Blog Travel Report: Moselle Relaxed Classic Cycling Tour

Calm Moselle River reflecting blue sky, with villages on both banks and green vineyard-covered hills under clear skies near Zell and Treis-Karden.

Panoramic view of Zeltingen village along the Moselle River from a hillside vineyard. Rolling hills and cloudy sky frame the scenic landscape.

Reichsburg Cochem castle perched on a forested hilltop overlooking the Moselle River, with vineyards on the right bank and white clouds above.

Five small glass jars arranged on a dark wooden board, each containing different gourmet appetizers. White wine glasses and cutlery visible on table.

Good wine, delicious food, and impressive nature

Day 1 – Arrival Trier

Finally, our journey begins! Our day starts early at around 9:00 a.m., as we decide to use the return transfer already on the day of arrival. At around 11:00 a.m., we arrive in Treis-Karden, where the transfer is already waiting to take us to Trier. Once there, we immediately head into the city in the beautiful sunshine and enjoy some delicious ice cream. In the evening, we grab a light dinner before heading to bed early – ready and well-rested for our first day of cycling.

Aerial view of the famous Saarschleife, a dramatic horseshoe bend of the Saar River surrounded by dense green forests and rolling hills.

Moselle radial tour Trier

6 Days

Spaghetti ice cream with strawberry sauce and wafer on a cafe terrace. Historic buildings and outdoor seating visible in background.

Day 2 – Trier - Trittenheim

We wake up and first enjoy the delicious hotel breakfast – the perfect start before our first day of cycling. Unfortunately, the weather lives up to the saying “April does what it wants,” and it is raining. Nevertheless, we get on our bikes. Thanks to good rainwear, it is easy to manage, and the usually busy cycle paths are pleasantly quiet. This allows us to ride side by side in a relaxed way and enjoy our first stage along the Moselle. Even on this first day, we are already impressed by the beautiful scenery. As it is quite cold, we cycle most of the route without any longer stops. When we arrive in Trittenheim, we receive a warm welcome. In the evening, we enjoy a delicious meal and look forward to getting cosy in bed and warming up again.

Trier Cathedral courtyard featuring Gothic architecture with ornate windows, stone arches, and a formal garden with colorful flower beds.

Moselle: Classic

7 Days

Cyclist with green bike and helmet on riverside path along Moselle River, viewing village and vineyards across the water under cloudy sky.

Day 3 – Trittenheim - Zeltingen

We are delighted when we wake up and see the sun shining! After a delicious breakfast in a warm, family-like atmosphere, we start the day feeling refreshed and cycle towards Zeltingen. The route leads us through small, cosy villages and past idyllic landscapes. Beautiful benches along the cycle path invite us to take short breaks, enjoy the sunshine, and admire the views. We stop for ice cream in Bernkastel-Kues at Eiscafé Dolomiti. The ice cream is absolutely delicious, and the charming courtyard makes the stop perfect. Afterwards, we cycle the last few kilometres at a relaxed pace until we reach Zeltingen. Once there, we freshen up and look forward to the WeinWand Dinner at the Zeltinger Hof. The hotel immediately impresses us with its wonderful cuisine, excellent wines, and perfectly paired accompaniments for each course. Full, happy, and with a little wine in our system, we fall into bed tired at the end of the day.

Classic VW Bus driving on paved road through Mosel vineyard with green grape vines on wooden posts and stone wall on hillside.

Moselle: Relaxed Classic

8 Days

First course served on a dark wine bottle cut lengthwise, featuring white asparagus, sliced meat, cherry tomatoes, and fresh greens on a white plate.

