Discover the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mosel region

Half of the vast Roman Empire was once governed from the Mosel. The power of the emperors of Trier stretched from Scotland to Morocco. Even today, ancient monumental buildings bear witness to the city’s importance at that time. Both the density and the architectural quality of the Roman monuments are exceptional.

The complex comprising the Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On the site where you can see these two religious buildings today, the largest Christian church complex of its time was built in the 4th century, very close to the imperial palace district. This is closely linked to the recognition of Christianity as the state religion in the Roman Empire, which represents a significant event in human history.

The cathedral is regarded as the oldest episcopal church in Germany, and it is still used for that purpose today. A defining feature of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is that, over the course of its approximately 1,700-year history, every generation – from Roman times to the present day – has left its mark, both architecturally and artistically. 

The Liebfrauenkirche: a jewel of early Gothic architecture

Like the Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and, together with St Elizabeth’s Church in Marburg, is regarded as the oldest Gothic church in Germany. It is the most significant and earliest example of a central Gothic structure in the country. 

Since 1986, Trier’s Roman monuments, the Cathedral and the Church of Our Lady have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO has included two medieval manuscripts from Trier in the Memory of the World Register as documentary records of exceptional value to the history of humankind: the Egbert Codex and the Ada Gospel Book. You can find them in the treasure chamber of the City of Trier’s Scientific Library, alongside other outstanding book treasures, such as a copy of the famous Gutenberg Bible.

The precious Ada Gospel Book is regarded as the masterpiece of a small but highly significant group of magnificent manuscripts, collectively known as the ‘Court School of Charlemagne’. Together, they were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in May 2023. These manuscripts provide a unique insight into the political, cultural and ecclesiastical identity of the Carolingian era.

The Ada Gospel Book, as the leading manuscript, contains the four Gospels in Latin, written in two columns entirely in gold and adorned with exquisite frames. The four full-page portraits of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are world-famous, as they showcase the Court School of Charlemagne at the height of its artistic achievement. They draw on the model of ancient imperial portraits and transpose it into a Christian context.

The impressive Egbert Codex is one of the masterpieces of Ottonian book art and contains the oldest and most comprehensive series of illustrations depicting the life of Jesus. It was named after its art-loving patron, Archbishop Egbert of Trier (977–993). He commissioned the codex – presumably for his own personal use – from artists and scribes in Trier and on the island of Reichenau on Lake Constance.

Since 2003, the Egbert Codex, together with other magnificently illuminated manuscripts from the famous Reichenau Abbey, has been part of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. 

“The manuscripts from Reichenau Abbey on Lake Constance, dating from the 10th and 11th centuries, are an outstanding example of Ottonian book illumination. Following the decline of the Carolingian Empire, a cultural renaissance had begun under the Saxon emperors. In the field of art, this led to Ottonian book illumination taking a leading position in Europe. One of the great achievements of Reichenau’s book illumination is the detailed cycles of miniatures depicting the life of Christ, which influenced painting in the centuries that followed.” 

(Source: https://www.unesco.de/staette/reichenauer-handschriften)

Archbishop Egbert came from a distinguished Dutch noble family and was around 27 years old when he took up his post. He first received a theological education and was then summoned to the imperial court – the place where all the political threads of Europe converged and where the intellectual elite of the empire gathered. There could scarcely have been a more inspiring place for a well-educated young man. In 976, Otto II appointed him Chancellor and, just one year later, Archbishop of Trier. The Ottonian appreciation of art and culture had a profound influence on Egbert. 

Through its Intangible Cultural Heritage programme, UNESCO expresses its appreciation and recognition of traditional knowledge and skills. This is another area where the region excels: ever since Roman times, the culture of wine has shaped the rhythm of life for the local people.

Another distinctive feature is the ‘Viez’ culture: Viez is a wine pressed from cultivated varieties of apple, pear and quince. The cultivation of these fruits enhances biodiversity and shapes the character of the cultural landscape in the Mosel-Franconian region. This award recognises not only the quality and uniqueness of the drink, but also the cultural significance it holds for the people of the region.