The Mosel
By Jim Johnson
The question often comes up: “Rhine or Mosel?” Whether the question regards wine or travel, the answer is the same: “It’s a matter of taste.”
For travelers, there are certainly differences. The Mosel is much narrower and curvier than the Rhine, meandering nearly 200 kilometers (125 miles) to cover the 100-kilometer (62-mile) distance between Trier and Koblenz. It’s slower and calmer than the Rhine. Its micro-climate is almost Mediterranean with cold-weather days often 8-10 degrees warmer than in towns off the river. There’s almost a softer feel to it, as if viewing the landscape through thin gauze. It’s probably no coincidence that the German language uses the masculine “der” for the Rhine and the feminine “die” for the Mosel.
Main roads have been diverted. Even the trains cut through hills rather than parallel the entire river, dropping the decibels a few notches. The towns and villages—Cochem aside—are commonly uncrowded, even more so with the closure of nearby French and American military bases.
Between Trier and Koblenz, there’s scarcely any industry to be found except for winemaking and, in the number two spot, tourism. That ranking is important for visitors, since it often means a more “authentic” experience than in more tourism-dependent areas.
Villages feel like villages, where everyone knows everyone. In the hamlet of Longuich, Mayor Josef Schmitt officiated at a street festival—and appeared a short time later at an outdoor café—wearing a green apron and taking lunch orders. There’s no pretense.
“We don’t think of ourselves as a tourist attraction,” said one vintner in Bremm, a charming village about mid-way between Trier and Koblenz. “We just do what we do, in some ways no differently today than 200 years ago. People don’t sightsee here; they visit.”
Most of “what they do” relates to winemaking, and vineyards indeed stretch as far as the eye can see—or at least until the next curve in the river. Many of the region’s guests come to visit specific vintners year after year—to re-stock their Rieslings and swap family stories. And many cozy guesthouses are run by vintners to augment their incomes (and hedge against bad years).
Which isn’t to say the region lacks a tourism infrastructure; there are charming inns and elegant hotels, and chefs take full advantage of local produce—and abundant wine. Across the board, travelers will find prices—whether for lodging or meals—generally lower than along the Rhine and more touristy areas.
Our friendly vintner notwithstanding, visitors have ample sights to see beyond the vineyards, including Roman ruins, stunning castles and half-timber towns.
In Longuich and across the river in Mehring, travelers can visit two Roman villas, rebuilt in part but with much of their ancient old foundations intact. In Neumagen-Dhron, there’s a replica of a giant stone carving of a Roman wine ship (the original, discovered in the village, is in the Municipal Museum in Trier).
At the other end of the architectural spectrum, Traben-Trarbach has the unique appeal of having a complete district with Jugendstil (art nouveau) as the primary architectural style. Much of the town burned to the ground in a series of fires during the late 19th century. After a design competition to rebuild the popular Hotel Bellevue, Jugendstil was all the rage.
Bernkastel-Kues is perhaps the postcard-perfect Mosel town, complete with castle ruins, half-timber houses, medieval marketplace and architectural styles spanning nearly two millennia. There’s another compelling reason to visit this delightful town: the Vinothek, where 9 EUR ($10) open the door to an unlimited sampling of 130 wines from the Mosel region. Sampler bottles stand in front of the 130 racks, with descriptive cards giving prices and backgrounds on the vintner. There are spit buckets and water pitchers for serious samplers. (Weinkulturelles Zentrum, Cusannusstrasse 2, D-54470 Bernkastel-Kues, tel: +49/6531/4141, fax: 4155, web: http://www.bernkastel-vinothek.de/ (in German), email: info@bernkastel-vinothek.de.)
Affiliated with the Vinotek is the adjacent Wine Museum, with old tools and equipment that show how the industry has changed over the centuries.
One thing that hasn’t changed is how vines are tended and grapes are picked. It’s as manual today as ever. Travelers who want a first-hand experience should visit the Weingut Schauf, a popular winery in the village of Ediger-Eller.
