Why Honeymoon in the Mosel Valley
The Mosel gives you European wine country without the crowds or prices of Napa, Tuscany or Bordeaux. Tastings are often informal: you ring a bell at a winery door and the grower pours a flight in the family tasting room. Many sell excellent dry and off-dry rieslings at prices that would surprise you at home.
It also has real scenery. The valley is deep and steep, the river is calm and lined with willows. Castles crown the ridges. Burg Eltz, tucked in a side valley, is one of the most beautiful medieval castles in Germany and has stayed in the same family for more than 30 generations.
This is a trip where the best moments are small ones. Think of a glass of wine on a bench above the river or a sleepy village after the tour boats leave.
When to Go
May through October is the season. Each part has its own mood. Late spring brings green vines, flowering gardens and calm weekdays. June and early July are warm without being crowded.
August gets busy with German holidaymakers and river cruise passengers in the larger towns, though the side villages stay quiet.
September and October are the highlight for wine lovers. The harvest is underway, wine festivals fill village squares on weekends and the slopes turn gold. Bernkastel-Kues holds one of the region's bigger wine festivals in early September. Book rooms well ahead for these weeks.
From November through March the valley is quiet and some small hotels and wineries close. December brings Christmas markets in Trier, Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach, where part of the market sets up in old wine cellars beneath the town.
Where to Stay
Cochem, in the lower Mosel, is the liveliest base, with a riverfront promenade, many restaurants and a train station. It can feel crowded by day but calms down in the evening.
Beilstein, a few miles upriver, is tiny, car-light and very pretty, with a ruined castle and a handful of inns. It is ideal for a night or two of quiet.
Bernkastel-Kues anchors the middle Mosel, home to the most famous vineyards. Its market square of half-timbered houses is a classic. Traben-Trarbach, a little downstream, has graceful Art Nouveau villas and a calmer feel.
For a splurge, Schloss Lieser, a restored nineteenth-century palace on the riverbank near Bernkastel-Kues, is now a luxury hotel with a spa. Winery guesthouses are another lovely choice, letting you taste in the cellar and walk upstairs to bed.
Romantic Things to Do
- Walk the forest trail from Moselkern to Burg Eltz, about an hour each way along a stream, then tour the castle's furnished rooms.
- Ride the chairlift above Cochem for the view of the Reichsburg, then tour the castle itself.
- Take a river boat between Cochem and Beilstein or between Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach, sitting on the open deck.
- Rent bikes and follow the flat riverside path from village to village, stopping at wineries.
- Climb through the vines to the Landshut castle ruins above Bernkastel-Kues for sunset.
- Spend a day in Trier, Germany's oldest city, to see the Porta Nigra and other Roman monuments.
Getting There and Around
Most couples fly into Frankfurt, then drive about two hours west to Cochem or pick up regional trains via Koblenz. Luxembourg Airport is closer to the middle Mosel and Trier, roughly an hour away, though it has fewer connections from the US. Frankfurt-Hahn, in the hills above the valley, mainly handles budget European flights.
Trains run along the river between Koblenz, Cochem and Trier, but leave the water's edge for stretches and do not reach many villages. Buses and river boats fill the gaps in season.
A car gives you the most freedom. The roads follow the river on both banks and are relaxed to drive. Parking in Cochem and Bernkastel-Kues fills up on summer weekends, so park once and explore on foot. Plan on one glass at tastings if you are driving; German drink-driving limits are strict.
Food and Drink
Riesling rules, from bone-dry trocken styles to delicate, low-alcohol sweet wines labeled Kabinett or Spätlese. Ask growers to pour both. Look for wines from the famous steep sites around Bernkastel, Graach, Wehlen and Piesport. The region also makes good sparkling Sekt and some pinot noir.
Food is simple and seasonal. Expect river fish, game in autumn, potato dishes and dishes cooked with riesling. Many villages have seasonal wine taverns where growers serve their own wine with plates of ham, cheese and bread for a few months a year.
In September and October, try Federweisser, a cloudy, half-fermented new wine traditionally eaten with onion tart. It is sweet, lightly fizzy and stronger than it tastes. Cochem's historic mustard mill makes a fun stop for gift jars.
Honeymoon Tips
Visit Cochem's main sights early or late in the day. River cruise ships and day-trippers fill the old town around midday.
Call or email smaller wineries before showing up, especially on weekdays outside summer, since the family may be out in the vines.
Some growers can arrange shipping to the US, though state rules vary. Otherwise pack bottles in padded sleeves in your checked bags.
Wear proper shoes for the vineyard paths. They are steep. The via ferrata on the Calmont near Bremm, often called Europe's steepest vineyard, is only for confident hikers.
Pair the Mosel with the Rhine Gorge, Trier or Luxembourg if you have extra days.
