Thermen am Viehmarkt (Forum Baths), Trier
The Forum Baths in Trier offer a fascinating glimpse into Roman life through a blend of ancient ruins and modern design. Discovered in 1987 during the construction of an underground car park, this thermal bath complex, dating from around 80 CE, marks Trier's first thermal baths, even predating the city’s other famous baths, the Barbarathermen and Kaiserthermen. Named after the cattle market (Viehmarkt) under which they were found, the baths were strategically designed, with warm and cold baths placed to align with sun and shade, reflecting the Romans’ architectural expertise.
Covering 8,364 square meters, the baths reached peak usage in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the baths fell into disrepair and were gradually forgotten, even serving as a quarry in the 13th century. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Capuchin Order built monastery buildings over parts of the ruins, and the area evolved into a cattle market by 1811.
To protect the ruins, architect Oswald Mathias Ungers designed a distinctive glass enclosure, known locally as the "Ungers showcase." The cuboid structure combines glass facades and metal stairwells, giving the impression of an elevated platform, with stone patterns tracing the Roman road network. Though Ungers’ design has sparked controversy for its impact on the ancient structures, it preserves the baths while offering a visually compelling, immersive experience.
Today, the Forum Baths are open to visitors and regularly host events, including the popular annual wine tasting organized by the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture. Not included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Trier’s Roman monuments, the baths remain a lively historical site that invites debate on whether heritage status should be sought—an addition that could potentially limit the modern events now held here.
Covering 8,364 square meters, the baths reached peak usage in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the baths fell into disrepair and were gradually forgotten, even serving as a quarry in the 13th century. Later, in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Capuchin Order built monastery buildings over parts of the ruins, and the area evolved into a cattle market by 1811.
To protect the ruins, architect Oswald Mathias Ungers designed a distinctive glass enclosure, known locally as the "Ungers showcase." The cuboid structure combines glass facades and metal stairwells, giving the impression of an elevated platform, with stone patterns tracing the Roman road network. Though Ungers’ design has sparked controversy for its impact on the ancient structures, it preserves the baths while offering a visually compelling, immersive experience.
Today, the Forum Baths are open to visitors and regularly host events, including the popular annual wine tasting organized by the Rhineland-Palatinate Chamber of Agriculture. Not included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing of Trier’s Roman monuments, the baths remain a lively historical site that invites debate on whether heritage status should be sought—an addition that could potentially limit the modern events now held here.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Trier. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Thermen am Viehmarkt (Forum Baths) on Map
Sight Name: Thermen am Viehmarkt (Forum Baths)
Sight Location: Trier, Germany (See walking tours in Trier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Trier, Germany (See walking tours in Trier)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Trier, Germany
Create Your Own Walk in Trier
Creating your own self-guided walk in Trier is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Trier Introduction Walking Tour
Trier is Germany’s oldest city and features beautiful Roman ruins, impressive medieval architecture, stunning churches, and fascinating museums.
While an inscription on the famous Red House states that the city was founded 1300 years before the Romans arrived, this has never been proven. The Celtics originally founded Trier during the fourth century BC. The Romans arrived in the first century... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
While an inscription on the famous Red House states that the city was founded 1300 years before the Romans arrived, this has never been proven. The Celtics originally founded Trier during the fourth century BC. The Romans arrived in the first century... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles
In The Footsteps of Karl Marx
Apart from being a home to the largest number of Roman ruins outside Rome, Trier is also extremely popular with international tourists, especially those from China, as the hometown of Karl Marx.
Here, the father of socialism and one of the most important philosophers of the 19th century, who, as an adult, managed to change the course of the world's history, had spent the first 17 years of... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Here, the father of socialism and one of the most important philosophers of the 19th century, who, as an adult, managed to change the course of the world's history, had spent the first 17 years of... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.8 Km or 1.1 Miles
Trier's Roman Ruins Walking Tour
Nowadays it sounds a bit weird that a small German town of Trier, some 20-minute drive from the Luxembourg border, was once the capital of the mighty Western Roman Empire. Still, "the second Rome", as the emperor Diocletian used to call it, today fully lives up to its former status.
Founded in 15 BC by the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, this oldest city in Germany is a home to the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles
Founded in 15 BC by the Roman emperor Octavian Augustus, this oldest city in Germany is a home to the... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 4.9 Km or 3 Miles