50.15° N · 7.17° E
The German stretch of the Moselle between Trier and Koblenz, with tight meanders and Riesling vineyards on very steep slopes, such as those of the Calmont.
Part of Moselle wines
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
The castle that crowns Cochem, seen inside on a guided tour of about 40 minutes; €12 in 2027, no booking and open in winter too.
The inside of Eltz Castle, with the treasury, and the 2.5 km path through the Elz valley from Moselkern. €14; opens from 21 March 2027.
An hour's boat trip on the Moselle from Cochem to Beilstein, with stops at Ernst and Bruttig and passage through the Fankel lock; dogs free and bikes on board.
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From May to October, with the boats and castles open and the grape harvest in September and October. Eltz Castle closes from 2 November 2026 to 20 March 2027.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
The Moselle valley has no airport of its own. From Spain the usual way is to fly to Frankfurt (FRA), which has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other cities, and continue by train or hire car to Koblenz and the valley. Frankfurt-Hahn and Luxembourg are also close. Cochem, the centre of the lower stretch, is on the Koblenz–Trier railway line.
The lower stretch of the Moselle can be done without a car: the Koblenz–Trier train follows the river and stops at Moselkern, Cochem and Ediger-Eller, the boat links Cochem with Beilstein from spring to autumn and the castles and trails are reached on foot from the stations. Sleeping in Cochem, you have everything a walk away. The only thing it asks is that you check the seasonal timetables: Eltz Castle closes in winter and the boats almost stop.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: Family-run 10-room boutique hotel in a half-timbered house of 1839, on Cochem's market square, with breakfast in the garden in good weather.
Why we like it: DJH hostel above the Moselle, opposite the Reichsburg, with 156 beds in rooms with bathroom and prices from €33.30 per person with breakfast.
Why we like it: Municipal campsite beside the Moselle in Cochem, next to the sports centre, with riverside pitches from €11.50 a night plus €8.50 per adult in 2026.
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: a slice of cake from the display with coffee, or an ice cream if it is hot; to eat, one of the small dishes.
What to order: something from the kitchen's daily dishes with a Moselle wine on the terrace; in the afternoon, coffee and cake.
What to order: a regional dish after the castle, or cake from its bakery buffet between 14:00 and 17:00.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
Tips
In 2026 it closed on 2 November and reopens on 21 March 2027.
Cochem, Zell or Bernkastel-Kues are good bases for getting around by train or boat.
Many wineries in the villages have a tasting room.
The roads follow the bank, but the Moselle is best understood from above: climb to a viewpoint among the vines.
The nearest airports are Frankfurt-Hahn, Luxembourg and Frankfurt. By train, the Koblenz to Trier line follows the river for much of the route and stops at Cochem and Bullay; for Bernkastel-Kues you need a bus or a car.
The Moselle twists so much that straight-line distances are misleading. With a car you can reach everything; without one, combine the train, the scheduled boats that sail in season between the villages and the cycle path that follows the river, almost flat.
Eltz Castle, in a side valley, is reached on foot, 2.5 km from Moselkern; it is closed from 2 November 2026 to 20 March 2027. In Cochem, the Reichsburg can be visited with a guide all year, and the chairlift to the Pinner Kreuz puts the castle right in front of you. The boat from Cochem to Beilstein takes an hour and goes through the Fankel lock. Between Bremm and Ediger lies the Calmont, one of the steepest vineyards in Europe, which you can walk along the Calmont Klettersteig. Bernkastel-Kues, with its half-timbered houses, is further upriver, towards Trier.
In Cochem, the Rathaus Café Rünz serves cakes on the Market Square; in Beilstein, the Hotel Haus Lipmann has a terrace over the river, and at the foot of the path to Eltz, the Ringelsteiner Mühle serves regional cooking. To sleep, the Hotel Lohspeicher is in the heart of Cochem's old town, the youth hostel five minutes from the station and the Mosel Camping Cochem on the riverbank.
Questions
Two or three to see Cochem, Eltz and Bernkastel-Kues without hurrying.
Yes, with the Koblenz to Trier train, the seasonal boats and a bike. For Eltz it is best to go by car or on foot from Moselkern.
From the end of March to early November, every day from 9:30.
May to October; September and October for the grape harvest.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/rhineland-palatinate/moselle-valley
