Top 20 Moselle Valley

Burg Eltz 

Burg Eltz or Eltz Castle is a romantic medieval castle in the Moselle’s side valley known as Eltz Valley. The castle is located just above the Moselle River, between Trier and Koblenz. It was occupied by the Eltz family around 33 generations ago. Burg Eltz is considered as a Ganerbenburg, which means that it belongs to a joint heirs community. The castle was constructed with several parts with each part belonging to different branches of the Eltz family. Burg Eltz is known as an elite structure with multiple owners which was constructed to house the family’s different branches. During the medieval era, only the richest families can be able to build such a castle on his own land. The castle has stand the test of time and still owned by the original family. It portrays a fairy-tale vision of half-timber, oriels, towers, turrets, and gables.

Porta Nigra 

The name itself, Porta Nigra, is already interesting. This is one of the reasons why this UNESCO World Heritage Site is among the most visited monuments in Germany. Porta Nigra is Trier’s massive Roman city gate and is the largest of its kind on the north side of the Alps. It was used to be called as just Porta before it got its current name during the Middle Ages. Porta Nigra was founded between 186 and 200 AD and was originally made of grey sandstone. As the years passed by, the sandstone darkened until it turned black. This is the reason why it is called Porta Nigra, translated into English as black gate. The gate used to serve as the entrance to the town for many centuries during the Roman era in Trier.

Rheinisches Landesmuseum 

If you want to see one of the largest collections of the archaeological finds in Germany that stretches from prehistoric period to the Roman era and from the Middle Ages through the Baroque, you must pay a visit to the Rheinische Landesmuseum. The museum holds more than 2600 pieces of gold coins, making it the world’s greatest preserved rare Roman gold hoard. Rheinisches Landesmuseum is well known as one of the most significant archaeological museums in the country. It can be found in the town of Trier, Germany and was established in 1877.

Trier Imperial Baths 

Photo credit: Trier Tourismus und Marketing/ttm GmbH

The Trier Imperial Baths, locally named as Kaiserthermen are a large complex of Roman thermal baths in Trier. The complex was nicely built with striped brick-and-stone arches. It has boiler rooms, hot and cold water baths, and heating channels. The Trier Imperial Bath complex is considered as one of the parts of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Burg Landshut

The Burg Landshut or Landshut Castle is the ruin of a 13th-century hilltop castle framed with rich forests and vineyards. It rests around 235 meters above sea level and is situated on the western Hunsrück slope, just above the district of Bernkastel in Bernkastel-Kues. If you are in for a heart-pumping adventure, then you may try climbing the very steep slope. Aside from the ruins, you can also enjoy the majestic sceneries around especially the views of the glorious river valley. You likewise have the chance to taste the refreshing beverages from the beer garden.

Karl Marx Haus

Are you an avid fan of the father of modern communism and socialism- Karl Marx? Then, I guess you will as well be interested in visiting his house museum in Trier, the Karl Marx Haus or Karl Marx House Museum. Karl Marx was born in 1818 in this early 18th-century baroque house. The museum showcase the writings of Karl Marx, his life, his social democracy, his enemies and allies, his political and intellectual legacy, and the history of communism.

Moselbad Cochem

Want to freshen up after days of touring around the Moselle Valley? Then a visit to the park known as Moselbad Cochem is a great idea. The park features a very spacious area where your kids can play and a wonderful indoor wave pool where you can swim and enjoy the sun. This multi-storey facility also features different sizes of pools, pumps, slides, Bikini bar, restaurant, and water cannons.

The City of Trier

You trip to Germany will never be complete without visiting the oldest city in the country- the City of Trier. This ancient city is located on the banks of Moselle River, a few kilometers away from Luxembourg. Trier, formerly called Treves, is likewise the bishop’s oldest seat on the northern side of the Alps. It was established as Treuorum by the Celts during the final years of the 4th century BC. The city is oozing with great points of interest but the most famous monumental sightseeing spots in the city are the amphitheatre, the basilica, the Roman bridge, the imperial baths, Porta Nigra, and the cathedral.

Bernkastel-Kues Region

The region of Bernkastel-Kues is known as the country’s wine and holiday region. It is where the world-renowned natural scientist, philosopher, German polymaths and theologian Nicholas of Kues was born. The region is packed with wine-growing villages, award-winning restaurants, and popularly known wineries. Among the anticipated annual events in the region are MoselMusikFestival from May to October, Wine Festival of the Middle Moselle or Weinfest der Mittelmosel every first weekend in September, horse show on the weekend of Easter.

Zeller Land Holiday Region

The Zeller Land Holiday Region is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Here you can be able to witness the extraordinary beauty and charm of the region’s forest, wine, and river landscapes. You can stroll around the region by feet or hire a bicycle and follow the cycling trails. Each of the 7 romantic Moselle wine villages has their own individual breathtaking and uniquely fantastic beauty.

