# Moselle Valley

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.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/rhineland-palatinate/moselle-valley · Revisado: 2026-11-12

## Getting there from Spain

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.

## Getting around the valley

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.

## Not to miss

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.

## Where to eat and sleep

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.

## Dónde está
- Zonas: Moselle wines
- Cerca: Upper Middle Rhine Valley (a 43.7 km), Spa (a 100.0 km · Belgium), Bastogne (a 104.9 km · Belgium)

## Qué hacer
- **Guided tour of Cochem's Reichsburg** (1 h 30 · All ages; the walk up is steep · €12 adults and €6 children aged 6 to 17 in 2027 (€10 and €5 in 2026)): What it is
The Reichsburg is the castle you see from anywhere in Cochem, perched on a hill among vineyards above the town and the Moselle. From outside it looks like a fairy-tale medieval castle, with towers and balconies; inside it is above all a 19th-century reconstruction, built on the ruins of the castle that French troops destroyed in 1689. That mix is what the tour tells: the history of the imperial castle and that of the Berlin family who rebuilt it as a summer house.
It can only be seen inside on a guided tour. It lasts about 40 minutes and no booking is needed: you buy your ticket in the courtyard and wait for the next group.
How much it costs
The castle publishes the rates for the next two years. In 2026 an adult ticket costs €10, a child's ticket for ages 6 to 17 €5, a student's €9 and a family ticket, for parents with at least two children under 18, €26. In 2027 they rise to €12, €6, €11 and €31. Groups of 12 or more pay a reduced price.
When to go
It is open all year, but with different hours according to the season. In winter 2026 there are tours from 2 November to 23 December, daily from 10:00 to 15:00, with the last tour at 15:00. On Advent weekends there are festivities at the castle with tours in German only. The Burgschänke, the castle tavern, is closed from 16 November to 23 December. The 2027 timetable is published on the castle's opening-hours page: check it before you go.
If you coincide with one of those festivities, expect more people and shorter tours, such as the Burgweihnacht one, of about 25 minutes.
Getting there
On foot you climb up from Cochem's old town by a steep slope; the castle's address is Schlossstraße 36. The castle has a shuttle service, the Reichsburg-Shuttle, whose timetable it publishes on its website. There is no parking at the top: leave the car in the village car parks by the river.
With children
Children pay a reduced entry and under-6s do not appear in the rates table. The tour is short and has suits of armour, painted rooms and views from the battlements, so they cope well. The slope with a pushchair is hard: better a baby carrier.
- **Eltz Castle on foot from Moselkern** (3 h · 5 km · All ages; the valley path suits children who can walk · €14 adults, €7 students, €34 family ticket; under-6s free): What it is
Eltz Castle is not on the Moselle but hidden in a side valley, on a crag surrounded by the Elz stream and by forest. You do not see it until you arrive, and so arriving on foot is part of the visit. It has belonged to the same family for more than eight centuries and inside it keeps furniture, weapons and period rooms; the ticket includes the guided tour, the inner courtyard and the treasury, with pieces of goldsmith's work, porcelain and weapons.
The guided tour lasts 35 to 40 minutes. It is in German, and in English depending on demand; if there is no group in your language, at the ticket office they give you a free sheet with the text of the tour in Spanish, French, Italian and other languages. The treasury is labelled in German, with a leaflet in English.
How much it costs and when it opens
Entry costs €14 for adults and €7 for students, schoolchildren and people with disabilities. The family ticket, for two adults with at least one child under 18, costs €34, and under-6s go free. Groups of 20 or more, €13 per person.
The castle closes in winter: from 2 November 2026 to 20 March 2027. It reopens on Sunday 21 March 2027. In the 2026 season it was open daily from 9:30 to 17:00, and tours began from 9:30 in the upper courtyard; check the 2027 hours before you go.
Getting there on foot from Moselkern
It is the loveliest way. Moselkern has a station on the Koblenz–Trier line. From the village you follow the Elz valley to the Ringelsteiner Mühle, a hotel restaurant beside the stream, and from there leaves the path to the castle: 2.5 km through the forest, about 45 minutes on foot according to the castle's website. Round trip from the station, allow about 5 km along the valley and a whole morning or afternoon with the visit.
By car
The main car park, Parkplatz 1, is on the plateau above, in the municipality of Wierschem. It costs €4 a day for cars and motorcycles and €8 for motorhomes, cash only. From there a shuttle goes down to the castle every ten minutes for €2 each way, also in cash, or you can walk down a short path.
