Domschatz Trier

About the museum

Trier Cathedral is considered the oldest bishop's church in Germany, and its treasury reaches back just as far. Around 1200 a first room for storing relics was built on the north side of the east choir. Because the veneration of relics and pilgrimages increased sharply in the late Middle Ages, the so-called Badischer Bau (Baden Building) was erected on the south side around 1480; its upper floor still houses the cathedral archive and treasury today. From 1512 the relics were also displayed publicly from a platform at the west choir.

The end of the 18th century brought heavy losses: during the Revolutionary Wars in 1792, hundreds of kilograms of precious metal from the treasury were melted down to cover war costs. Only a small part of the medieval goldsmiths' work survived. During World War II the treasury was stored together with the cathedral treasures of Aachen and Essen in the Hainer Stollen tunnel near Siegen, where American troops secured it in 1945 and soon returned it.

After the major restoration of the cathedral, the treasury was set up in the Badischer Bau in 1974 as a publicly accessible exhibition; it is reached via the staircase to the Chapel of the Holy Robe. On display are works from late antiquity to the 20th century: Romanesque and Gothic reliquaries, ivory carvings, liturgical vessels and vestments, and precious manuscripts. At its core are pieces from the workshop of Archbishop Egbert (977–993), who made Trier a center of Ottonian goldsmithing. The treasury is run by the cathedral chapter and can be visited with the neighboring Museum am Dom on a combination ticket.

Highlights

• St. Andrew Portable Altar from the Egbert workshop (around 980), a masterpiece of Ottonian goldsmithing
• Reliquary of the Holy Nail from the time of Archbishop Egbert
• Gozbert censer, a bronze piece made in Trier around 1100
• Late antique ivory carving from the 5th century
• Medieval manuscripts such as the Simeon Codex and the Helmarshausen Gospels
• Beehive-shaped miter of St. Simeon (11th century)

Founded

1974

Operated by

Domkapitel Trier (Hohe Domkirche)

Admission & discounts

Visiting the cathedral itself is free; admission is charged only for the treasury.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The treasury is on the upper floor and can only be reached via the multi-step pilgrims' staircases; there is no elevator. The cathedral, cloister and Dom-Information visitor center are step-free; accessible restroom in the foyer of the Dom-Information. Assistance dogs are welcome in the cathedral. Tours for groups with visual or mobility impairments can be booked through the Dom-Information.

Kids & families

• Stroller-friendly: not available

The cathedral treasury chamber can only be reached via multiple flights of stairs. Children's and youth tours of the cathedral are offered by the Dom-Information.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Cathedral shop in the Dom-Information (Liebfrauenstraße 12).

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit