Trier Imperial Baths

Tickets and tours: which to book

Nothing for the Imperial Baths alone is sold online, and there is no need to book. The baths are run with the other Roman sites of Trier by the state heritage authority, and tickets are sold at the visitor centre by the entrance. The Antiken-Card is the sensible choice for most people: it combines several Roman sites, such as the baths, the amphitheatre and the Porta Nigra, with the Rheinisches Landesmuseum next door, at a lower price than separate tickets. Different versions of the card cover two or four sites, so choose the one that fits your plans.

The visitor centre has models and panels explaining how the baths were planned and why they were never finished. The Trier tourist office runs city walks that include the baths, and in season there are themed and costumed tours, which are good for families; they run on set dates and should be booked through the tourist office.

Day trips from Luxembourg usually focus on the Porta Nigra and the centre, so the baths are rarely crowded. For most visitors, the best plan is the Antiken-Card, the baths and the museum in the morning, then the amphitheatre or the Porta Nigra in the afternoon.

A short history

Constantius Chlorus began the baths shortly before AD 300, when Trier was a capital of the western empire. Work continued under Constantine but stopped around 316, with the baths still incomplete. They were meant to follow the plan of the great baths of Rome, with a main bath building and a palaestra, and hot pools heated by furnaces in the tunnels below. Later in the 4th century the complex was rebuilt for another use, possibly as barracks or an imperial forum. In the Middle Ages it was turned into a castle and part of the city wall. Excavations in the 19th and 20th centuries uncovered the Roman plan, and it joined the UNESCO list in 1986.

Getting there

The Imperial Baths are at the south-eastern corner of Trier's old town, next to the Palastgarten. From the Hauptmarkt, walk past the cathedral and the Electoral Palace in about 10 minutes. From Trier Hauptbahnhof it is about 15 minutes on foot. Trains from Luxembourg take about 45 minutes and from Koblenz about an hour and a half. Luxembourg airport is about 50 minutes away by car or bus. City buses stop nearby, and there are car parks in the centre.

Rules and what to bring

Stay on the paths and do not climb on the walls. The tunnel stairs can be slippery and the passages low in places, so wear sturdy shoes and watch your head. Dogs should be on a lead. Bring a jacket, as the tunnels are cool even in summer. There are toilets at the visitor centre, and cafes in the Palastgarten and the old town nearby.

When to go

The Imperial Baths are rarely crowded. Weekday mornings may bring school groups, while weekends and summer afternoons are busier with families and day visitors from Luxembourg. Morning light is good on the eastern walls, and late afternoon light falls on the western side.

The best months are April to October, when the Palastgarten is green and the weather is mild. Summer can be warm, but the tunnels stay cool. In season there are themed tours and events, so check the tourist office programme. Winter is quiet, with shorter hours, and the tunnels may be damp or cold. A rainy day still works, as the tunnels are covered. Allow about an hour for the baths, and longer if you visit the museum next door.