Mattheiser Pfarrfest St. Matthias

The Mattheiser Pfarrfest has been one of Trier's best-known parish festivals for many years and reaches far beyond the circle of the St. Matthias parish community. The venue — the Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias at Matthiasstraße 79 — is one of the city's most important religious sites: the apostolic tomb church houses the relics of the Apostle Matthias and is the only one of its kind north of the Alps. It attracts pilgrims from all over Germany and neighboring countries.

The parish festival combines this spiritual dimension with a distinctly popular design. The centerpiece is a festive church service in the basilica, after which the grounds around the abbey become a festival mile. Choirs, bands, and dance groups from the district and the wider region perform on a stage. The parish runs numerous stalls with homemade cakes, home-cooked meals, sausages, fries, drinks, and cocktails.

There is a special program for families and children: face painting, bouncy castle, creative craft activities, games of chance, and raffles. Guided tours of the basilica and the crypt are also offered as part of the festival. The proceeds from the parish festival traditionally go to social projects of the parish and the maintenance of the monastery complex.

The festival is considered a meeting place for the entire city community — parishioners, people from other districts of Trier, guests, and tourists come together. Admission is free.