The Mosel River meanders peacefully between Trier and its confluence with the Rhine River at Koblenz. The valley tends to have this same quiet character. The Mosel Valley is best known for its fine white wines, but there are also great roads and wonderful little picturesque villages.
Probably the most striking thing that you notice when you first descend into the Mosel Valley is the multitude of vineyards that cover the hillsides. Whether the hillside is steep or gradual, the vineyards extend right down to the water's edge or the road. In some places the vineyards are so steep that there are electric carts on rails to transport workers up and down the rows of grapes.
In addition to the wine tasting, in and around the Mosel Valley there is some excellent riding. On our way to the Mosel Valley we came across some more wonderful roads. At the end of a great stretch of B48 was this biker hangout/restaurant. We obviously had found a favorite road of the local riders. Actually, we did not just happen on this road as I had researched it previously at a great website BestBikingRoads.com.
Not far from the Mosel Valley is the Neubergring racing complex. We couldn't be this close to the Neubergring Nordschliefe, the infamous north circuit of the complex, and not at least go look at it. We were there on a Sunday and it was busy with all sorts of drivers and vehicles giving it a go at this no-speed-limit toll "road." We also got to see some motorcycle races on the Neubergring GP course.
There are lots of little villages along the Mosel River that are picturesque and fun to visit. True to our form, we stuck to the smallest ones. We stayed in Bernkastel-Kues for a night and had a chance to wander the streets in the late afternoon.
We spent two nights in Beilstein at the Gute Quelle. There were shops, of course, and several places for good wine tasting.
The best preserved castle in the Mosel Valley is the Berg Eltz. It is actually a ridge away from the Mosel Valley, but close enough. Most of the other castles in the Mosel Valley were destroyed by one war or another, although some have been restored. The Berg Eltz has been in one family for over 800 years and was never overthrown by attackers. It is definitely worth visiting.
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Thomas R. Powell
Last updated on 01/19/2017.