Moselle: Metz – Koblenz

Individual arrival by car or public transport to Metz. Arrive in time, because the capital of the Lorraine region is worth a visit and has something to offer! From the Roman era to the present, the city has unique monuments and is famous as a bishop's seat, university town and center of contemporary art. In addition to numerous sights in the old town, several extensive parks invite you to rest and relax, as well as the old restored fortifications of the city are worth a visit. Visit the Musée de la Cour d' Or, a building named after the legendary palace of Merovingian Kings, which once stood there. In the center you will find a variety of good and individual restaurants, with different culinary offers. (Rental bike is provided at the hotel)

Almost the entire day you spend in France. On the way, spoil yourself with the famous French cuisine and enjoy a good 'cafe au lait'. If you want to reduce your kilometres please take the train from Metz to Thionville (direct connection, complimentary bicycles). From Thionville, you enjoy reliable and good signage and you will cycle very close to the water till the Franco-German border. Just over the border on German soil you have reached Perl and you can ferry to Schengen (other side of the Moselle/Luxembourg), known by the European agreement, which makes the free movement of regulated commodities or passengers possible or a nice bike ride to the Roman Villa Borg (5 km east of Perl). You'll marvel at the excavations, the reconstruction of the manor house and villas bath, the new system of ancient Roman gardens and enjoy a refreshment in the Roman tavern.

Today you will accompany the vast vineyards right and left of the Moselle for the first time. Take a trip to Remich, where you can feel the Mediterranean flair in many cafes and bistros along the 3 km long Moselle promenade. Give some extra attention to the place called by the Romans Remacum, and marvel at the old streets and the decanal Church from 1817. Take a trip to the Moselle terraces before you continue your way on the right bank of the Moselle. You cycle till Konz where you cross the mouth of the Saar and Mosel. From there it is not far to Trier and therefore you have time for a leisurely walking tour with a visit to the Porta Nigra, the amphitheater, the Imperial Baths or the magnificent cathedral.

Today, Roman past and contemporary viniculture will meet. The Moselle bike trail leads you to Mehring, where the Villa Rustica waits for your visit. ‘Villa Rustica’ is the designation for a manor in the Roman Empire. Today, the reconstructed walls and foundations can be visited again. You will cycle to Trittenheim, where a nature trail informs about the man-year of the vine-grower, 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!

The two famous Moselle towns Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach and the well-known wine growing resort "Kröver Nacktarsch" are today’s highlight! Marvel at the colorful and manifold half-timbered constructions seaming the market place of Bernkastel-Kues. In Traben-Trarbach, you should take a boat trip.

You will discover Enkirch today, a jewel of the Moselle region’s traditional half-timbered architecture. Later on, you will reach Zell, the wine-growing resort with the ‚Zeller Schwarzen Katz’ (‚The Black cat of Zell’). Take a relaxing break in the small town of Beilstein, proud of its surname „Rothenburg an der Mosel“. Then, you will reach Cochem with its picturesque centre and the ancient realm dating from the 11th century.

Before the Moselle bike trail takes you to the neat wine-growing villages like Koben Gondorf or Winningen, which is one of the most beautiful villages in Germany and to the Deutsche Eck, you will have the chance to visit the medieval castle of Burg Eltz. The Burg Eltz is one of the most beautiful and best preserved castles in Germany. In Koblenz at the "Deutsches Eck" the Moselle flows into the Rhine. Enjoy the wide view over the magnificent valley of the Rhine and be looking forward to a wonderful evening in Koblenz.

Your bike trip ends in Koblenz today. Anyone who wishes to travel back to Metz should book our shuttle transfer (only on Saturday). It will transport any luggage and the bikes as well. Departure will be at 9a.m., arrival in Metz  around 1.00p.m. If you wish to cycle even longer along the Rhine, you can prolong your trip to Cologne or Mainz.