Experience the best of Trier

Founded by the Romans around 16 BC as Augusta Treverorum, Trier claims to be the oldest city in Germany and was later one of the capitals of the western Roman empire. The Porta Nigra, a darkened sandstone gate of the second century, is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps, and the Basilica of Constantine, a vast brick hall built as a throne room, stands near the Electoral Palace.

The ruins of the Imperial Baths and an amphitheatre lie on the edge of the old town, and the Roman bridge over the Moselle, whose piers are still in use, is said to be the oldest bridge in Germany. The cathedral and the Liebfrauenkirche beside it, an early Gothic church, belong to the same World Heritage listing. Karl Marx was born here in 1818, and his house is a museum.

Moselle Riesling, grown on steep slate slopes along the river, is the drink of Trier, and Viez, the local apple cider, is poured in the region's taverns. Old inns around the Hauptmarkt serve pork, potato dishes and sausage. The vines turn gold in autumn.