Amphitheatre
The amphitheatre was a favourite among the population of Trier even back in ancient times. Today, visitors can enjoy the amphitheatre, the arena, the stands and the cellar. There is a stage machine, a kind of lift, which was used for the complex productions in the arena. The cages and areas where people and animals were held before being taken in the arena to fight are also open to the public.
The amphitheatre was built at the end of the 2nd century as a place of mass entertainment like our modern-day arenas. When it was built, it was probably a gate in the city walls. The 22-metre-tall stands provided space for up to 18,000 spectators. The gory entertainment programme featured battles between people or animals. But the arena, which was surrounded by a four-metre-tall defensive and parapet wall, was not just intended for bread and circuses. It was also used for gatherings and religious festivals. The amphitheatre was no longer used after the fall of the Roman Empire. In the early 13th century, monks used it as a quarry and a store. The overgrown stands of the amphitheatre were even subsequently used for wine-growing. Initial excavation work on the arena site began in the 19th century, with the cellar exposed in 1908.
January – February
Monday – Sunday
9 a.m – 4 p.m.
March
Monday – Sunday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
April – September
Monday – Sunday
9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
October
Monday – Sunday
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
November – December
Monday – Sunday
9 a.m – 4 p.m.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed on Shrove Monday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Due to an internal staff assembly, the Roman monuments will not open until 12 p.m. on November 8th, 2023.
Note: The Roman buildings may sometimes be closed for short periods due to the weather.
Individuals
€4.00 Adults, per person
€3.00 Adults with concessions,* per person
€2.50 Children and young people (7 to 18 years old), per person
Free admission for children under 7 years of age.
Groups**
€3.50 Adults (10 people or more), per person
€2.00 Children and young people up to 18 years old (10 people or more), per person
Families
€4.00 Family ticket I (1 adult with up to 4 children of 7 and over)
€8.00 Family ticket II (2 adults with up to 4 children of 7 and over)
€0.50 Each additional child (7 and over)
Free admission for children under 7 years of age.
Admission included for AntikenCard holders.
* Over 18 years old in full-time education, students, apprentices, those carrying out voluntary service, pensioners, the unemployed and people with severe disabilities – evidence required in all cases.
** Group tickets must be redeemed at the same time by a single person (tour guide, supervisor). Group tickets cannot be issued to individuals (including visitors forming part of groups).
Discover Trier with the AntikenCard
When you visit Trier, you see evidence of the ancient world everywhere you look. There is nowhere else north of the Alps that gives you such an authentic and affordable experience of Roman times, all thanks to the AntikenCard* Trier (combined ticket for the ancient centre).
It is a handy ticket that includes visits to monumental buildings in the ancient Roman city and original archaeological findings. The AntikenCard Basic includes single admission to two Roman buildings and the Rheinisches Landesmuseum. The AntikenCard Premium gives you single admission to Trier’s four Roman buildings (Porta Nigra, the Imperial Baths, the Amphitheatre and the Forum Baths) and the Rhine State Museum. The tickets are valid until the end of the calendar year. For real fans of all things Roman, there is also the AntikenCard (M)ein Jahr, which is an annual pass allowing you to visit the Roman buildings and the Rheinisches Landesmuseum as many times as you like. All three cards include admission for up to four children of 18 and under.
The AntikenCard also includes further discounts and offers for some of the cultural highlights in Trier. It gives you reduced admission to the immersive multimedia theatre experience ‘Im Reich der Schatten’ and to the Simeonstift and Trier cathedral museums. AntikenCard holders are also entitled to a 10% discount on guided tours of Roman Trier provided by ttm – Trier Tourismus und Marketing GmbH. These include the toga tour and costume tours of the Porta Nigra, the Imperial Baths and the Amphitheatre.**
The AntikenCard is available from all Roman buildings, the Rhine State Museum Trier and Trier Tourismus und Marketing GmbH. It can also be sent by post (postal charges apply).
AntikenCard Basic €12.00
Single admission: Two Roman buildings of your choice (Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre, Forum Baths) and admission to the Rhine State Museum. One adult with up to 4 children of 18 and under. Valid until the end of the calendar year.
AntikenCard Premium €18.00
Single admission: Four Roman buildings (Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre, Forum Baths) and admission to the Rhine State Museum. One adult with up to 4 children of 18 and under. Valid until the end of the calendar year
AntikenCard (M)ein Jahr €25.00
Annual pass for unlimited visits: Four Roman buildings (Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre, Forum Baths) and admission to the Rhine State Museum. One adult with up to 4 children of 18 and under. Validity: one year from date of purchase. Additional discounts and extras: 1 x free visit to the multimedia theatre experience ‘Im Reich der Schatten’ in the Rhine State Museum, 10% discount on Rhine State Museum publications when purchased in the museum shop.
AntikenCard Group €10.00
Single admission per person: Two Roman buildings of your choice (Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre, Forum Baths) and admission to the Rhine State Museum in a group of 10 people or more. Valid for one week from purchase, no additional discounts.
AntikenCard School €6.00
Single admission per person: Four Roman buildings (Porta Nigra, Imperial Baths, Amphitheatre, Forum Baths) and admission to the Rhine State Museum for a school trip. Valid for one week from purchase, no additional discounts.
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* The AntikenCard is issued to a specific person, non-transferable and only valid with the specified name and on presentation of an identity card. In the Rhine State Museum, it only gives free admission to the permanent exhibition and any temporary exhibitions included in the normal museum admission price. Major temporary exhibitions with separate admission prices are not included, although there is normally a ‘Special AntikenCard’ available for the exhibition in question. The AntikenCard is only valid during normal opening hours and does not include participation in special events, guided tours or other offers, except for public guided tours of permanent or temporary exhibitions at the state museum on Sunday and entry to the Roman Festival at the Imperial Baths. Free entry to events by external providers is explicitly excluded and it will not be replaced, returned or reimbursed if lost.
** The number of people taking part in guided tours is limited.
The Centre of Antiquity consists of a range of historic buildings. Disabled access therefore varies across different sites and cannot always be guaranteed because of the historic nature of the buildings.
Amphitheatre: The amphitheatre cellar and stands are accessible via steps. There are no steps to the entrance and interior of the amphitheatre (arena). The ground is loose gravel, cobblestones and sand. There is disabled toilet on the ground floor. Parking spaces with disabled access are available.
Parking options
There are a limited number of parking spaces directly in front of the amphitheatre.
Coach parking
There are 2–3 free coach bays right outside the entrance and more near the Imperial Baths. These are about 500 m from the amphitheatre.