With children and with a dog
Small children go free and the valley path is flat and entertaining, beside the water. Animals are not allowed inside the castle: if you go with a dog, someone will have to wait outside with it.
- **Boat from Cochem to Beilstein through the Fankel lock** (1 h · All ages · The timetable does not publish the price; check the shop on its website): What it is
The boat line from Cochem to Beilstein is the relaxed way to see a stretch of the Moselle from the water. You leave from the Cochem landing stage, next to the old bridge, stop at the wine villages of Ernst and Bruttig, rise through the Fankel lock and reach Beilstein in an hour, a small village of half-timbered houses beneath the ruins of Metternich Castle. There you get off, stroll, eat and return on another boat.
It is operated by the Kolb family shipping company, which sells its departures as Moselrundfahrten.
Times
On the 2026 timetable, the boats leave Cochem at 10:30, 12:00, 13:30 and 15:00, pass Ernst a quarter of an hour later and Bruttig after 25 minutes, and reach Beilstein at 11:30, 13:00, 14:30 and 15:50. The return leaves Beilstein at 12:00, 13:30 and 15:00 and reaches Cochem at 12:50, 14:20 and 15:50: downriver it takes a little less. You can return on a different boat from the one you came on. The company has not yet published the 2027 timetable.
The company warns that in bad weather the times may change, that the locks sometimes delay the boat and that with high or low water it may not stop at some landing stages.
Price and tickets
The PDF timetable does not give prices. You see them in the shop on its website when you choose the departure, or at the ticket booths in Cochem, on the river promenade, and in Beilstein.
On board
All the boats have a bar and a kitchen. Dogs travel free and bikes are accepted, so you can go by boat and cycle back along the river path, which on this stretch is almost flat.
The lock
At Fankel the boat enters the lock and rises or descends a few metres with the water. Children usually like it more than the scenery.
What to do in Beilstein
The village takes an hour to see: the market square, the cobbled slopes, the pilgrimage church and the climb to the ruins of Metternich Castle. For lunch, the terrace of the Hotel Haus Lipmann, next to the square, is open to everyone from 11:00.
- **Cochem chairlift to the Pinner Kreuz viewpoint** (1 h · All ages; small dogs, ask beforehand · Return €7.90 (over-14s) and €3.90 (children aged 4 to 14); family €20): What it is
The Cochem chairlift leaves from the town itself, on Endertstraße, and climbs the slope opposite the castle to the Pinner Kreuz, a cross with a viewpoint over the valley. From the top you see the Reichsburg on its hill, the old town, the bridges and the Moselle meander with its vines. It is the easiest way to understand the place without walking uphill.
There are open double chairs and chairs with a hood, which give some protection if it rains or is cold. You can go up and down by chairlift, or go up by chairlift and walk down the paths among the vines.
How much it costs
The rates the company publishes are, for over-14s, €5.90 one way and €7.90 return; for children aged 4 to 14, €2.90 and €3.90. The family return ticket, for parents with two to four children, costs €20. It is sold only as a return.
When it runs
In 2026 it was open from spring to mid-November, with hours by period: from 10:00 to 18:00 until 10 July; from 9:30 to 18:30 from 11 July to 30 August; from 10:00 to 18:00 until 4 October; and then closing earlier each time, until 16:00 at the end of October. From 2 to 15 November 2026 it runs from 11:00 to 16:00. In rain the hours may be shortened. The 2027 timetable is not yet published; check its website before you go.
With children and with a dog
For children it is an attraction in itself: the chairs pass over gardens and vines. Under-4s do not appear in the price table. As for dogs, the company does not take those that stand 30 cm or more at the withers; for small ones, ask beforehand, because it does not say.
At the top
At the upper station there is room to stay a while looking out. From there paths lead along the slope; if you walk down, wear comfortable footwear, because the paths are steep among the vines.
- **Calmont Klettersteig between Eller and Bremm** (3 h · 6 km · Teenagers and adults with a firm foot and no fear of heights · On your own · free): What it is
The Calmont is the vineyard slope that drops almost vertically over the Bremm meander, one of the steepest vineyards in Europe. Through the middle, between Eller and Bremm, runs a secured path that crosses the ribs of rock horizontally: iron ladders, cables and walkways between dry-stone walls and vines. It is not a harness-type via ferrata, but a high-level path with exposed sections; Bergwelten grades it A/B.
The Rhein-Mosel transport association's listing describes it as one of the most spectacular rock trails in Germany and suggests doing it as a loop: 6 km and about 3 hours, starting and finishing at Ediger-Eller or Bremm.
The route