Schauf’s vineyards are on the Bremmer Calmont, at 65 degrees (90 would be vertical) the steepest vineyard in Europe. Hiking up is an option, but Karl Schauf offers an easier way: a two-person funicular wagon, powered by a lawnmower engine that climbs about two-thirds of the way up the 376-meter (1,233-foot) slope. The passenger faces to the rear and gains a stunning perspective: straight across to the ruins of 12th-century Cloister Stuben, soft light drenching its ancient walls and streaming through its Romanesque arches.
Perhaps to distract his passenger from fear, Herr Schauf explains the challenges that vineyards present, like maintaining centuries-old drywalls. Twenty-three times each year, he cuts and ties each vine to wooden stakes.
At the end of the line, a trail splits left to a series of ladders farther up the slope or—thankfully—right to a storm shelter that doubles as a picnic area when Herr Schauf gives tours. His son has brought up wine, bread, sausage and cheese. Life is good.
Each time of day is different, as the sun strikes the valley from different angles. On the return trip, the clouds cast Rorschach shadows on the vineyards.
Back below on terra firma, Herr Schauf drives his guest a few minutes to the village. As in many towns, nearly every house belongs to a vintner or someone involved in wine production, and visitors are likely to be invited into ancient wine cellars—sometimes hidden below modern houses—to view room after room of prized wines. Maybe a tasting will follow. And maybe a multi-bottle purchase will follow that, although there’s no pressure. (Weingut Schauf, St. Jackob Strasse 18, D-56814 Eller/Mosel, tel +49/2675/288)
Castle-lovers will not leave the Mosel region disappointed—unless they don’t devote enough time to explore. Among the most popular are the Landshut ruins in Bernkastel-Kues, the Imperial Castle in Cochem and the Ehrenburg in Brodenbach. Some, like Treis Castle, are little more than tumbled walls and sturdy keep. Others are visited for their views, like the Grevenburg ruins in Traben-Trarbach, which looks west across the river for perfect sunsets behind the ruins of Mont Royal fortress.
The Mosel can also claim one of Germany’s most beautiful and best-preserved castles. Burg Eltz is both true romance and an architectural gem, its construction spanning (and surviving) more than 500 years. It’s about an hour’s brisk walk from the river, or a scenic 15 minutes by car. Although it’s in its ninth century of ownership by the von Eltz family, the castle is open to the public with guided tours.
Along with Cochem, Burg Eltz is one of the Mosel’s most popular attractions. However, visitor counts in any town will climb sharply during the many wine and harvest festivals. Visitors should also be aware of any Rhine in Flames weekend celebrations, since Mosel towns—especially those close to Koblenz—often get overflow from booked-solid hotels along the Rhine. The opening of Frankfurt/Hahn Airport, although far closer to Trier than to Frankfurt, has had minimal impact on tourism.
Transportation
Auto
The Mosel is easily reached by car. Highway 48 connects Trier and Koblenz along a generally straight line north of the valley. Frequent side routes off the highway provide access to most towns.
Train
Although Koblenz and, to a lesser extent, Trier have good rail service, many towns have infrequent or no rail service. Tracks often follow straight lines though tunnels, which cut out some of the most scenic stretches. RegionalExpress (RE) trains take a different route north of the Mosel and touch only major towns.
Air
Most air travelers fly into Frankfurt/Main, which is 186 kilometers (116 miles) from Trier and 125 kilometers (76 miles) from Koblenz. Cologne/Bonn is 165 kilometers (102 miles) from Trier and 107 kilometers (66 miles) from Koblenz.
Adventurous sorts flying from other European cities might consider budget airline RyanAir, which makes Frankfurt/Hahn its hub—just 19 kilometers (12 miles) from Traben-Trarbach and with frequent bus service to major points along the Mosel.
Bus
Buses run frequently between villages and carry bicycles.
Ship
There is boat service between Trier and Koblenz, but to go the full distance would take about 11 hours with two ship companies. Better bet: take a sightseeing cruise or use your hotel as home base and do an “out and back.”
