Saar and Mosel River Route

You will arrive on board between 2 and 3 pm. Your tour starts in the beautiful Saarland town of Mettlach with a lot of shops and terraces. At 4 p.m. we will make a short trip along the Saar River to a beautiful mooring place near the Saarschleife (Saar loop).

After breakfast we’ll bike to the Saar-Canyon. Here we will have the opportunity to hike to an outlook site on top of the Saar-Canyon where we have a magnificent panorama over the faraway surroundings. The hike is not steep and takes about 1 hour uphill and half an hour downhill. At lunchtime we’ll arrive back in the town of Mettlach where we will have lunch and can visit the town with its outlet shops. Of course, we won’t forget to visit the biggest attraction of the town: the Villeroy & Boch porcelain museum. We’ll end this daytrip in the very scenic Saarburg with its huge waterfall in the town center.

During today’s tour we will switch rivers in the historical city of Konz. From here we’ll leave the Saar behind and follow the Mosel. One thing’s for sure, we’re not the first tourists in the area. It was around the year 365 A.D. that the river inspired the Roman teacher Magnus Ausonius to write his hymn Mosella: “Greetings, river, framed by perfumed vineyard-covered hills, Framed by grass; river of greenest shores. Your strong waters carry ships, flowing in easy waves. Along the stream, and a glittering lake your depths emulate.” We will cycle along the old Saarschleife to the Igeler Säule and Wasserbillig in Luxemburg. In the afternoon we’ll turn eastwards to Trier where we’ll stay for around 3 hours. This city is known for its Roman legacies like the Porta Nigra, the Basilica of Constantine the Great, and an amphitheater. After our visit, there will be a one hour ride to the barge.

Along the route today we’ll find a lot of old Roman villas, public baths, and other relics of ancient civilizations. All those historical buildings are placed on the slopes along the winding river. The end point of today is the medieval town of Bernkastel-Kues with its romantic narrow streets, remarkable half-timbered houses, and enchanting nooks and crannies. There will be the opportunity for a wine tasting excursion along the way.

In the morning the cycle bus will take us to Daun for the start of the Moselle-Maare cycling trail, possibly the most famous cycling trail of the central Moselle. There’s no simpler way to cycle to the Moselle valley than on this former railway line through the Volcanic Eifel! The road runs through the landscape of volcanoes and crater lakes, along magnificent viaducts, and past old railway stations. Light as a feather, we will continues along the Moselle bike path to Bernkastel-Kues.

As if it had imbibed a drink or two, the Mosel twists and turns its way through a green and fascinating landscape of vineyards and forests. Just after leaving Zell there will be another hiking opportunity that leads us to the “Marienburg”where you’ll be awarded by a splendid view over the Mosel Meander. Along the way we’ll find some beautiful towns and villages, like the beautiful double city in Jugendstil, Traben Trarbach, and the so called “Winzendorf Wolf.” The final destination is Bernkastel-Kues, a medieval town with romantic narrow streets, remarkable half-timbered houses, and enchanting nooks and crannies.

The day starts with a ride to the almost vertical vineyards of Calmont near Bremm. Here you can take a hike up the slopes and see yet another wonderful bend in the Mosel river. After lunch we ride on to the beautiful village of Beilstein, décor of many movies. After the visit, we’ll cycle along the Mosel to Cochem, the final destination of this cycling week. Cochem is famous for its wines and dominated by the old Reichsburg.

After breakfast, our tour ends at 10:00 a.m.