Start at Eller. From the car park or Ediger-Eller station you follow the access to the Moselhöhenweg along the Ellerbach valley, pass under the railway line and climb in bends to the Galgenlay viewpoint, where the secured path begins.
The Klettersteig. Three ladders climb a rock spur; then the path slips through gullies and ribs, climbs onto stone walls, crosses a wall by a narrow ledge and goes along an almost vertical ridge above the ruins of Stuben convent. You reach the end, above Bremm, in one or two hours.
The summit. A very steep climb to the great cross of the Calmont, with a view over the meander. At weekends and on summer public holidays they serve a glass of Calmont Riesling there.
The return. Along the Moselhöhenweg, along the ridge, to the eastern summit shelter and a direct descent by the Eller Todesangst to the Galgenlay and the river.

Difficulty
The whole route, not just the secured stretch, goes along narrow paths that call for a firm foot and no fear of heights, including the descent to Eller. Hiking footwear with a good sole. It is not for small children; teenagers used to the mountains enjoy it.
When to go
The name comes from Latin and means hot mountain. Above 30 °C, the listing recommends doing it only first thing or at the end of the afternoon. In the rain, the rock and the steps are slippery: wait for it to dry. There are rest shelters and viewpoints at several points.
Getting there
By train on the Koblenz–Trier line to Ediger-Eller, which has a station at the foot of the path. By car, park at Eller or at Bremm.

## Dónde comer
- **Rathaus Café Rünz** (Café, Cochem, €). Qué pedir: a slice of cake from the display with coffee, or an ice cream if it is hot; to eat, one of the small dishes.
- **Hotel Haus Lipmann** (Restaurant, Beilstein, €€). Qué pedir: something from the kitchen's daily dishes with a Moselle wine on the terrace; in the afternoon, coffee and cake.
- **Landhotel Ringelsteiner Mühle** (Restaurant, Moselkern, €€). Qué pedir: a regional dish after the castle, or cake from its bakery buffet between 14:00 and 17:00.

## By plane: Fly to Frankfurt and take a train or car to the Moselle
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.
### Dónde dormir if you're flying
- **Hotel Lohspeicher** (Small hotel): The house
The Lohspeicher is a small hotel in the heart of Cochem: a half-timbered house of 1839 on Obergasse, which leaves the market square. It is run by a family and presents itself as a boutique hotel, with ten non-smoking rooms decorated one by one and named after Moselle wines: Burgunder, Dornfelder, Eiswein, Beerenauslese.
The house has closed its à la carte restaurant and keeps the hotel and breakfast. The buffet is served daily from 8:30 to 10:00, with regional products, and in good weather it is set out in the Lohgarten, the house's garden. Anyone not staying there can also have breakfast, by giving notice beforehand.
The rooms
There are four types. The Typ Mosel doubles, on the first and second floors, have 19 to 25 m² with shower. The Riesling triple, of 35 m² on the second floor, looks onto the garden and a terrace towards the old Capuchin convent, with a double bed and a single one. The Low Budget doubles, of 15 m², are on the third floor with a view of the town. And the Burgblick triple, of 55 m², also upstairs, has a seating area, a bath and a view of the Reichsburg. All have free wifi, satellite television and towels.
The website does not publish prices, check-in and check-out times, or whether there is a lift. With a house of stairs and three floors, expect to carry your suitcases up on foot. Ask when you book.
Getting there and parking
By train, get off at Cochem station: the hotel is on the other side of the old town, a walk across the bridge and along the river promenade. It is the best option for a trip without a car, because the boat, the castle slope and the chairlift are a few minutes' walk away. By car, the old town is narrow and the house itself quotes a guest's review that misses parking closer by: leave the car in the car parks on the riverbank and walk.
What is nearby
The market square and the Rathaus Café Rünz are round the corner. From the square leaves the climb to the Reichsburg, and the chairlift station is on Endertstraße. The landing stage for the boats to Beilstein is next to the old bridge.
- **Cochem Youth Hostel (Moseltal-Jugendherberge)** (Hostel, desde 33.3 € / bed): The house
The Cochem youth hostel, the Moseltal-Jugendherberge of the German DJH network, is on a slope above the Moselle, on the Cond bank, opposite the old town. From the house you see the river, the town and the Reichsburg. It is not only for young people: families, groups and solo travellers use it, and it is the cheapest way to sleep in Cochem with your own room and bathroom.
It has 156 beds in rooms for one, two, four and more, and all have a shower and WC. There is a bistro and café-bar, a restaurant with vegetarian options, a playground, a games room, a table-tennis table and a barbecue. Wifi is free throughout the building. It holds the German accessibility seals Reisen für Alle, for cyclist-friendly accommodation and for hiking host.
Prices and meals
Until 31 December 2026, the price starts at €33.30 per person per night with breakfast and bed linen; in a double room, €42.70 per person, and in a single, €15 is added. From 15 November to 15 March there is a winter rate from €27.30. For families, children up to age 3 do not pay and those aged 4 to 14 pay half, if you share a room. The hostel membership card is optional: €7 a year for under-26s and €27.50 for adults and families.
Meals have fixed times: breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30, lunch from 12:00 to 13:30 and dinner from 18:00 to 19:30. The listing does not publish check-in and check-out times.
Getting there
Cochem station is about 500 m away, about a five-minute walk across the bridge, according to the hostel. By car, via the B49 beside the Moselle or the A48 motorway, exit Kaisersesch from Koblenz or Ulmen from Trier. It has parking.
Nearby
Across the bridge you have the landing stage for the boats to Beilstein, the old town with the market square and the climb to the Reichsburg. The chairlift leaves from Endertstraße.

## Car-free: Train, boat and on foot along the Moselle
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.
Presupuesto orientativo: 80–150 € por persona y día.
### Dónde dormir without a car
- **Hotel Lohspeicher** (Small hotel): The house
The Lohspeicher is a small hotel in the heart of Cochem: a half-timbered house of 1839 on Obergasse, which leaves the market square. It is run by a family and presents itself as a boutique hotel, with ten non-smoking rooms decorated one by one and named after Moselle wines: Burgunder, Dornfelder, Eiswein, Beerenauslese.
The house has closed its à la carte restaurant and keeps the hotel and breakfast. The buffet is served daily from 8:30 to 10:00, with regional products, and in good weather it is set out in the Lohgarten, the house's garden. Anyone not staying there can also have breakfast, by giving notice beforehand.
The rooms
There are four types. The Typ Mosel doubles, on the first and second floors, have 19 to 25 m² with shower. The Riesling triple, of 35 m² on the second floor, looks onto the garden and a terrace towards the old Capuchin convent, with a double bed and a single one. The Low Budget doubles, of 15 m², are on the third floor with a view of the town. And the Burgblick triple, of 55 m², also upstairs, has a seating area, a bath and a view of the Reichsburg. All have free wifi, satellite television and towels.
The website does not publish prices, check-in and check-out times, or whether there is a lift. With a house of stairs and three floors, expect to carry your suitcases up on foot. Ask when you book.
Getting there and parking
By train, get off at Cochem station: the hotel is on the other side of the old town, a walk across the bridge and along the river promenade. It is the best option for a trip without a car, because the boat, the castle slope and the chairlift are a few minutes' walk away. By car, the old town is narrow and the house itself quotes a guest's review that misses parking closer by: leave the car in the car parks on the riverbank and walk.
What is nearby
The market square and the Rathaus Café Rünz are round the corner. From the square leaves the climb to the Reichsburg, and the chairlift station is on Endertstraße. The landing stage for the boats to Beilstein is next to the old bridge.
- **Cochem Youth Hostel (Moseltal-Jugendherberge)** (Hostel, desde 33.3 € / bed): The house
The Cochem youth hostel, the Moseltal-Jugendherberge of the German DJH network, is on a slope above the Moselle, on the Cond bank, opposite the old town. From the house you see the river, the town and the Reichsburg. It is not only for young people: families, groups and solo travellers use it, and it is the cheapest way to sleep in Cochem with your own room and bathroom.
It has 156 beds in rooms for one, two, four and more, and all have a shower and WC. There is a bistro and café-bar, a restaurant with vegetarian options, a playground, a games room, a table-tennis table and a barbecue. Wifi is free throughout the building. It holds the German accessibility seals Reisen für Alle, for cyclist-friendly accommodation and for hiking host.
Prices and meals
Until 31 December 2026, the price starts at €33.30 per person per night with breakfast and bed linen; in a double room, €42.70 per person, and in a single, €15 is added. From 15 November to 15 March there is a winter rate from €27.30. For families, children up to age 3 do not pay and those aged 4 to 14 pay half, if you share a room. The hostel membership card is optional: €7 a year for under-26s and €27.50 for adults and families.
Meals have fixed times: breakfast from 7:30 to 9:30, lunch from 12:00 to 13:30 and dinner from 18:00 to 19:30. The listing does not publish check-in and check-out times.
Getting there
Cochem station is about 500 m away, about a five-minute walk across the bridge, according to the hostel. By car, via the B49 beside the Moselle or the A48 motorway, exit Kaisersesch from Koblenz or Ulmen from Trier. It has parking.
Nearby
Across the bridge you have the landing stage for the boats to Beilstein, the old town with the market square and the climb to the Reichsburg. The chairlift leaves from Endertstraße.

## Consejos

### Check the Eltz Castle calendar
In 2026 it closed on 2 November and reopens on 21 March 2027.

### Sleep in a village on the river
Cochem, Zell or Bernkastel-Kues are good bases for getting around by train or boat.

### Try the Riesling where it is made
Many wineries in the villages have a tasting room.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How many days do you need?
Two or three to see Cochem, Eltz and Bernkastel-Kues without hurrying.

### Can you go without a car?
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.

### When is Eltz Castle open?
From the end of March to early November, every day from 9:30.

### What is the best time of year?
May to October; September and October for the grape harvest.