Day 4 - Zeltingen

Today is a day off from cycling. We sleep in and enjoy an unforgettable breakfast at the hotel – the selection is huge, there is even a waffle station. Right away, we are already looking forward to enjoying breakfast here again the next morning. Afterwards, we take a relaxed stroll through the village and along the Moselle. At 2 p.m., our vintage VW van tour through the vineyards begins, including a wine tasting. In two classic VW camper vans, we go to five different viewpoints in the middle of the vineyards. At every stop, we taste two different wines while enjoying breathtaking views over the Moselle valley. As we travel from one viewpoint to the next, we sing along to songs like “Greek Wine” and “Maya the Bee,” laugh together, and quickly get to know the other participants. For us, the tour is an absolute highlight and a true heartfelt recommendation – simply unforgettable. In the evening, we enjoy a light dinner before falling happily and tiredly into bed after a day filled with plenty of wine – because tomorrow, we’re back on the bikes again.

Dark wine bottles displayed in a wooden riddling rack surrounded by colorful flowers including pink geraniums and white petunias in a garden.

Moselle: winery tour

6 Days

Day 5 – Zeltingen - Zell

Full of anticipation for the delicious breakfast, we start the day and then set off well-fuelled on our bikes towards Zell. With perfect weather – around 20 degrees and bright sunshine – the conditions could not be better for cycling. Once again, the cycle path leads us along the beautiful Moselle, past lush greenery, idyllic vineyards, and impressive river bends. We make a short stop in Traben-Trarbach, where we stroll through the narrow streets and enjoy the town’s special atmosphere. In the afternoon, we reach Hotel Café im Hamm. The beautiful hotel impresses us especially with its large terrace and wonderful view of the Moselle. In the evening, we end the day there in a relaxed way with a delicious glass of wine.

Ancient Roman ruins of the Imperial Baths in Trier showing tall brick arches and walls with pink flowers in the foreground.

Moselle: laid-back tour

9 Days

View from hotel terrace with flower pots and railing overlooking the Moselle River at sunset, with hills and trees on both sides.

Day 6 – Zell - Treis-Karden

We wake up and first enjoy the beautiful terrace with its view of the Moselle. Afterwards, a generous, family-style breakfast awaits us. Well-fuelled, we set off on our bikes – today towards Treis-Karden, as it is already our final day of cycling. At a pleasant 20 degrees, we ride at a relaxed pace along the Moselle and take repeated breaks on lovely benches right by the river, giving ourselves time to enjoy the landscape one last time. At lunchtime, we stop in Poltersdorf at Walter Schmitt butcher’s shop. If you like meatloaf or meatball rolls, this is the perfect place – the daily changing lunch specials also come highly recommended. In the afternoon, we reach Treis-Karden, check into the hotel, and let the evening end quietly. After many kilometres, we are quite exhausted by the end of the day and go to bed early.

Moselle: thrilling ride ahead

6 Days

Cyclist on green bridge crossing the Moselle River near Karden, with riverside village and hills reflected in calm water under blue sky.

Treis-Karden and departure

After breakfast, we stroll through the village for a while and buy some wine to bring a little Moselle feeling home to our loved ones. Around lunch time, we ride to Eltz Castle. After a short walk through the forest, the impressive castle comes into view. We quickly realise that it would probably have been much quieter earlier in the day, as it is quite busy around lunchtime. Nevertheless, it is absolutely worth the visit. Afterwards, we return to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon nap. In the evening, we have dinner at Weinstube Castor – the schnitzels are a wonderful way to round off the trip. Back at the hotel, we end the evening with a glass of wine on the terrace, talking about all the beautiful memories from our journey while already planning our next cycling tour.

The next day, we once again enjoy the generous breakfast buffet before packing our bags. After checking out, we go straight to the car, as we had already booked the transfer at the beginning of the trip – making our departure wonderfully relaxed. Then our two-hour drive home begins, during which we share all our new memories and mentally return once more to the Moselle.

Burg Eltz, a medieval castle with multiple towers and turrets, perched on a hillside surrounded by dense green forest under a blue sky.

Our conclusion

We still can’t quite believe how much we loved it! To be honest, the Moselle had never really been on our radar before – which makes us even happier that we discovered it now. The small, cosy villages, the excellent food, and the delicious wine make it incredibly easy to relax here. It’s the perfect place to escape everyday life and truly switch off – and the beautiful scenery is simply the icing on the cake. All in all, it was a perfectly successful cycling holiday, and we would come back again anytime!