There’s a wonderful children’s book in Germany called “Oh wie schön ist Panama”. It’s about a tiger and a bear leaving their home to look for Panama because they heard it’s so beautiful. They walk a long while and ultimately end up back at their old house because they – unknowingly – just did a big loop. But they don’t recognise their former home, for everything has overgrown and trees and bushlands are so much lusher and bigger than they were. They like it so much that they decide to stay. It’s a nice little homage to how nice it can be to come home, and I felt somewhat similar when I arrived back in Germany a few weeks ago.
A scenic train ride from Frankfurt to Trier
I’d decided to take the train back to Trier from Frankfurt via Koblenz, simply because for someone to pick me up in Frankfurt, the drive there and back would take around five hours. Also, the train ride especially from Koblenz to Trier is truly breath-taking. The rail track winds its way along the Mosel river and past the steep vineyards of the Mosel wine region. White grape varieties, first and foremost, Riesling, dominate here.
Like with the tiger and the bear I mentioned above, the rainy summer of this year meant that everything was unusually green and lush for this time of the year. The vineyards, a month before the harvest, were in full bloom and carrying ripening grapes. Amongst those is the Calmont, the steepest vineyard in the world. Located between the villages of Bremm and Eller, the Calmont was carved by the Mosel more than 400 million years ago, and has been planted with grapes for more than 1500 years. Its 60 to 70 degree incline can also be experienced via a challenging 3.5 km hiking path, the Calmont Klettersteig, which features ladders and steel ropes for extra security (like a Via Ferrata). Aside from vineyards, the Mosel also features excellent cycle paths as well as many scenic villages and castles.
Family times at last
I come from a little village approximately 20 minutes’ drive from Trier, and that’s where I headed initially with my mom, my sister and her kids, who had all picked me up from the station. I was simply over the moon to see everyone in good health after all this scary and uncertain time. I hadn’t met my sister’s youngest daughter yet but thankfully, being on video call seemed to have familiarised her enough with my face that she wasn’t timid at all. My other nieces and nephews didn’t show any signs of estrangement either, which was a huge sense of relief for me. I used to spend a lot of time playing with my nieces and nephews when I still lived in Europe, and it’s so much easier to stay close to grown-ups over the phone than it is with kids. I was conscious that moving to Australia would be a challenge but COVID certainly brought this to another level.
Back in Trier
A few weeks into my stay, I headed to Trier to take a trip down memory lane. Trier is Germany’s oldest city, founded by the Celts in the late 4th century BC as Treuorum and conquered 300 years later by the Romans, who renamed it Augusta Treverorum (“The City of Augustus among the Treveri”). It’s located in very close proximity (i.e. less than half an hour drive) to the borders of both Luxembourg and France, which also makes it a perfect destination during a cross-country road trip in Europe. Thanks to its Roman heritage, the city features many historic buildings, a beautiful, cobbled pedestrian zone, two universities (one of which I attended in my student days) and many decent restaurants and bars. The Hauptmarkt (main market square) features a wine stand where a changing line up of regional wine growers offer their delicious drops so visitors can continue even the most tedious shopping spree with a spring in their step. The city centre of Trier also holds the annual “Altstadtfest” (old town festival), an open-air festival featuring multiple stages with live entertainment as well as more than 100 food and beverage stands. The 2021 edition was obviously cancelled but 2022 is set to go ahead on 10 to 12 June 2022.
Famous sights in trier
The city’s most famous landmark is the Porta Nigra, the best-preserved Roman city gate north of the Alps, which is located at the start of the pedestrian zone. The massive Cathedral holds many catholic artefacts, the most famous one being the Holy Tunic, a garment said to be the robe Jesus was wearing when he died. Among the many other beautiful buildings, that are by the way all in walking distance, the Electoral Palace with the beautiful “Palastgarten” (Palace Gardens) is probably another one of my favourite sites. I spent many afternoons and evenings there with my friends during the student years, enjoying a few beverages. There are many more sights to discover, see a more comprehensive list here.
Karl Marx House
Just around the corner from the pedestrian zone is the birth house of the famous economist, sociologist and philosopher Karl Marx, author of The Communist Manifesto first published in 1848. His former home is now a museum and can be visited.
Zurlaubener Ufer
Walking out of town and to the Mosel, one will stumble upon the pretty Zurlaubener Ufer, located along the Mosel’s embankement, directly at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Brücke. It is a former fishing village, whose houses (built circa 1800) were converted into cosy pubs and restaurants. Zurlauben has maintained the authentic character of its past to this day. Here is also the jetty for canal boats (e.g. to Cologne or Koblenz). There are beer gardens with scenic views onto the Mosel and the opposite embankment. It’s a bit more touristy than in town and probably a little pricier but worth a visit all the same. The “Zurlaubener Heimatfest”, an annual street festival, much like the Altstadtfest but maybe somewhat smaller, with stages, live entertainment, food and beverage stands usually takes place in July. It’s set to go ahead in 2022 but a definite date has not been set just yet.
The Christmas Market in Trier
Sadly, I will miss the Christmas Market in Trier this year, which has always been a highlight for me when I still lived in the region. Thus far, it’s still scheduled to go ahead despite COVID (for vaccinated and recovered people only). I have a lot of fond memories of this place, although some of those might be a little blurry due to the extensive consumption of quite a few cups of mulled wine (in Trier, you get white and red variants!). Going to high school in Trier, I can say that lunch break at the Christmas Market followed by a double lesson of math was a challenge of its own. For more impressions from the Christmas Market in Trier, click here.
The best pubs and restaurants in Trier
If you’re ever in Trier, I’ll leave a few recommendations for pubs and restaurants with you to check out – straight from a local (yes I still consider myself a local even though I’ve not lived there for over 10 years). Wherever you go, make sure to have a Bitburger (our local beer, brewery is situated 45 minutes from Trier), Viez (traditional apple wine from the region, can be mixed with coke, sprite or soda – the latter variant is my favourite) and of course Riesling from the Mosel or even better, the Saar – more about the Saar region in my next post 😊
- Niko’s Café – Excellent breakfast plates
- Lousiana – Great value breakfast buffet but also lunch / dinner / cocktails
- Bitburger Wirtshaus – Large restaurant / pub from the local brewery (Bitburger), serving a wide variety of regional delicatessen and traditional German cuisine for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I had the “Schwenkbraten” (barbecue pork steak) for dinner and it was just right: Well-spiced, juicy – I loved it.
- Tapavino – Delicious and decent value tapas and wine
- Hermes – Traditional Greek restaurant with great food and big portions
- Astarix – Casual pub / restaurant right next to the city theatre, often frequented by students and the creative crowd
- Schlemmereule – Fine dining with the corresponding prices
- Weinstube Kesselstadt – Scenic wine bar / restaurant right next to the Cathedral
- Walderdorff’s – Smart-casual, everything from breakfast to dinner and cocktails in a nice, historic location (Palais Walderdorff), dating back to the 11th century
- New Minton’s – everything from breakfast to dinner and cocktails
- Cubiculum – Casual cellar pub with great Viez (traditional apple wine in the region) – 1.80 EUR (1.52 GBP; 2.80 AUD) for a 0.4 litre pot
- Ziegel’s – Longstanding pub in Trier, just moved to a new location. Beer & shots!
- Zapotex – Student pub, open until late
- Funky Abbey – Cocktail bar, small but lots of character
- Lucky’s Luke – Large, alternative bar with rock music, open late. Not for the faint hearted.
