Trier Roman Christmas

Overview

Unfortunately this trip has been cancelled. See you in 2021!

Today we travel to Germany’s oldest city, Trier. Its history goes back well over 2000 years to the Roman times. It does not only have an incredibly picturesque market square with a nice shopping centre, but it also boasts a whopping 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We enjoy a 2-hour in-depth guided tour through the city’s history of 2 millennia, have lunch in a lovely restaurant on the main market square, go for a Christmas boat ride on the Moselle River, and of course walk by the lovely Christmas markets.

Pictures

The Trier Weihnachtsmarkt is one of our favourites! | © Trier Christmas Market

A small but incredibly historic city with 9 (!!!) UNESCO World Heritage Sites

The Porta Nigra is the best maintained Roman gate North from the Alps.

The market square may very well be one of the most beautiful in Germany.

The Saint Peter's Dom is an immense and impressive structure.

Many people forget to visit the inner courtyard behind the building.

The Chapel of the Trier Dom.

Beautiful ceiling inside the Dom.

The Konstantin Basilika may not look so incredibly old, but it stands at this spot already for over 1600 years! | © Tourist Office Trier

Most of our past Trier participants were mesmerised with the simple beauty of this building, in particular with its stunning ceiling.

The ruins of the Roman Kaiserthermen | © Trier Tourist Office

Join us for a pleasant Christmas river cruise on the Moselle.

The Christmas market on the main market square is definitely one of our favourites due to its incredibly cozy and warm atmosphere.

Food, hot drinks, naughty snacks, souvenirs and Christmas trees and decorations. You can find anything here for a lovely Christmas time.

Program

As with all Expat Club trips, our schedule is carefully planned and we should have enough time in Trier to see the city and enjoy the Christmas markets. Please note that the schedule may still change for various circumstances, such as weather or traffic conditions. Your host, the bus driver, the local guides, and the boat company will always do their best to give the best experience. Thank you for your understanding.

07h30 – Departure from Place Schuman, Brussels
09h00 – Highway stop
09h30 – Continuation over beautiful highway E42 along Spa and St Vith
11h00 – Arrival in Trier and start guided tour
13h00 – End guided tour
13h15 – Lunch at Zum Domstein restaurant
15h00 – Boat tour in Moselle River (optional)
16h00 – Free time in Trier (shopping, Christmas markets, dinner)
18h30 – Gathering for socialising at main market square
20h10 – Estimated departure time (9 hours after arrival)
23h30 – Estimated arrival time Place Schuman

About Trier

With over 105,000 inhabitants, Trier only shows up on number 75 of the list of Germany’s largest cities. Yet, on the list of oldest German cities it takes the top position! Indeed, Trier is the oldest town with continuous habitation dating back all the way to the Roman Empire. Being established as Augusta Treverorum in 16 B.C. its most important sights are the Porta Nigra, a superbly preserved Roman city gate, several Roman baths, a Roman amphitheater, an enormous basilica and an impressive cathedral. No wonder it’s a tourist hotspot.

Upon arrival we are welcomed by two official guides, who share with us the 2.000+ year history of Trier and take us along the most prominent sites. We start at the Porta Nigra, but of course walk along each of the earlier mentioned monuments. The guided tour ends right in heart of the center of town where there are plenty of lunch opportunities, from quick sandwich shops to restaurants that serve traditional local (Roman) dishes.

In the afternoon there are plenty of things to see and do before seeing the Christmas markets and enjoying all the German delicacies. The Karl Marx house is a favourite, and so is the fascinating Rheinishes Landesmuseum Trier, where you can dive even deeper into the Roman history of this region.

In the middle of the afternoon, right before it starts turning dark, we will make a boat tour on the Moselle river. This is optional, but it’s a nice break of the day to relax, meet some other participants from our group, and enjoy a nice warm drink (1 drink included). The boat tour is optional but must be reserved in advance because it’s a very busy Christmas Saturday and the boat will be fully booked. You can indicate this during the checkout process.

Transportation

We travel by modern luxury 4* coach with on-board toilet, air-conditioning, reclining comfort seats with extra leg space. Our departure is from Place Schuman at 7h30 (latest). Due to the long day our driver needs 9 hours rest in Trier, which gives us ample time to discover this beautiful city.