhine towns and cities have markets too, all well-connected by rail and road.
But you could probably do Trier in just a winter's day, as PalQ says. The market is cute but very small and the town is quite sleepy in the off-season. Instead, with a full week, you'd probably be wise to stay in Koblenz - where there's a bit more off-season activity - and daytrip up the Mosel to Trier and then up and down the Rhine. Ruedesheim and Mainz have terrific Christmas Markets; Marksburg Castle in Braubach, just south of Koblenz, will be tourable then, unlike most castles. Several other Rhine towns and cities have markets too, all well-connected by rail and road.
Jun 25th, 2006, 11:19 AM
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We staad in Trier in Dec 2005 for a couple of days before a Battle of the Bulge in Belgium embarked. As most posters say, it would be tough to have Trier as the main stage for a week.
The Christmas market was very nice. We stayed at Zum Christophel (sp) which is next to the Porta Nigra gate and walking distance from the train station.
We ate breakfast at the hotel and dinners at the Christmas market - all that good sausage and gluhwein...what more could you ask for!? ;-)
The Christmas market was very nice. We stayed at Zum Christophel (sp) which is next to the Porta Nigra gate and walking distance from the train station.
We ate breakfast at the hotel and dinners at the Christmas market - all that good sausage and gluhwein...what more could you ask for!? ;-)
Jun 25th, 2006, 02:08 PM
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I appreciate very much that you take your time to stay at one place for a while. Most visitors from overseas are just hopping from one attraction to another and are completely missing the genius loci.
Trier is an interesting city, as former posters have pointed out, and it is a good base for day trips. You have the chance to explore the picturesque Mosel valley with all the vineyards and wineries. You may drive to the Rhine. Cologne is not far and certainly worth a day trip. Aachen, the hometown of Charlemagne, is a magnificent city, and also within easy reach of Trier.
So many opportunities..
There are several recommendable hotels in Trier. You may look at www.hrs.de
We stayed in Blesius Garten which is out of town in a countryside setting, with a good restaurant, cozy bar, homebrewed beer, pool and sauna. http://www.blesius-garten.de/
Trier is an interesting city, as former posters have pointed out, and it is a good base for day trips. You have the chance to explore the picturesque Mosel valley with all the vineyards and wineries. You may drive to the Rhine. Cologne is not far and certainly worth a day trip. Aachen, the hometown of Charlemagne, is a magnificent city, and also within easy reach of Trier.
So many opportunities..
There are several recommendable hotels in Trier. You may look at www.hrs.de
We stayed in Blesius Garten which is out of town in a countryside setting, with a good restaurant, cozy bar, homebrewed beer, pool and sauna. http://www.blesius-garten.de/
