Trier is considered the cradle of German wine culture, and the Wine Teaching Path winds through vineyards to the village of Olewig. Rotating weekly, village vintners offer tours of their wineries and wine cellars, tastings and light food.

 
Trier also is a central staging point for excursions (by car, bus or bicycle) to the remote, volcanic mountains of the Eifel region north of the Mosel, the more rugged Hunsrück Region to the south, to the nearby Ruwer, Saar and Sauer Rivers and along the Mosel itself - either toward the Rhine or upstream to Luxembourg. Trier is also minutes away from France.

 
Guided walking tours in English are available Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. from May through October. The two-hour tour covers most major attractions from the outside with interior visits to the Basilika and the Imperial Baths. The Amphitheater is not included. The City-Tour Trier, a 35-minute whirlwind tour in a covered, double-decker bus, runs from March through November with hourly trips each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

 
Another option is to buy a Trier-Card, which includes free transportation on all city bus lines. The "TrierTour" bus route includes 16 stops at attractions where travelers can get off and on with no time limits. The card, good for three days, also entitles visitors to reduced admission prices to museums and monuments and prices on tours and bike rentals.

 
If budget permits, consider hiring a private guide through the Tourist Office Trier. The investment is worth it; an individual, family or group up to 35 people costs around $100 for three hours and around $200 for a full day. Many of the guides are retired teachers or professors who can help use Trier's history to impart a deeper understanding of how Europe developed over the past 2,000 years. They also know the latest finds: In 2003, for example, during excavation on the grounds of the city's Mutterhaus Hospital, experts from the Roman Archaeological Museum discovered a Roman "insula" - a residential city block - as well as a partially paved street and a structure about 130 feet (40 meters) long.

 
Trier hotels generally offer excellent values. Some of the best values and greatest charm lie in Olewig, a former wine village now within Trier's expanded city limits. The setting is park-like with hilltop villas and vintners' homes overlooking town. It's a 15- to 20-minute walk or 10-minute bus ride to the pedestrian zone.