Trichy, officially Tiruchirappalli, sits where the Kaveri River splits and the temple country of central Tamil Nadu begins to spread toward the delta. It is less polished than Thanjavur and less overwhelming than Madurai, but it has one of South India's great urban skylines: the Rockfort rising abruptly from the city, with temple towers and river islands around it.
The city works best as a temple and history base. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam is a vast living temple-city, Jambukeswarar Temple at Thiruvanaikaval is one of the five elemental Shiva temples, and Kallanai is a Chola-era dam that still shapes the river system. The distances are short, but the heat and traffic make slow pacing wise.
Trichy is also a useful rail junction. Many travellers pass through on the way between Chennai, Madurai, Thanjavur, and Rameshwaram; staying a night or two gives the city time to make sense. Go early to temples, rest in the afternoon, and climb Rockfort late in the day when the stone is cooler and the city lights begin to come on below.