Trier Germany Rhineland-Palatinate

956 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

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Trier, Germany | Cruise Port Guide

Two thousand years look down on you from the blackened stones of the Porta Nigra. Trier, which the French call Trèves, claims the title of Germany's oldest city: founded under Emperor Augustus as Augusta Treverorum, it became one of the capitals of the Western Roman Empire in the 4th century. River cruise boats moor at Zurlauben, a former fishing hamlet with tightly packed façades along the Moselle, a quarter of an hour's walk from the centre. Rarely does a river call open onto such a density of history.

The Black Gate

Start with the monument that sums up the city. Built around AD 170, the Porta Nigra is the best-preserved Roman gate north of the Alps: two storeys of sandstone arcades, assembled without mortar and blackened by the centuries. It owes its survival to a Greek hermit, Simeon, who walled himself up in it in the 11th century; turned into a church after his death, it escaped demolition until Napoleon restored it to its ancient form. You can explore its floors and look down over the rooftops of the historic centre, imagining the sentries who once scanned the same Moselle plain.

From the medieval market to the emperors

From there, the pedestrian street leads to the Hauptmarkt, one of the most beautiful squares in Germany, where a 10th-century market cross, Renaissance façades and fruit stalls stand side by side. A detour through the Judengasse recalls the medieval Jewish quarter. A few streets farther opens a unique ensemble: St. Peter's Cathedral, the oldest in the country, a stone fortress begun under Constantine, joined to the Church of Our Lady, one of the first Gothic buildings in Germany. The ensemble, like the city's Roman monuments, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Rome of the North

Continue to the Basilica of Constantine, an immense imperial throne room whose 33-metre-high brick nave has no columns; the effect as you enter is breathtaking. Farther south, the Imperial Baths spread out their arcades and underground passages, where you can wander freely through the service galleries. Enthusiasts will continue to the amphitheatre carved into the hillside, which held 20,000 spectators, or to the Roman bridge whose basalt piers still carry today's traffic. The regional museum, the Rheinisches Landesmuseum, gathers mosaics, coins and the treasure of the Neumagen funerary reliefs.

Distances from the Zurlauben dock

MonumentApproximate distanceNote
Porta Nigra1.5 km15 to 20 minutes on foot, slight uphill
Hauptmarkt and cathedral1.7 kmContinuing on from the gate
Basilica and Imperial Baths2 kmSignposted route in the centre
Amphitheatre2.5 kmGentle climb toward the hillside

Karl Marx and the terraces

The city cultivates another legacy: Karl Marx was born here in 1818, and his birthplace on Brückenstrasse, now a museum, traces the life of the most debated thinker of the 19th century. After the visit, the terraces of the Hauptmarkt or the lanes of Zurlauben offer a welcome break: this small waterfront quarter, with its 18th-century houses converted into taverns, serves Moselle wines and regional dishes steps from the boat's gangway.

In the evening, when the low light brings out the grain of the Roman stones, you realize the good fortune this stop offers: walking in a few hours from an ancient forum to a medieval square, then coming back for a meal by the river that has seen it all pass, legions, prince-electors and boatmen. Trier doesn't show its age; it wears it with disconcerting ease.

Frequently Asked Questions

At Zurlauben, a former fishing hamlet of tightly packed façades along the Moselle, about fifteen minutes' walk from the centre. The Porta Nigra is roughly 1.5 kilometres away, 15 to 20 minutes on foot on a slight incline.
Because it was founded under the emperor Augustus as Augusta Treverorum, and became in the 4th century one of the capitals of the Western Roman Empire. Two thousand years look back at you from the blackened stones of the Porta Nigra.
The best-preserved Roman gate north of the Alps, built around 170 AD: two storeys of sandstone arcades assembled without mortar, blackened by the centuries. You can walk its floors and look out over the roofs of the old centre.
Thanks to a Greek hermit. Simeon shut himself inside it in the 11th century; converted into a church on his death, the gate escaped demolition until Napoleon restored its ancient form. Without that accident, little would remain.
The route is linear, which helps: Porta Nigra, then the Hauptmarkt and cathedral 1.7 km from the quay, then the Basilica of Constantine and the imperial baths at 2 km. The amphitheatre, at 2.5 km, is best kept for longer calls.
The vast imperial throne hall, whose brick nave rises 33 metres without a single column. The effect on entering is striking: it is the monument that most surprises visitors who did not expect it.
Their arcades and above all their underground levels, where you move freely through the service galleries. It is a more physical visit than it looks, but it gives a very concrete sense of how a great Roman establishment worked.
Yes, its basalt piers still carry today's traffic. It is one of those details that stay with you: two thousand years on, the structure is still working.
Yes, in 1818. His birthplace on the Brückenstrasse is now a museum tracing the path of the most debated thinker of the 19th century. It is a short stop, easily slipped between two Roman monuments.
At Zurlauben itself, the little waterside quarter where 18th-century houses converted into taverns serve Moselle wines and regional dishes a few steps from the gangway. The terraces on the Hauptmarkt do the job during the day. Currency: the euro.