Moselle Cycle Trail

The Moselle Cycle Trail begins at Thionville. From here, it guides you along well-maintained paths beside the Upper Mosel to the first major stopping point, Trier. Trier, the oldest town in Germany, has a history that dates back 2,000 years. Highlights include some impressive Roman structures.

At Schweich, just a few miles downriver, the Moselle coils up into spectacular bows as it passes through the Rhenish Slate Mountains. The mineral-rich soil on the steep terraced slopes is key to the world-class wines that are produced here. A host of attractions are waiting to be discovered in the pretty little towns and wine villages that you cycle through. The famous Roman wine ship in Neumagen-Dhron, for example, or the Roman wine presses of the Middle Moselle. Other highlights include Bernkastel-Kues, a medieval town where the hugely popular Bernkasteler Doctor wine is made, Traben-Trarbach with its art nouveau architecture and Kröv renowned for its distinctive half-timbered houses. The vineyards that produce the acclaimed Zeller Schwarze Katz wines then usher in a procession of Moselle castles: Marienburg and Burg Arras in the Zeller Land region, Burg Metternich and Cochem Castle in the Cochem holiday region, Burg Eltz perched on one of the Maifeld hills, Burg Pyrmont near Treis-Karden, Ehrenburg Castle and Burg Thurant on the Lower Mosel near Kobern-Gondorf. All are worth a visit, but you might have to leave your bike and lace up those walking boots for some of them. We also recommend that you visit Europe's steepest vineyard slope in Bremm. The Moselle Cycle Route ends at Deutsches Eck (German corner) in Koblenz where the Moselle and Rhine converge.