Trier's Liebfrauenkirche stands right beside the cathedral, and from the outside it looks as if two churches had been squeezed onto a plot that was too small. It is one of the earliest Gothic churches in Germany, built in the thirteenth century, and its plan is startling: not a long nave but a Greek cross set inside a circle, with twelve rounded recesses, so that from above it looks like a flower with twelve petals. The French influence is clear, as the builders borrowed from the cathedrals of Champagne and the Île-de-France, and the result is a light, airy interior with slender columns and tall windows that feel far from the dark Romanesque of the neighbouring cathedral.
The twelve petals are sometimes read as the twelve apostles, and the cross at the centre as Christ, a nice symbolic design that has made the church a landmark of medieval architecture. It forms part of the UNESCO listing of the Roman monuments, Cathedral and Liebfrauenkirche of Trier. Inside, the effect is of calm and balance, and the stained glass casts coloured patches on the stone floor on a bright day. Opening times follow church services, and it is a good idea to check them.
Trier is the oldest city in Germany, founded by the Romans in the first century BC, and sits in the Moselle valley near the border with Luxembourg. The old centre is compact and mostly pedestrian, so parking the bike near the edge and walking is easiest. Fuel, supermarkets, cafés and restaurants are plentiful, since Trier has a hundred thousand people, with a university and a young population. The Hauptmarkt, with its market cross and colourful houses, is just a few steps from the church.
The best riding begins just outside the city. The Moselle valley winds in great loops between steep vineyards, with slate terraces climbing the hillsides, and roads run along both banks. The surfaces are good, the bends gentle, the scenery lovely, and the main hazards are camper vans, cyclists on the riverside path and slow tractors during the harvest. The Hunsrück and Eifel uplands on either side offer more demanding roads, with tight forest bends and farmland views.
Taste a glass of Riesling from the slate slopes, as the Moselle wines are among the most refined in Germany, then ride on.