Steipe, Gothic reception building at Main Market, Trier, Germany

The Steipe is a Gothic building on the Main Market in Trier, rising four floors with pointed arch arcades at street level, a crenellated roofline, and a steep hipped roof. A square stair tower marks the northwest corner and gives the structure its most distinctive silhouette against the square.

The building went up around 1430 and served the citizens of Trier as a place for celebrations and civic gatherings. After complete destruction in December 1944, it was rebuilt between 1968 and 1970 following the medieval design.

The four patron saints between the arcades are copies; the originals, removed before the war, are kept in the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift. The two knights above embody civic liberty like northern German Roland statues: the left one, facing St. Gangolf, wears its visor open toward the church, the right one, facing the cathedral, keeps it closed.

The building stands right on the Main Market and is easy to reach on foot from anywhere in the old town. The Ratskeller Zur Steipe restaurant on the ground floor is a good option for a break without leaving the square.

The two armored knights on the first floor are copies; the originals, removed before the war, are kept in the Stadtmuseum Simeonstift. The knight facing St. Gangolf has an open visor, while the one facing the cathedral has it closed.