Description
Trier Cathedral
Trier Cathedral, as the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Mary is also called, is Germany's oldest episcopal church. Since 1986 it has been a listed building as a UNESCO world heritage site. In addition, it is protected by the Hague convention as a cultural heritage.
Relics
On-site, you witness the holy relics of the Holy Cloth, which is said to be a part of Christ's tunic. In an attached building, the relics are kept under protection glass and are only rarely exposed.
Cloister to the Church of Our Lady
In front of the cathedral, you can discover the so-called stone of the cathedral. It is a 4m (4.4 yd) long diorite pillar that is a leftover from the supporting columns, which had to be replaced after a fire in the 6th century. In the 13th century, a direct passage was created to the Church of Our Lady. Both sacral edifices are connected to each other by a Gothic cloister.
Historical Information
In 340 AD, the first part of the cathedral was built, the so-called square building. This has remained the centre of the cathedral up to this very day. Unfortunately, this part was destroyed several times during many wars. But it was always rebuilt in its original architectural style. In the following centuries, the external façade and the towers were extended.
How to get there
The cathedral is located next to the Church of Our Lady in the centre of Trier.
By car
Take the A602, which turns into the B49 just before arriving in Trier. Once there, all you need to do is find yourself a car park.
By train
You can travel by train to Trier central station. From here it's not far to get to the cathedral. It's only a 10 minutes walk. Just follow the direction towards the Moselle.