This tour operates in two directions: from Cochem to Mettlach or from Mettlach to Cochem. Both itineraries are detailed below.
Direction: Cochem – Mettlach
Aug 19; Sep 2, 16*, 30*; Oct 14, 2018 (*indicates fully booked date)
Day 1: Arrival to Cochem
Embarkment 3:00pm. Your tour starts in the beautiful city Cochem with a lot of shops and terraces. Cochem is famous for its wines and dominated by the old Reichsburg.
Day 2: Cochem – Zell (27 miles/44 km)
Through five remarkable bends, you’ll meander along with the river to the famous vineyards of Calmont. The steepest slopes have a gradient of 65% which makes it quite difficult for the farmers to tend their vineyards. The lunch stop will be at the beautiful village of Beilstein, backdrop for many movies. The endpoint of today is the city of the black cat, Zell. The story goes that when some wine merchants from Aachen had to choose which wine barrel they wanted to buy, a black cat jumped upon one of the barrels to defend it. Of course, this made it clear for them which barrel they should buy.
Overnight in Zell.
Day 3: Zell – Bernkastel Keus (25 miles/40 km)
The Mosel makes its way through green landscapes with vineyards and forests. Just after leaving Zell there will be another hiking opportunity that leads you to the "Marienburg" where you will be awarded by a splendid view over the Mosel Meander. Along the way, you’ll find some beautiful towns and villages like the beautiful double city in Jugendstil, Traben Trarbach and the so-called "Winzerdorf" Wolf. The final destination is Bernkastel-Kues, a medieval town with romantic narrow streets and remarkable half-timbered houses and picturesque nooks and crannies.
Overnight in Bernkastel Keus.
Day 4: Bernkastel Kues, Moselle-Maare cycling trail (34 miles/55 km)
In the morning the cycle bus takes you to Daun, to the start of the Moselle-Maare cycling trail, possibly the most famous cycling trail of the central Moselle. The track is built on an old railway line. There is no simpler way to cycle to the Moselle valley than on the 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, it continues to roll on the Moselle bike path to Bernkastel-Kues.
Overnight in Bernkastel Keus.
Day 5: Bernkastel Keus – Trier (31 miles/50 km)
Along today's route, you'll find a lot of Roman villas and public baths but also relics of other ancient civilizations such as the Celts. All those historical buildings are placed on the slopes along the ever winding river. "Special of the day" is the "Piesporter Goldtröpfchen," a lovely local blended white wine that we are going to taste in a local wine-bar. We will take the time to pay a visit to Trier, the oldest city in Germany, where you can visit some more Roman legacies like the Porta Nigra, the Basilica of Constantine the Great and an amphitheater.
Overnight in Trier.
Day 6: Trier – Saarburg (22 miles/35 km)
During today’s tour you switch rivers in the historical city of Konz. From here you leave the Mosel behind and go south along the Saar. Before you take "exit Saar" you’ll go further west to jump over the border into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.
One thing's for sure, you’re not the first tourist in the area. Around the year 365 A.D., the Roman teacher and poet Magnus Ausonius wrote 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."
Tonight you’ll stay in Saarburg. Don’t forget to take a walk through the old town center with the famous waterfalls and visit the old city castle.
Overnight in Saarburg.
Day 7: Saarburg – Mettlach (22 miles/35 km)
From Saarburg you cycle south along the Saar. Around the little village of Saarhölzbach, you leave the Rheinland Pfalz behind and enter the Saarland. The history of this little village goes back to the year 802 and the government of Charlemagne, also known as Charles the Great, king of Franks, king of Italy and the first Holy Roman Emperor. Today we will have lunch in Mettlach, a little town along the Saar River where we will visit the famous Villeroy and Boch porcelain museum. Today’s highlight is the beautiful Saarschleife (Saar loop). You will have the opportunity to hike to a panorama-point where you can have a great view over the whole region. After this interesting hike we double back for a few kilometres to our final destination Mettlach.
Overnight in Mettalch.
