The Moselle

Typical half-timbered houses

So first off is it Moselle or Mosel? The basic answer is that it's 'elle' in French and 'el' in German. As far as we can see either spelling will do, with the 'lle' version usually referring to the river itself and the 'el' version referring to the wine. Flowing through France, Luxembourg and Germany, at 545km it is much shorter than the Rhine. However, for many it is a much more attractive river.

The main reasons for this are the fact that it is less busy on the river itself, whereas the Rhine still has lots of trade barges. Also, the Moselle does not have the train line running all the way down the side, thus making it a bit quieter. Finally, it twists and turns a lot more than the Rhine in this area. It is also lined with castle after castle and pretty half-timbered towns.

The vines in the Moselle valley

Surprising Luxembourg City

Our favoured stretch is from German Corner at Koblenz, down to Mainz. Two of the touristy highlights are the castle at Cochem and the picturesque town of Bernkastel Kues. In fact, most of the towns on this stretch would be worth a visit, not least just to wander around the shops and take advantage of the cafes and restaurants.

There is cycle path all the way down this section and being flat in the valley, it is a haven for cyclists, with lots of places to stop off during your ride. Obviously, it is also a wine-lovers paradise and the food is typically German in the sense that it's good quality and there is always plenty of it!

We add a further dimension to our tour by following the Moselle into Luxembourg and staying just outside the city for a few days. It just adds a bit of dynamic before heading back north west through France and back to Calais.