Above Traben are the remains of the vast Mont Royal fortress, constructed between 1687 and 1698 and designed by Vauban for Louis XIV as a base from which to project French power. Ruinously expensive, it was dismantled before completion by the French themselves under the Treaty of Ryswick. The 1.5km-long footpath up to the site begins at the upper end of Römerstrasse.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
25.67 MILES
Trier's most famous landmark, this brooding 2nd-century Roman city gate – blackened by time, hence the name, which is Latin for ‘black gate’ – is a marvel…
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25.91 MILES
Constructed around AD 310 as Constantine’s throne room, the brick-built basilica is now an austere Protestant church. With built-to-impress dimensions …
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18.84 MILES
At the head of the beautiful Moselle side-valley the Eltz, Burg Eltz is one of Germany's most romantic medieval castles. Never destroyed, this fairy-tale…
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25.83 MILES
Looming above the Roman palace of Helena (Emperor Constantine's mother), this cathedral is Germany's oldest bishop's church and still retains Roman…
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5.14 MILES
The Moselle might be better known for its wine, but a former Cistercian monastery, founded in the 13th century, now houses this extraordinary brewery,…
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25.99 MILES
A scale model of 4th-century Trier and rooms filled with tombstones, mosaics, rare gold coins (including the 1993-discovered Trier Gold Hoard, the largest…
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25.84 MILES
Germany’s oldest Gothic church was built in the 13th century. It has a cruciform structure supported by a dozen pillars symbolising the 12 Apostles (look…
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26.11 MILES
Get a sense of the layout of this vast Roman thermal bathing complex with its striped brick-and-stone arches from the corner lookout tower, then descend…
Nearby Moselle Valley attractions
1.67 MILES
A magnificent 1906 Jugendstil former winery, designed by Bruno Möhring, is the unlikely home of the Buddha Museum, which has a beautifully presented…
1.75 MILES
A 1755 baroque villa proud of having hosted Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for a few hours in 1792 is now home to Traben-Trarbach's local history museum…
1.91 MILES
The Grevenburg castle, built in the mid-1300s, sits high in the craggy hills above Trarbach, with incredible valley views. Because of its strategic…
4.38 MILES
Bernkastel’s pretty Marktplatz, a block inland from the bridge, is enclosed by a romantic ensemble of half-timbered houses with beautifully decorated…
4.38 MILES
Facing the bridge, this partly 14th-century-Gothic church has an ornate interior and some colourful stained glass. The tower was originally part of the…
4.41 MILES
Part of the St-Nikolaus-Hospital complex, this small museum has interactive screens (best appreciated by German speakers) and features such as an Aromabar…
4.41 MILES
Most of Kues’ sights, including the Mosel-Weinmuseum and Mosel Vinothek, are conveniently grouped near the bridge in the late-Gothic St-Nikolaus-Hospital,…
4.68 MILES
A rewarding way to get your heart pumping is heading from the Marktplatz up to this ruined 13th-century castle, framed by vineyards and forests on a bluff…