Germany – Moselle River 9.25.21

We left for Germany on Thursday morning with a changeover in Dallas and then took the “red eye”, which landed us in Frankfurt at 8:00 a.m. Friday morning. Germany is six hours ahead of East Coast time. So, it felt like 2 a.m. to us. From the airport, we took a train northwest to Koblenz, which is where the beautiful Moselle River empties into mighty Rhine. 

Because we wanted to spend time in the Moselle River Valley before starting our formal hiking trip on the Rhine, we rented a car in Koblenz and drove to Trier, Germany, which sits on the Moselle River just across the border from France. Trier was a very important city during the Roman Empire and served as the primary administrative city for this region of the empire for more than 400 years. Impressive Roman ruins remain, including the main gate, Roman baths, and a Roman amphitheater. So, lots of history in Trier. 

In addition, Karl Marx was born here in 1818. A German philosopher, economist, and social revolutionary, his political and philosophical thought had enormous influence on subsequent intellectual, economic and political history. Marx’s theories about society, economics, and politics, collectively understood as Marxism, hold that human societies develop through class conflict. He has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history, and his work has been both lauded and criticized.

After walking around Trier, we drove along the Moselle River to the beautiful town of Cochem, where we spent the night. Known as the “Pearl on the Moselle”, Cochem is charming with the 11th century Cochem Castle sitting on a hill high above the town. Because of the impressive castle, interesting shops, numerous wine bars representing local wineries, and lots of restaurants, Cochem is a popular stop for Moselle River Cruises. 

That evening we had an early dinner of schnitzels, German potatoes and local beer. Suffering from jet lag, we retired early. 

The next morning, after an early breakfast, we walked along the River through town and made the steep uphill walk through vineyards to the Cochem Castle. We were lucky and snagged the first tour of the day.  Surrounded by steep hillside vineyards, Cochem Castle is totally restored with breathtaking views up and down the Moselle River. After the tour, we trekked down to town and drove on a very scenic highway up the Moselle to the gorgeous town of Beilstein, known as the “Sleeping Beauty of the Moselle”.

Not as well known and not as visited as Cochem, Beilstein also has a castle on the hill overlooking the town.  Although the castle was not as impressive as Cochem’s, the town itself was even more beautiful than Cochem and looked like it belonged in a fairly tale. After some walking we decided to lunch at a cafe with commanding views of the Moselle River. I had the special of the day – bratwurst with sauerkraut and dumplings – washed down with a bottle of sparkling water and a local bottle of Riesling that Elizabeth and I shared.

After lunch we motored along the beautiful Moselle River until we reached Koblenz, where I dropped Elizabeth off at our hotel, which sits on the mighty Rhine. After returning our rental car 4 miles from our hotel, I ran across and along the Moselle, to the “Roman Corner”, which is where the Moselle empties into the Rhine, and then along and across the Rhine, back to the hotel. 

Later that evening we would kick off the formal hiking part of our trip with a welcome dinner with our lhiking group – the same group that we hiked with along the Camino in Spain in 2019.

What can I say about the Moselle River? A 330-mile River that starts in France with the last 90 miles meandering in Germany between Trier and Koblenz, the Moselle River Valley in Germany should not be missed. Known for its wines, the valley is dotted with beautiful vineyards on slopes so steep that you wonder how the grapes are even harvested. In addition, there are numerous charming villages like Beilstein that seem to sink into the hillsides, many with impressive castles that watch over you as you hike or cycle the greenway that parallels this beautiful river. If nothing else, rent a car and take a slow scenic drive and stop every now and then to soak in the slow pace of life that this slow moving River seems to instill.