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We've compiled the best of the best in The Rhineland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
The sheer size of Trier's oldest Roman structure (circa AD 100) is impressive; in its heyday it seated 20,000 spectators. You can climb down to the cellars beneath the arena—animals were kept in cells here before being unleashed to do battle with gladiators. Gladiatorial performances (1¼ hours) take place Friday through Sunday and holidays at 6 pm from April through October. Tickets can be booked in advance at Tourist Information.
A Roman garrison was established on this site in the 4th century, and would once have been enclosed by a 26-foot-high rectangular wall with 28 defense towers. Today, there are only ruins, set within an open-air archaeological park (sandwiched between Angertstrasse and Kirchgasse), but you can still see portions of the wall and towers.
From the southern side of St. Peter's Church, a set of stone steps (signposted) leads to Bacharach's undoubted landmark, the Wernerkapelle. It's a bit of a climb, but well worth for a close-up look at these romantic sandstone ruins, famous for their filigree tracery, as well as for the sweeping views around. The Gothic chapel's roof succumbed to falling rocks in 1689, when the French blew up nearby Burg Stahleck; it's a 10-minute walk from here to the old castle, which lay dormant until 1925 when a youth hostel was built on the foundations.
This enormous 4th-century bathing palace once housed cold- and hot-water baths and a sports field. Although only the masonry of the Calderium (hot baths) and the vast basements remain, they are enough to give a fair idea of the original splendor and size of the complex. Originally 98 feet high, the walls you see today are just 62 feet high.