Day 8: Merzig
The tour ends after breakfast. Disembarkation by 10:00am. It is well worth the effort to take some time to look around in Merzig to visit the Garden of Senses or the wolf park of Werner Freund.
Direction: Mettlach – Cochem
Aug 26; Sep 9*, 23; Oct 7, 21, 2018 (*indicates fully booked date)
Day 1: Arrival in Merzig
Board the ship starting at 3:00pm in the beautiful Saarland town of Mettlach, home of Villeroy and Boch, with a lot of shops and terraces. At 4:00pm, we will make a short trip along the Saar River to a beautiful mooring-place near the Saarschleife (Saar loop).
Overnight in Saarschleife.
Day 2: Saarschleife – Saarburg (22 miles/35 km)
After breakfast, you will bike to the Saar-Canyon. Here, you have the opportunity to hike to an outlook site on top of the Saar-Canyon where there is a magnificent panorama over the faraway surroundings. The hike is not steep and takes 1 hour uphill and half an hour downhill. At lunchtime, you will arrive in the town of Mettlach where you will have lunch and can visit the town. Of course, you the group will visit the biggest attraction of the town: The Villeroy and Boch porcelain museum including a cup of coffee in the beautiful Museum-Café. We will end this day-trip in the very scenic town of Saarburg with its huge waterfall in the middle of town.
Overnight in Saarburg.
Day 3: Saarburg – Trier (22 miles/35 km)
During today's tour you switch rivers in the historical city of Konz, from here you leave the Saar behind and follow the Mosel towards Luxembourg. One thing's for sure, you're not the first tourist 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."
Along the old Saarschleife you cycle to the Igeler Säule and Wasserbillig in Luxemburg. In the afternoon, you'll turn eastwards to Trier where you’ll stay for the roughly 3 hours. This city is known for its Roman legacies like the Porta Nigra, the Basilica of Constantine the Great and an amphitheater. After visiting you cycle one hour to the mooring-place of the barge.
Overnight in Trier.
Day 4: Trier, sailing to Schweig, and cycling to Bernkastel-Keus (31 miles/50 km)
Just like yesterday the Romans are still present today. Along the route, you'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-Keus with its romantic narrow streets, remarkable half-timbered houses and picturesque nooks and crannies. There's an opportunity for a wine-tasting-excursion in a winery.
Overnight in Bernkastel-Kues.
Day 5: Bernkastel Keus – Moselle-Maare cycling trail (34 miles/55 km)
In the morning the cycle bus takes you to Daun, to the start of the Moselle-Maare cycling trail, possibly the most famous cycling trail of the central Moselle. The track is built on an old railway line. There is no simpler way to cycle to the Moselle valley than on the 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, it continues to roll on the Moselle bike path to Bernkastel-Kues.
Overnight in Bernkastel-Kues.
Day 6: Bernkastel Keus – Zell (25 miles/40 km)
As if it had imbibed a drink or two, the Mosel makes its way through a green and fascinating landscape with vineyards and forests. Along the way you’ll find some beautiful towns and villages like the so-called ‘Winzerdorf’ Wolf and even further around the next curve you’ll be surprised by the beautiful double city in Jugendstil, Traben Trarbach. Just before Zell there will be another hiking opportunity that leads you to the “Marienburg” where you will be awarded by a splendid view over the Mosel Meander. The ship waits for you in the city of the black cat, Zell. The story goes that when some wine merchants from Aachen had to choose which wine barrel they should buy a black cat jumped upon one of the barrels to defend it. Of course this made it clear for them which barrel they should buy.
Overnight in Zell.
Day 7: Zell – Cochem (28 miles/45 km)
The day starts with sailing to the beautiful village of Beilstein, décor of many movies. Today we will visit the most beautiful castle along the Mosel River: Burg Eltz. We will bike to a bicycle parking lot on the foothill and from there continue hiking (1 hour, not steep) to Burg Eltz. Here there is an opportunity to visit the original medieval interior of the castle and climb the tower. After the visit we 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.
Overnight in Cochem.
Day 8: Departure from Cochem
After breakfast, the tour ends. Disembarkation by 10:00am.
