Trier is an amazing little city situated in the south west of Germany. It’s actually the oldest city in the country, having been founded in the late 1st century BC by the Romans. This means it has some wonderful historical landmarks to see, and a great old town to wander through. While we did enjoy exploring the city, we visited in December with the purpose of seeing the amazing Christmas markets in Trier. We’ve written about our experience to help you plan a Christmas market trip to Trier soon so you can make the most of your time!
Christmas Markets
In 2025, the Christmas markets ran from November 21st to December 22nd and in 2026 it will run from November 20th to December 22nd. They are open from 11am every day, and until 8:30pm Monday to Thursday, 10pm on Saturday, and until 8pm on Sunday. There are two locations for the markets, one in the main square Hauptmarkt, and one close by in front of the Trier Cathedral. Both are such different backdrops from each other and are absolutely gorgeous places for Christmas markets in Trier.
The market in Hauptmarkt sells a mix of little bits like snow globes, lights, candles and other fun Christmassy bits. They also have stalls selling food like sweets, bakes goods, bratwurst, potato cakes and hot drinks. There’s also a little carousel, a nativity scene, fairy lights and Christmas trees everywhere. As it is in the main town square, the backdrop of the market is gorgeous colourful medieval buildings. It is just such a magical place for a Christmas market.
A 2 minute walk away is the Trier Cathedral Christmas market in another square, Domfreihof. All the wooden huts are set in front of the incredible Roman cathedral completed in 1270. It’s the oldest cathedral in Germany, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is simply the most incredible backdrop for a Christmas market we have ever seen. This market is a bit bigger than the Hauptmarkt one and has more food too. There’s also more drink huts including one set up like a little pub that you can enter and sit in. You’ll also of course find more souvenirs, Christmas bits, gorgeous lights and Christmas trees, as well as another carousel and nativity scene.
What To See in Trier
Cathedrals
While visiting the Christmas markets in Trier, we thought we would also recommend some things to see in the city. Of course there’s the Trier Cathedral, which is open from 6:30am to 5:30pm every day and is free to enter. There are also some interesting tours which are available on the Trier Cathedral website. Connected to it is the Liebfrauenkirche or the Church of Our Lady. It is open from 10am to 5pm every day except Sunday where it opens at 12:30 and is also free to enter. These buildings have beautiful Romanesque and Gothic architecture and are absolutely stunning.
Porta Nigra
Coming from Hauptmarkt, the town square, is Simeonstraße (Simeon Street in English) which is the main shopping street. It is pedestrian only and heads down to Porta Nigra which is definitely worth a visit. This is a former city gate built by the Romans from 170 AD onwards. It’s remarkable state is likely due to its conversion into a double church after 1035 to honour the Byzantine monk Simeon’s passing.
However even though it was turned back into a city gate in 1822, you can still see bits of the church leftover. There is an interactive tour available inside Porta Nigra, however it is only in German. Whether you go in or not, it is absolutely worth a visit because it is an incredible landmark.
Other Roman Sites
If you’re interested in Roman history, there are some other great things to see too. There’s Aula Palatina, a Roman palace basilica built in 1310. The Trier Amphitheater, built around the 2nd century AD which used to hold around 20,000 people. The Roman Bridge which is the oldest standing bridge in the country built in the 2nd century AD. Lastly there’s ruins of three Roman baths and a museum in the Roman building of the Collegiate of St. Simeon. The Stadtmuseum tells the history of Trier, is open from Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm, and costs 6€. There’s lots of Roman history to explore in Trier!
Where To Stay
While we often end up staying slightly out of the cities we visit to save money, for small cities we recommend staying near the old town for ease. In Trier we stayed at the MEA hotel as it had lots of good reviews and wasn’t too expensive for Germany (around $150AUD for one night). After staying, we do recommend this hotel as it was clean, quiet and had self check in. It is also in the main town and only a 5 minute walk from Hauptmarkt so nice and close to everything!
Final Thoughts
If you want to see some authentic and gorgeous markets, the Christmas markets in Trier are absolutely wonderful. Whether it’s the one in Hauptmarkt surrounded by those gorgeous coloured European buildings, or the huts set in front of the incredible Trier Cathedral, you really will have the most amazing festive time. When you’re not wandering around the markets, there are so many incredible Roman landmarks to explore. As well as just walking around the cute cobbled streets, or doing some shopping on Simeonstraße. There’s so much to see in the oldest city in the country so we really hope you enjoy your time in Trier!
To see everything we got up to on our Christmassy visit to Trier, you can watch our vlog from our trip to Germany: