Best of Moselsteig, Trier – Koblenz

Trier, Germany’s oldest city, entices you with numerous historic sights. We highly recommend you visit the famous ‚Porta Nigra‘, Roman excavations and the opulent St. Peter’s Cathedral. A stroll through the bustling historic centre is the perfect way to prepare for the upcoming hiking week.

Hotel example: Hotel Deutscher Hof

To start off your holiday you cross the river Mosel and ascend to the colorful sandstone rock located at the Trierer Stadtwald-forest. Along a marvelous high-altitude path with views into the depth onto the river Mosel and views into the distance all the way onto the Hunsrück-mountain range you proceed to Biewer and the Eifel-foothills. You hike through extensive forests and plateaus all the way to the ‚Ehranger Kanzel‘ and downhill to the river Kyll, onwards through the Eifel-forests onwards to Schweich. By train you reach the charming village on the river Mosel Bullay with its numerous inns called ‚Straußwirtschaften‘.

Hotel example: Feriendomizil am Lindenplatz

You reach the start of the tour via the legendary Mosel wine railway and cross Germany’s longest hanging viaduct in the art-deco town Traben-Trabach. You ascend on steep terrain to Grevenstein castle and proceed on the ‚Franzosensteig‘-trail via spiral staircases and via ferratas straight through the ruins. Spectacular too is the view into the depth down to the river. An alpine hiking section along the ridge Kirster Grat leads you accompanied with great views to Enkirch, where we highly recommend you visit the historic half-timber houses. Onwards through wine growing areas and the vineyards you proceed to Bullay, where a wine tasting of the best Mosel wines awaits.

Hotel example: Feriendomizil am Lindenplatz

Beautiful paths lead you high above the river up Mount Petersberg, where the summit cross offers stupendous views down onto the Mosel river bend. After the descent and the river crossing near Neef you ascend Mount Calmont on the other side. You hike up Europe‘s steepest vineyard, where grapes are grown on an incline of up to 55 degrees. You proceed via a Roman high-altitude settlement with a view onto the rock spire ‚Eller Todesangst‘ past the ‚Galgenlay-Pavillon‘ and reach Cochem by train.

Hotel example: Cochemer Jung

You get to visit Beilstein, the ‚most beautiful of all villages on the river Mosel‘ with its lovely half-timber houses and the Carmelite monastery. You proceed to the Fankel-barrage and continue in close proximity along the Mosel riverbanks. In Bruttig we recommend a break before you ascend again through the ravine of the Kabainerbach-stream. Hiking directly through the hillside vineyards you cross the rocky Brauselay-mountainsides, which steeped in legends tower as a black cliff over the river. In the afternoon you marvel at the Cochem imperial castle this time from the water during a pleasurable boat ride.

Hotel example: Cochemer Jung

You ascend to the Pinner-cross, a marvelous rock pulpit located above Cochem, either on foot or by chair lift. Along hiking paths high above the river you proceed to the legendary refuge ‚Wingerts Budche‘. The Dortebachtal-nature reserve, the Pommerer Forest and the via ferrata through the Schilzer-basin provide pleasant walking conditions in the shade. Through green vineyards you reach Mount Martberg, where you can visit a nicely restored Roman temple complex. Narrow trails snake their way through dense woodland down into the valley and into the Day Finish Treis-Karden.

Hotel example: Schlosshotel Petry

The impressive boxtree-trail welcomes you with evergreen forests and steep rock steps. You start from Müden and proceed along historic pilgrim trails into the highlands to the legendary Eltz castle. After a break in the beer garden you continue uphill to the Maifeld-area and along the steep edge via little climbing sections to Hatzenport. If you have energy left, you can climb over slate rocks up Mount Rabenlay.

Hotel example: Hotel Anker

Today you cross the river Mosel twice actually. From Alken to the lovely Thurant spur castle and via rocky steep trails you descend to the Michael’s chapel, one of the oldest churches on the river Mosel dating back more than 1000 years. After that you hike through the vines to the pilgrimage church located on Mount Bleidenberg. Best views all the way into the ‚Vulkaneifel‘-area accompany you along this marvellous high-altitude path to  Oberfell. Then across a sunny high-plateau to the panoramic cliff Hitzlay - enjoy the view before descending to Niederfell and reach today’s Day Finish via the bridge ‚Moselgoldbrücke‘.

Hotel example: Hotel Simonis

For the finale again numerous highlights await: the castle ruin of Kobern Niederburg-castle, the Romanesque Matthew-chapel and again and again high-altitude paths with panoramic views. The Blumslay-viewpoint spoils you with spectacular views onto the mighty construction of the Mosel-valley bridge with a height of 136 metres. You continue for a final time through the lush vineyards all the way to Güls-Koblenz, the official end of the Moselsteig-trail. After a short train journey you reach the centre of Koblenz, where you enjoy the end of your impressive hiking week at the so-called ‚Deutsches Eck‘ (German Corner), the confluence of the rivers Mosel and Rhine.

Hotel example: Hotel Brenner