Rheinisches Landesmuseum

The Rheinisches Landesmuseum (Rhenish State Museum) of Trier, Germany, is a large archaeological museum which exhibits pieces from throughout the history of the city and its region. Starting with the Stone Age and up to the medieval era, the Rheinisches Landesmuseum offers an overview of the development of Trier and its surrounding areas such as the Eifel region through almost 20,000 years of history.

Rheinisches Landesmuseum history

In Roman times, Trier was an important centre of trade which later became the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. Established in circa 15 BC, Trier was known as Treverorum Augusta and later became home to emperors such as Constantine the Great, who was responsible for building many of its now UNESCO-listed sites.

The museum itself was founded in 1877 and a purpose built building was constructed at the edge of the palace garden in the late 1880s, just outside the Roman wall. Since its founding, the museum has conducted most of its excavations itself within the city of Trier – including over 10,000 archaeological sites.

Rheinisches Landesmuseum today

From Stone Age tools to Roman reliefs and medieval ecclesiastical pieces, the Rheinisches Landesmuseum has a wide range of exhibits. The main exhibition at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum is dedicated to Ancient Rome and particularly the role played by Trier during the Roman period. This is widely considered to be one of Germany’s most important Ancient Roman collections, including the impressive Roman ‘Trier Gold Hoard’, discovered in 1993.

The permanent exhibition, ‘20,000 Years of History’ is an award-winning exploration of the city’s long past and boasts some of the oldest man-made stone tools of the region. Open Tuesday to Sunday between 10am and 5pm, the museum is open to the public and audio guides are available in several languages.

Getting to the Rheinisches Landesmuseum

Located in central Trier, the Rheinisches Landesmuseum is easily found on foot between the city’s main train stations: Trier Süd and Trier Hbf. Both have great links to Luxembourg and Köln, and the latter serves local bus routes 2, 3, 4, 7, 30, 31, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87 and 89. There is also pain parking nearby and the city is found along the 51, 53 and 49 motorways.