From Viehmarkt we make our way towards the Central Square, our next goal. In fact the Central Square of Trier is the nexus of Trier and we will return to it repeatedly as we make our way from one end to the other of the beautiful downtown area. What we also like is that most of the old downtown area is pedestrian only, that makes it easy to explore without being concerned by cars cutting us down while we admire the Wolf pharmacy and wonder what it would sell in a fantasy medieval kingdom.
The pedestrian street we are following is one of the main ones and it is quite popular with many people both tourists and locals due to the many shopping opportunities nearby. On the way is the Corn Market (Kornmarkt) another major square where we spend some time exploring especially the bookstore and a few fashion stores.
It also has some interesting buildings like the Old Post Office and in the middle of it all stands the historic St George Fountain. It was built in the middle 18th century by the Prince Elector from Trier.
It is quite hot today so the next stop is an icecream shop. There are multiple ones but we stop at one that has an interesting type of icecream called Lasagna. And it is lasagna like and quite good and refreshed we are ready again for the heat.
We next pass Kaufhof, a former major department store chain that is now bankrupt. It has actually reopened but only the ground floor selling some cheap Turkish goods. Not comparable really to the previous selection.
And then we reach the central square which appropriately is called the Main Market square. It is quite an extensive plaza with some beautiful buildings all around and we spend some time both today and the following days just enjoying the beautiful architecture.
In the middle of the plaza is another famous fountain St Peter fountain. It is the centerpiece of the Main Square and it was placed in 1595 being topped by the patron saint St Peter. It is also a good place for photos in our opinion, the views are great in all directions.
However another highlight in the square while less gaudy is more historically significant. It is the Market Cross (Marktkreuz) which was erected in 958AD by decree of the Archbishop to mark the establishment of the new market square after Viking raids. And also the base of the cross was used as a pillory for public punishments, ouch.
Another highlight of the Main Square are the half-timbered houses, they are quite beautiful and we always have to take photos of them when we pass by. Another interesting location on the square is the low tunnel leading to the old Jewish Quarter of which little is left.
The last thing we visit in the square is the St Gangolf church, there are lots of churches in Trier. However this one is special as it is the second oldest church building in the city after the Dom dating back to 958AD.
Inside it is quite restrained with relatively few decorations besides the beautiful red columns. We spend some time enjoying the cold interior before exiting again in the heat and making our way to the city museum nearby.