Holiday Region Sonnige Untermosel

Holiday Region Sonnige Untermosel is the ultimate place in the country where you can truly say that your money, time, and efforts are all worth it. With its charming wine-growing old towns like Kobern-Gondorf and Alken, spectacularly beautiful castles like Thurant, magical nature stroll, almost Mediterranean climate, good food, and good wine, there is certainly nothing else that you can ask for.

City Museum Simeonstift Trier

The City Museum Simeonstift Trier, locally known as Stadtmuseum Simeonstift, is the city museum of Trier. Through its sculptures, paintings, textiles porcelain, and other exhibitions, the museum can bring you back two millennia of local history of the city and of the entire country as well. One of the highlights of the museum is the Trier Cinema or Trier Kino where you can watch a total of 80 short films of Trier, some of which are dated back to 1904.

Trier Amphitheater

The Trier Amphitheater in Germany is a Roman amphitheatre that was used as the primary venue for animal fights and gladiator tournaments in Trier. It can accommodate as many as 20,000 spectators at a time. Like the Roman amphitheater in Rome, the Trier Amphitheater has also dungeons that were built underneath the fighting arena. The dungeons used to be the holding area where the prisoners who were sentenced to death stay and wait for their turn to fight against the starving beasts for the event’s final showdown.

Reichsburg 

Reichsburg was just one of the castles in Cochem that fell under the French troops in 1689. When the castle fell down, the original structure that was built in the 11th century remained to be just ruins for many centuries until 1868 when Berliner Louis Ravene had it restored to its present glory. With the 40-minute tour around Reichsburg, visitors can be able to get to see a couple of decorative rooms that reflect a thousand years of styles and tastes. It hosts a restaurant that serve four-hour banquets every Friday and Saturday nights during the summer season.

Grevenburg Castle

Another must visit castle in Moselle Valley is the 13th century Grevenburg Castle. It is located in the craggy hills, just above Trarbach in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate and can be reach through a steep 500-meter long footpath. It was erected by the Count Johann III of Sponheim-Starkenburg in mid-1300’s. Aside from the wonderful view that you can witness from the castle, you can as well enjoy their sumptuous version of the regional pizza called the Flammkuchen as well as their fine beer and wine. The castle is highly regarded and had changed hands 13 times already because of its strategic importance. It was also ruined seven times and was besieged six times. The Grevenburg Castle used to be the residence of the Rear County of Sponheim.

Mosel-Weinmuseum

If you want to experience and discover the fascinating journey to the 2000 years of diverse wine culture landscape of the oldest wine region of Germany, the best place to be is the Moselle Wine Museum. The small Mosel-Weinmuseum or Moselle Wine Museum is part of the St Nikolaus Hospital complex. It features interactive screens and an Aromabar.

Kloster Machern

The Kloster Machern or Machern Monastery is a 13th century baroque style monastery around 7 kilometers northwest of Bernkastel-Kues in the Wehlen district. It was formerly occupied by the Cistercian nuns. Today, the Kloster Machern is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Middle Mosel. The monastery is famous for its wine cellar, extraordinary brewery, and museum. Its brewery houses a bar which is made from copper vat, and a terrace which is wicker-chair-filled. Choices for the brews are wheat beer or Hefe-Weizen, light called Hell, and dark called Dunkel. Aside from their brews, you can also enjoy a taste of excellent local cuisine that is being served at the bar. Among the exhibits that you can enjoy at the museum are the model railways, puppets, toys, and religious iconography.

Cathedral of Trier

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the High Cathedral of Saint Peter in Trier, also known as Cathedral of Trier or Trierer Dom in German, is the most ancient bishop’s cathedral in the entire country. This Roman Catholic church is located just above the Roman palace of Helena in Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate. According to the studies conducted through its edifice, the church is believed to be around 1700 years old. It was built with a mixture of Gothic, baroque, and Romanesque architectural elements.

Konstantin Basilika

The Konstantin Basilika or Basilica of Constantine, also known as Aula Palatina, was constructed by emperor Constantine during the early years of the 4th century. This single-room Roman palace basilica is now being owned by Evangelical Church congregation in the Rhineland. It functions as the congregation’s Church of the Redeemer. The Basilica of Constantine measures 27 meters wide, 67 meters long and 33 meters high. It is listed as a World Heritage Site and is regarded as the most gigantic Roman structure ever that is still in existence.

Liebfrauen Basilika 

The Liebfrauen Basilika is the most ancient Gothic church in Germany. It was constructed in the 13th century and was designed with a few colorful post-war stained glass. The basilica was built with a cruciform structure that is supported by 12 sturdy pillars which symbolize the 12 Apostles.