Moselle Valley Notes -- Trier to Koblenz

Here is a wonderful description of the towns from Trier to Koblenz by a blogger named Tad Newman. http://www.tednewman.me.uk/Moselle2.htm

FROM TRIER ALONG THE MOSELLE TO KOBLENZ
The river Moselle rises outside the frontiers of Germany, in the southern Vosges mountains, north of Belfort. Its total length is 321 miles, of which only 151 miles lie on German soil. For 21 miles it forms the frontier between Luxembourg, the Saarland and the Federal province of Rhineland-Pfalz. That part of the Moselle valley which lies in Germany is also known as the Moselland, for the valley is in some places so narrow and high walled (particularly at the Hunsrück) that the territory it encloses cannot be accurately described as a valley basin; only towards the Eifel, at some points between Trier and Bernkastel, does it broaden out sufficiently to deserve the term.

The Moselle is a feminine name in both German and French; and indeed it possesses many of the characteristics typical of womanhood. It is not surprising that the river has been chosen as a poetic subject almost as frequently as the Rhine. The only Moselle tributaries of any size are the Saar and the Ruwer; the remainder are small streams, though some are pretentiously named.

The Moselle on German soil is a winding, meandering waterway. From Trier to Koblenz as the crow flies is about 60 miles, but the river covers about double this distance; it flows peacefully throughout its course, with no fast-flowing stretches such as are occasionally encountered on the Rhine.

The Moselle country is rich in castles and in well-preserved old towns and villages. Almost every place has given its name to a wine, and the fame of many has spread throughtout the world. Wine is indeed the backbone of the region's economy, and pro- vides, directly or indirectly, the main source of income of the great majority of the population. Generally speaking, Moselle wine is a fresher, more lively drink than the Rhine wines, and its simpler varieties and vintages are drier than the comparable Rhine varieties. It is fairly certain that the mountains of the Moselle country were forest covered and in places quite barren until the Romans arrived in the area, bringing with them the art of viticulture. During the first centuries of the Christian era the arduous hillside labour of the vineyards was done exclusively by monks; only later did the population realise the benefits to be gained from the industry.

The discovery of the famous "Weinschiff " (a representation in stone of a Roman vessel carrying casks of Moselle wine upriver to Trier; the crew have obviously been sampling the cargo) proves that even in those early days the importance of wine-growing in the region was appreciated.

Most visitors to the Moselle valley enter it at Koblenz and travel upstream. Those with time to spare, however, can embark at Konz (near the mouth of the Saar) for a leisurely voyage downstream (there are few drops in the river level).

In the wine-growing villages and towns of the Moselle are to be found quaint old inns and taverns, wine-shops and "Heurigschanken" (inns selling the wine of the current year); they are quieter places than the hostelries of the Rhine perhaps influenced by the sedate example of the river Moselle itself. River fish frequently on the menu; the Moselle offers (somewhat surprisingly) pike, in addition to whitebait (which is prepared in the same way as smelt). Almost every bend in the river seems to bring a new twist in the local cuisine.

It is well worth while to spend some time in exploring one or another of the small side valleys which cut into the Hunsrück (not the flatter country of the Eifel, which, in spite of its bleakness, is more frequently visited than the country on the right bank); here one can experience an inborn hospitality which makes of the tourist trade a ceremony rather than a business, and regards remuneration more as a generous gift from a departing friend than as a payment for service.

In 1958 work was begun on canalization of the Moselle and this makes it navigable for barges of 1,500 tons the work has been completed in 1964, and a traffic of 10 million tons is now expected. 13 dams have been built with locks of 525 x 39 feet, and electricity works which will produce 700 million kwk. They will be administered by a joint German-Belgian-Luxembourg company, with a capital of 85 million DM.

This new waterway will link the industrial area of Lorraine with Germany (Ruhr) and Holland (Rotterdam) and will constitute one of the commercial axes of the Six.

Two federal highways run through the Moselle valley. Highway 49 (on the left) strays from the river at some points, but follows its winding course from Bullay onwards. Highway. 53 runs along the left bank, while 49 makes a detour away from the river; it crosses the Moselle at Neumagen and follows every bend to Bullay, where it meets highway 49 (which reappears opposite (at Alf) and crosses to the right bank). At Karden/Treis highway 49 again crosses the viver and continues to Koblenz.

It is impossible to enumerate the wines of the Moselle even by place-names (there are over a hundred). The longest list available is probably that on the wine-list of the Bremen Ratskeller, which serves only German wines.

Near Cochem, on the Moselle, is the longest tunnel in Germany (4,632 yards).

Highway 49, which comes from the city of Luxembourg, crosses the German frontier at Wasserbillig and runs along the Moselle valley, which is still fairly broad at this point, to Igel, a famous town dating back to Roman times; the Igel Column, a monument adorned with numerous reliefs, is the largest and best preserved Roman relic of its kind north of the Alps.

11km (7 m) from the frontier the road reaches the part of Trier on the left bank of the Moselle Euran Pallien and on to Trier on the right bank. The route cuts through Trier and continues along the right bank to Ruwer; in the town of Ruwer the road is joined by highway 52 (from Hermeskeil).

Hermeskeil is entered from the north east by highway 327 the "Hunsrück-Hohenstrasse" which leads from Koblenz across the Hunsrück and runs along the Moselle at an average height of 1,300 ft; an excellent road, it is the fastest route from Koblenz to Trier.

Continuing from Ruwer, the road runs for 5 km (3 m) to the Schweich bridge, which dates back to an old Roman river crossing. Highway 49 now continues along the left bank of the Moselle, leaving the river to climb rapidly for 23 km (14 m) to Wittlich (pop. 10,000), a summer resort with vineyards and a tobacco growing industry.

