Mosel River Valley near Bernkastel-Kues, Germany. Photo via Flickr:Megan Mallen

Architecture galore in Bernkastel-Keus, Germany. Photo via Flickr:Bert Kaufmann
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Mosel Bike Tour

Germany, France Bike Tours

Bike in France and Germany in the footsteps of the Romans!

This Mosel bike route leads along the border triangle of France, Luxembourg, and Germany. You will begin with a beautiful bike tour in France through the historic city of Metz. The Mosel River Valley is adorned with medieval castles, historic cities, vineyards, and romantic wineries. Wine has long been a part of the Mosel’s history due to the favorable wine-growing climate here. The main center of the Mosel wine region is the port town of Trier. The eldest city in Germany, Trier was once the center of the Roman Empire north of the Alps. The Romans certainly left their influence on the city, including its amphitheatre, the Emperor’s thermal spring, the Porta Nigra, the triumphal arc, the Basilika and the medieval city walls. From Trier, the curves of the Mosel lead further north past many wine-villages and Roman landmarks to the megalith “Eselstratt”. Other attractions along the way include Piesport, where an impressive Roman winepress-facility from the 3rd century is worth a look. You cycle an excellent bike path from Perl through many small wine villages till you reach the Roman city of Trier. Discover also along the way such famous places like Traben-Trarbach, Bernkastel-Kues and Cochem, before admiring the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine at the "Deutsches Eckin Koblenz.

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Where You’ll Stay

Category A: 3 and 4 hotels
Category B: Small family inns and hotels

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 7 nights
  • Breakfasts
  • 21 speed hybrid bicycle
  • Luggage transfer
  • Tour information packet
  • Route descriptions & maps
  • Service hotline

What’s Not Included

Mosel Bike Tour Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy–Moderate
Length8 days
From€675 Rates
Client Reviews

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Tour Dates

Daily from April 23 to October 15, 2016

Skill Level

This bike tour in France and Germany is considered an easy self-guided hotel tour on mainly flat terrain. Daily mileage average is about 25 miles.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Mosel Bike Tour Map

DAY 1: Arrival
DAY 2: Metz - Perl, 17 to 39 mi. (27 to 63 km)
DAY 3: Perl - Trier, 32 mi. (52 km)
DAY 4: Trier - Piesport, 29 mi. (46 km)
DAY 5: Piesport - Traben-Trarbach, 25 mi. (40 km)
DAY 6: Traben-Trarbach - Cochem, 35 mi. (56 km)
DAY 7: Cochem - Koblenz, 31 mi. (49 km)
DAY 8: Departure 

All distances are approximate.

DAY 1: Arrival 
Today you arrive in Metz, the capital of the Lorraine region. Strategically located between the Moselle river and the plateau of Lorraine, Metz is a lively university city. It also has a medieval center and a beautiful Gothic cathedral, Saint-Etienne Cathedral.  The poet Verlaine wrote that the cathedral was “the lantern of God”. In fact, the building contains the largest surface area of stained glass of all French cathedrals (almost 6,500 square meters). The 14th century stained-glass windows by Hermann de Münster rival the contemporary products of Marc Chagall and Jacques Villon. It is a living monument to the history of stained glass.

DAY 2: Metz - Perl, 17 to 39 mi. (27 to 63 km)
Almost the entire day will be spent in France. It is recommended to take a train (direct connection) to Thionville. From here, the path is very good as you cycle along the water to the Franco-German Border. Just over the border, lies Perl. You might like to take the ferry to Schengen or cycle to the Roman Villa Borg (5 km east of Perl.) You will marvel at the excavations designed to present an authentic representation of the buildings as they originally stood. The current buildings are made up of the baths which are fully functional consisting of a frigidarium (cold bath), caldarium (hot bath) and tepidarium (tempered bath) latrines, a dressing room, and a relaxation area. The manor or main building has a large reception hall and a number of adjacent rooms in which the most important finds from the site are displayed. There is also a Roman kitchen (recently completed), a residential building, and a tavern, which was not part of the original villa but which serves meals based on ancient Roman recipes.