Contact
Mosellandtouristik represents the entire Mosel region: D-54470 Bernkastel-Kues, tel +49/6531/2091, fax 2093, email info@mosellandtouristik.de, web http://www.mosellandtouristik.de/.
Lodging
Hotel Winzerhof
Ernst and Gabi Schanz make pleasant lodging an even greater delight in their winery hotel. Their service is enthusiastic and sincere, and they pamper guests like family. Rooms are spacious with upbeat décor and interesting prints. Some have balconies, although there’s a small terrace for all guests to enjoy. For late risers, there’s even breakfast until noon in a cheery breakfast room brightened by a large bay window. The room is also used for wine tastings and (with advance request) dinner for guests. While a small group recently enjoyed a wine-tasting in the dining area, a solo guest savored a dinner platter with two imposing slivers of forearm-wide sausage—so fresh that the other pigs were probably mourning in the farmyard out back. Add to that some Westphalian ham, cheese, schmaltz and dense, moist bread—complemented by a glass of half-dry Riesling from the family vineyard—and life doesn’t get much better.
The hotel offers good-quality rental bikes and will transport guests and bikes up to 25 miles away, with route suggestions and map, for a pleasant ride back “home” along the river.
Contact: Hotel Winzerhof, Bahnhofstrasse 8, D-54498 Piesport/Mosel, tel +49/6507/ 92520, fax 925252, email: Hotel-Winzerhof-Piesport@t-online.de, web: http://www.hotel-winzerhof-piesport.de/. Proprietors: Ernst and Gabi Schanz.
Daily Rates: Single 50 EUR ($56), double 76-82 EUR ($85-92). Parking is 5 EUR ($6).
Rating: Quality 14/20, Value 15/20
Weinromantikhotel Richtershof (Editor’s Choice)
If you arrive at the four-star Weinromantikhotel Richtershof in a horse-drawn coach, you won’t feel out of place. You pull into a gravel driveway, shaded by a spreading chestnut tree, to a 300-year-old winery estate converted to a hotel in 2001. It’s a charming collection of half-timber, Baroque and Jugendstil buildings connected by modern structures to create an “ensemble” feeling. Public spaces, the restaurant and guest rooms are elegant but not overwhelming. Nor are the room rates, which would not shock at twice the price.
The setting is idyllic, set by a wooded park with pond and waterfall. It’s an active winery, and guests can tour 17th-century colonnaded cellars filled with wooden barrels, or hike through vineyards with a guide to learn about winemaking.
The 44 guest rooms are spacious and individually decorated, many with antique furniture. History buffs may like Room 402, where Napoleon once slept, with a four-poster bed and the original stove from 1809. Room 401, decorated with a peaceful floral theme, has a terrace overlooking the garden. Room 406, a corner double, overlooks the medieval portion of the estate, as well as the garden and vineyards. A new wing (numbered in the 200s) is charming but lacks the character of the older buildings.
Contact: Weinromantikhotel Richtershof, Hauptstrasse 81-83, D-54486 Mülheim an der Mosel, tel +49/6534/948/0, fax 100, web: www.weinromantikhotel.com, email: info@weinromantikhotel.de. Proprietors: Armin Hoeck and Preuss Family.
Daily rates: Single 85-130 EUR ($95-146), double 120-150 EUR ($134-168), suite 200-350 EUR ($224-392). Free parking.
Rating: Quality 17/20 Value 18/20
Hotel-Restaurant Doctor-Weinstube
The Doctor-Weinstube is a long-time favorite of European visitors and increasingly popular with Americans who visit this charming wine village. The hotel is set among the cobblestone streets and half-timber houses of Bernkastel-Kues. Built in 1668 as a tithe house, it still maintains much of its Renaissance atmosphere. Rooms are mid-size, basic and bright with a rustic feel to them. Rooms face either through dormer windows to the narrow street or to the courtyard terrace.
Contact: Hotel-Restaurant Doctor-Weinstube, Hebegasse 5, D-54470 Bernkastel-Kues, tel +49/6531/96650, fax 6296, email: doctor-hotel@t-online.de, web: http://www.doctor-weinstuben.de. Proprietors: Nau Family
Daily rates: Single 74-106 EUR ($83-119), double 112-170 EUR ($125-190)
Rating: Quality 14/20 Value 13/20
Familienhotel Hutter-Bremm (Editor’s Choice)
The family-run Hotel Hutter is, simply and frankly, a steal. For the price of a mid-range dinner in most German cities, you get overnight lodging and breakfast. Add another 10 EUR ($11), and you have a dinner package.
The 42 rooms, mostly doubles, are plain but functional, clean and large enough for two people to function without hurting each other, or wanting to. Ask for one of the river-view rooms on the first floor (what Americans would call the second). They open to a patio panorama facing the 180-degree bend in the river, the steep vineyards of the Bremmer Calmont rising behind it, and the ruins of the Kloster Stuben monastery on the peninsula. Also, specify if you want a private bathroom or shower, since a handful of rooms have shared facilities.
Contact: Familienhotel Hutter-Bremm, Moselstrasse 30, D-56814 Bremm/Mosel, tel +49/675/212, fax 707. Email info@hotel-hutter.de, web: www.hotel-hutter.de. Proprietor: Jan Abbruzzino.
Daily rates: single 28 EUR ($31), double 55 EUR ($62), with discounts for multiple nights and off-season stays. Parking is included. Optional television rental is 2.50 EUR ($3) per day (hotel has television room as well).
Rating: Quality 13/20 Value 16/20
Moselromantik-Hotel Kessler Meyer
Located about 15 walking minutes upstream from town, the four-star Hotel Kessler Meyer provides stunning views not just of the Mosel, but also of cliffs, the half-timber town and the imposing Reichsburg (Imperial Castle). The hotel has been around—and much expanded—since 1978. While it may lack the character of older hotels, it doesn’t lack elegance and charm. Service is top-notch.
Rooms are spacious and sunlit, many with balconies made quite private by a floral hedge-a veritable flurry of yellow. Rooms 48 and 49 in the newest part of the hotel offer the best views. In the evening, it’s bewitching to sit on the balcony and watch the lights of the town come on.
Contact: Moselromantik-Hotel Kessler Meyer, Am Reilsbach 12. D-56812 Cochem, tel.
+49 2671 97880, fax 3858, email: rezeption@hotel-kessler-meyer.de, web: http://www.hotel-kessler-meyer.de/. Proprietors: Kessler-Meyer Family
Daily rates: Single 74-106 EUR ($83-119), double 112-170 EUR ($125-190). There’s free parking, and rental bicycles are available for 6 EUR ($7) per day. The hotel provides a shuttle from Frankfurt/Hahn Airport for 10 EUR ($11).
Rating: Quality 16/20 Value 16/20
Sustenance
The Mosel region was generally poor through the centuries, and that’s reflected in the regional cuisine, which favors smoked meats and fish, sausages, cheese, bread, smoked fish, wild boar, turkey and potatoes. Modern tastes demand creativity, and the restaurants—for the most part—deliver. Wine, of course, plays a major role in many dishes.
Some of the best places to eat along the Mosel are “Strausswirtschafts” (literally “bouquet establishments”), small, temporary, vintner-run eateries set up in courtyards, backyards, driveways and cellars. Two regulations persist from medieval times: The establishment may open no more than four months a year, and it can’t post permanent signs. To get around the latter rule, vintners hang either a straw broom or a bouquet of twigs (hence the name) wrapped in ribbon. Almost all sell simple but tasty and proudly prepared fare, often straight from the vintner’s kitchen. More often than not, the proprietor will take orders and serve—and may prepare the food as well. It’s a great way to eat like and with the locals. Quality can shift from year to year, but any shopkeeper can point visitors in the direction of his or her favorite.
Culinarium R at the Weinromantikhotel Richtershof
The Culinarium R, the primary restaurant at the Richtershof, is elegant, romantic and tranquil. Guests enter past an open kitchen, where aromas and sizzling pans put the taste buds on alert. Arched windows in the 1809 structure allow ample light. Fabric-backed chairs seem to absorb much of the sound. Service is formal, but not stiff. The menu is ambitious and successful: consommé of lemongrass and mussels, lobster ravioli on wild asparagus, brook char in lemon-thyme sauce, kangaroo with peanut sauce, and iced strawberry soup with champagne sorbet.
Most entrées are between 20-24 EUR ($22-27). With a glass of wine, an appetizer and dessert, the bill could easily come to 80 EUR ($90) per person. Perhaps the best value is the daily, four-course prix fixe menu at 33 EUR ($37). The five-course menu, with corresponding wines, costs 82 EUR ($92).
Contact: Weinromantikhotel Richtershof, Hauptstrasse 81-83, D-54486 Mülheim an der Mosel, tel +49/6534/948/0, fax 100, web: www.weinromantikhotel.com, email: info@weinromantikhotel.de. Proprietors: Armin Hoeck and Preuss Family.
Rating: Quality: 18/20 Value: 17/20
Goldene Traube (Golden Grape)
At the Goldene Traube, it’s mostly locals who frequent this cozy pub, and there’s lots of laughter and greetings. Newcomers are welcomed just as warmly—by the proprietor and wait-staff as well as by other guests.
Not surprisingly, wine is a dominant theme in the décor, from old winemaking equipment to framed photographs of “wine princesses” through the years. Wine also plays a role in many recipes, even in desserts, where it’s often substituted for milk.
Almost all produce, meats and vegetables—like the recipes—come from local farms.
Regional specialties include potato soup, pork with bacon and “Gräwes” (seasoned mashed potatoes with cabbage), beef filet with horseradish sauce, liverwurst, blood sausage, sülze and Mosel fish like perch, pike and eel. Dessert may include delightful, tart and sweet rhubarb compote. Almost all main courses fall between 9-12 EUR ($10-13) and should, of course, be accompanied by local wines.
Contact: Goldene Traube, Am Markt 8, D-56841 Traben-Trarbach, tel +49/6541/6011, fax 6013, email: allmacherhotel@t-online.de, web: www.allmacherhotel.de. Proprietors: Richard und Marlies Allmacher.
Rating: Quality 14/20 Value 15/20
Alte Zunftscheune
Set in an old granary, the Alte Zunftscheune offers a variety of settings: a sunny patio, a garden courtyard shaded with trees and vines, an ancient stone cellar with working well, and the half-timber-construction main dining area, split between the ground floor and an open mezzanine. Each has its own atmosphere, but all share the same varied menu, with an emphasis on regional dishes prepared with creative flair—call it “Mosel Fusion.” Sure, potatoes are a Mosel staple, but one Zunftscheune version presents them sliced thin, filled with spinach and poached salmon, topped with Hollandaise sauce and cheese, and baked. The salmon, of course, is poached in Riesling, which is another dominant theme: Riesling soup, Riesling cheese sauce and the decadent “Vintner’s Dream”—vanilla ice cream served with a warm Riesling cream sauce and marinated grapes.
Several entrées are served in the skillet, like the Butcher Platter with fresh blood sausage and liverwurst fried with onions and potatoes, or cheese spätzle sautéed with onions. Less adventurous diners can certainly choose from a great variety of meat and fish entrées, including a half-dozen types of schnitzel. Despite the spread-out dining areas, service is consistent—and good. Entrées range broadly from 7-18 EUR ($8-20) with an average around 14 EUR ($16).
Contact: Alte Zunftscheune, Familie Niedersburg, Neue Rathausstrasse, D-56841, Traben-Trarbach, tel/fax +49/6541/9737, email: info@zunftscheune.de, web: www.zunftscheune.de. Proprietors: Gerold and Christa Niedersberg.
Rating: Quality 13/20 Value 15/20