Two left forks, one before and one beyond the railway, run for about 20 km (12 m) to Manderscheid (two interesting ruins); to the south-west is the Mosenberg (1687 ft), which is believed by geologists to have been the last active volcano in the Eifel.

The Moselle is reached again at Alf (62 km (39 m) from Trier); highway 49 runs along the river from this point all the way to Koblenz.

Highway 53 runs from Schweich along the left bank of the Moselle, following the river round four of its 20-odd wide bends, then crosses it to reach Neumagen (mentioned by the Roman poet Ausonius as "Noviomagus" in his song "Mosella").

Neumagen is closely associated with the discovery of the stone "Weinschiff" (a representation of a Roman wine ship and its carousing crew). "Noviomagus" was once a fort, under whose protection the Emperor Constantine built a villa where he often spent a few days in relaxation before returning to Trier at that time a busy and world famous metropolis. According to pious legend, it was here, on the heights above the Moselle, and not later in one of his battles, that the Emperor saw in the heavens a vision of a cross with the words "In Hoc Signo Vincis" and was forthwith converted to Christianity, which he did much to spread.

Neumagen now has barely 2,000 inhabitants and is probably little larger than it was 2,000 years ago. Near the town, in 1884, the largest Roman burial grounds ever found were uncovered; the relics, which all dated from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, were presented to the Provincial Museum in Trier.

From Neurnagen a pleasant road branches south-east through the Hunsrück to Idar Oberstein famous for its precious stone industry; its gate cutting workshops attract many visitors.

From this point to the end of highway 53 (it ends at Bullay; a two-storey lattice bridge leads to Alf on the left bank) both sides of the Moselle are dotted with wine growing centres Nieder Emmel, Wintrich, Piesport (passed earlier on the left), Brauneberg (many people, for no ascertainable reason, regard as genuine Moselle wines only those grown from this point onwards), Mülheim and Cues now Bernkastel-Kues. The latter is of more than passing interest, especially for the picturesque market square (fine Rathaus) in Bernkastel, on the right bank of the Moselle. Nearby is the ruined Landshut fortress (accessible by car). Kues, on the left bank, is the birthplace of the philosopher Cardinal Nicolaus Cusanus (1401), who died in Italy.

The road now passes through Graach, Wehlen and Uerzig (the-highway crosses to the left bank in Bernkastel-Kues). Beyond Uerzig are Erden (on the opposite bank) and Krov on the left. Further on are Traben-Trarbach (a particularly well known centre), Zell (where "Schwarze Katz" wine (very popular abroad) is produced) and finally Merl and Bullay (bridge to Alf). The distance from Trier at this point is 105 km (66 m) and from Neu magen 69 km (43 m); it is an exacting drive with many river crossings (though by bridges, not by ferries) and the driver usually has little time to admire the scenery.

Points of interest passed on this highway (53) include the dam at the mouth of the Drohnbach in Niederemmel, the Landshat ruin above Bernkastel (accessible by car), old timbered buildings in Uezig, and opposite Zeltingen (near Pünderich) the beautiful Marienburg ruin, which stands on the northern slope of the mountain ridge. The ridge is only 500 yards broad near the castle; The ascent.to the Marienburg is not an easy one, but the view over the river is wellworth the effort.

In Alf highway 49 is re-encountered; from this point it follows every bend in the river (30 km (19 m) further on it reaches Cochem); the great tunnel cannot be seen from the road (the approach to it is crossed just beyond Bremm, before the village of Eller; the railway crosses the Moselstrasse). Ediger, famous for its wines, has a "Christus in der Kelter" in its chapel; several bends further on is Beilstein (on the opposite bank), with a ruined imperial castle of the same name (it belonged to the Count of Metternich from 1652). Ellenz and Bruttig (the former on the left bank, the latter on the right) are passed before Cochem (pop. 10,000) is reached.

Cochem Castle, after lying in ruins for 180 years, was rebuilt in 1869-77, and is well worth a visit. The town itself, which is said to be the most beautiful spot on the Moselle, marks the end of the river's meanderings; the bends which follow are rarer and more gradual.

12 km (7 m) further on is Karden; from this point it is a short drive to Schloss Eltz, the best-preserved castle in the Moselle region (and one of the most beautiful in Germany).

Its oldest parts date back to the 12th century; the most recent alterations of note took place in the 16th century. After being damaged by fire in 1920, the building was completely restored in its original form. It has belonged for almost 800 years (since 1157) to the von Eltz family, who built it on a steep, rocky ridge in a quiet valley formed by the narrow Eltbach a few kilometres before its confluence with the Moselle. Visitors can gain admission to the castle, which stands 600 ft above sea level though the altitude is not noticeable in its narrow, wooded setting. There are many other castles further along the right bank of the Moselle.

Before crossing the river at Treis, a visit should be paid to Münstermaifeld which became at an early date the centre of the Maifeld the scene of popular meetings in the Middle Ages; in this respect the population were following the example of their forefathers, for the Germanic tribes used also to meet here for discussions. The place is well-known for the altars produced by its cabinet-makers. Its beautiful old churches and its Rathans date from the 12th, 14th and 16th centuries.

The best-known wine-growing centres have now been left behind. The road continues via Burgen, Brodenbach, Alken, Niederfell and Dieblich to Lay. Here (and in Winningen, opposite) vineyards are again encountered; Winningen, indeed, has the largest continuous area of vineyards on the Moselle (1.3 million square yards).

At Lay the highway emerges from the last foothills of the Moselle valley and runs through Moselweiss into Koblenz, which is entered by way of the Saarplatz and the Moselring.