*Overall, the bike paths along the Mosel are perfectly developed with high quality routes. However, the Moselle bicycle route on the French side of Metz and Thionville (35 km) is mostly on streets with  heavy traffic. Therefore, it is recommended to bridge the journey  (Metz to Thionville) by the train. From Thionville, the path  is well signposted. From Germany, you can expect a perfectly signposted cycle path often both right-hand side of the Moselle. In the detailed travel documents, recommendations on the most beautiful stretches are given.

DAY 3: Perl - Trier, 32 mi./52 km
The day begins cycling through the vast vineyards of the Mosel valley and you will want to take some time in Remich, a place the Romans called, Remacum. You will feel the Mediterranean flair in many cafes and bistros along the 3 km long Moselle promenade. On the right bank of the Moselle, you continue your journey to Konz where you cross the mouth of the Saar and Mosel. From here it is not far to Trier. Trier, which stands on the Moselle River, was a Roman colony from the 1st century AD and then a great trading center beginning in the next century. At one time this city was know as the 'second Rome' and is said to be the oldest city in Germany. The number and quality of the surviving monuments, such as the magnificent Porta Nigra, Constatine's Basilica, the amphitheater, as well as the Roman Spa, Kaisertherme, all give testimony to Roman civilization.

DAY 4: Trier - Piesport, 29 mi./46 km
Today, Roman past and contemporary viniculture will meet. The Moselle bike trail leads to Mehring, where the Villa Rustica awaits. 'Villa Rustica’ is the designation for a manor in the Roman Empire. Today, the reconstructed walls and foundations can be visited again. Afterwards you will cycle to Trittenheim, where a nature trail educates on the local variety of grape and the process of vine-growing. Just before reaching today’s destination, you will pass Neumagen-Dhron, Germany’s oldest wine-growing place! You should stop here to taste some of that wine!

DAY 5: Piesport - Traben-Trarbach, 25 mi./40 km
The two famous Moselle towns Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach and the well-known wine growing resort "Kröver Nacktarsch" are today’s highlights. Marvel at the colorful and manifold half-timbered constructions seaming the market place of Bernkastel-Kues. In Traben-Trarbach, there is an opportunity to take a boat trip.

DAY 6: Traben-Trarbach - Cochem, 35 mi./56 km
You will discover Enkirch today, a jewel of the Moselle region’s traditional half-timbered architecture. Then it is on to Zell, the wine-growing resort know for its "Zeller Schwarzen Katz" (The Black cat of Zell’). Take a relaxing break in the small town of Beilstein, proud of its nickname "Rothenburg an der Mosel".  Your final destination is Cochem with its picturesque center and the ancient realm dating from the 11th century.

DAY 7: Cochem - Koblenz, 31 mi./49 km
The Moselle bike trail leads to the quaint wine-growing villages like Koben Gondorf or Winningen and then to the Deutsche Eck, but first there is the opportunity to visit the medieval castle of Burg Eltz. Enjoy the wide view over the magnificent valley of the Rhine and be looking forward to a wonderful evening in Koblenz. 

DAY 8: Individual departure 

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Customer Feedback

  • Kevin from Trailsnet 8 months ago

    This bike tour had it all: great scenery, wonderful food, delicious wine and the perfect itinerary. The rental bike was fantastic, the accommodations were comfortable, the luggage shuttle was reliable & the guidebook was helpful/informative.

    I was surprised at how much there was to do and see along the way. Each town was interesting & historically fascinating. Touring this region by bicycle is the only way to go. It allows you to stop in each village/town along the way to sample the food & explore the sites. The guidebook that is provided with your tour is quite helpful; but I encourage you to stop in as many towns as possible, even if they aren't listed in the book. You'll be surprised at the hidden charms you will discover on some of the side roads.

    The bicycle route (mostly bike paths) can be found on either side of the Mosel River. And, in most cases, you can't go wrong. Once again, the guidebook provides suggestions for which side to choose. But either side is fascinating. And since the vast majority of the route is car-free, you feel safe and free to watch the scenery rather than the traffic. I hope to go back sometime and explore the places I missed on my first tour.

     Reply

  • Sharon Robers 10 months ago

    Mosel trip was excellent. Danube trip, the map and instructions were worse than useless because they were actually wrong in places.

     Reply

  • Stephen Roberts 5 years ago

    Great trip...We did the 7 day but wish we would have done the five days however. We are planning on booking for the third time this year just looking for a 5 day and it seems most are much longer.

    Thanks

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