One of the best known wine rivers in the world is the Moselle. It begins in France. Flowing north, it leaves France, and flows between Luxembourg and Germany, before entering the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck in Koblenz, at the heart, if not soul, of western Germany. Like the Rhine, vineyards cover the slopes along the river, flooding down to the water’s edge. The slopes are some of the steepest in the world, and along with the dramatic twists and turns of the river, form indelible images to remain forever with visitors to the region.
What I Learned:
In Germany, the Moselle River valley vintners vie with the Rhine River valley vintners for producing great quality Rieslings. It is certainly Germany’s second-most well-known river, running as it does some 250 kilometers/155 miles from the French-Luxembourg border to the Rhine. Although less well-known and shorter than the Rhine, the Moselle can claim to be Germany’s oldest wine-producing region. Continue reading Wine Notes: The Moselle’s Bernkastel District
Trail Name: Mosel Radweg
Trail Type: Long distance bike trail; almost exclusively paved, exceptionally well maintained, and very well-marked.
Length:
Total: (Thionville – Koblenz) approximately 277 kilometers/172 miles
My Segment: (Bernkastel – Cochem) approximately 80 kilometers/49.75 miles
Convenient to: Trier or Koblenz, Germany
Marking: White M and white bicycle icon on a square green placard
Variety is the spice of life, as the saying goes – and this circuit trail proved the point. Landscapes as varied as meadows, fields and forest, hill and dale, streets, steps and dirt paths, and of course, vineyards and villages, all ranged along or near one of the most famous wine-growing riverscapes in the world: the Moselle River Valley. The variety and natural beauty of this trail will always enchant hikers with new vistas over each ridgeline, or views around each river bend.
What I Learned:
The Moselle River wineries are not that far from the Rhine river wineries in the Rheingau and the Rhein-Hesse wine regions, but they are figuratively speaking a world apart. Equally as proud of their line of products, which have centuries of tradition behind them, both river valley wine growers share something else in common: the cultivation of the Riesling grape as the single-most common varietal grown.
Trail Name: Grafschafter Weindoerferweg
Trail Type: Mid-distance hiking circuit; grassy pathway, steps, hard-packed gravel or paved in built up areas, well maintained and superbly marked.
Length: total: 18.5 kilometers/11.5 miles
Convenient to: Bernkastel-Kues, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany
