Middle Moselle scenic drive: Bernkastel and Traben-Trarbach

The heart of the wine river

The Middle Moselle is the heart of the river: the stretch around Bernkastel-Kues where the Moselle turns in tight loops through a deep valley, lined on both sides by the steepest and most famous Riesling slopes in Germany. This loop strings together the finest wine villages: from the well-preserved half-timbered town of Bernkastel-Kues with Burg Landshut above, past the Sonnenuhr vineyards at Zeltingen and the red slate cliffs of the Ürziger Würzgarten, to the Art Nouveau town of Traben-Trarbach in its great Moselle loop. The return climbs the Moselle heights, the hill country towards Morbach, with ever-changing glimpses of the river bends. About 66 kilometres in all, a full day of water, wine and half-timbering, without a single metre of motorway.

This is the second Moselle loop on Touren.app. The Moselle scenic drive around Cochem takes the lower valley downstream; this loop takes the Middle Moselle upstream. Together they cover the two finest stretches of the river. The Moselle is about two hours from the border and has been a firm favourite holiday region for the Dutch and Belgians for decades.

The route on the map

A schematic overview by Touren.app, not a navigation map. The exact route opens under “Drive this route” or in Google Maps. Map orientation: north is up.

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The places along the route

1. Bernkastel-Kues

Start · the heart of the Middle Moselle

Bernkastel-Kues is the best-known town of the Middle Moselle, with one of the loveliest half-timbered market squares in Germany: crooked, colourful houses around the St Michael fountain. Above the town lies the ruin of Burg Landshut on a vineyard hill, with a wide view over the river bend and the vineyards. On the slope lies the Bernkasteler Doctor, perhaps the most famous Riesling vineyard in the world. A perfect start by the water.

Practical: park by the river or on the edge; explore the half-timbered centre and the climb to Burg Landshut on foot.

3. Ürzig & Kröv

the red slate cliffs · Ürzig and Kröv

At Ürzig the Würzgarten rises up: a steep vineyard against strikingly red slate cliffs, with the big white letters ÜRZIGER WÜRZGARTEN across the slope. It is one of the most recognisable vineyards on the Moselle. A little further lies Kröv, a well-preserved half-timbered village known for its wine with the age-old, cheeky name Kröver Nacktarsch. Both villages sit on the riverside road between Zeltingen and Traben-Trarbach.

Practical: park in Ürzig or Kröv; view the Würzgarten from the bank. Explore the half-timbered centres on foot.

4. Traben-Trarbach

the Art Nouveau town in the loop · Traben-Trarbach

Traben-Trarbach lies on both banks of the river in a great, almost circular Moselle loop, the finest bend of the Middle Moselle. Around 1900 it grew rich on the wine trade and built a town full of Art Nouveau: villas, the Brückentor gate and hotels in the Jugendstil style. Above the town stands the ruin of the Grevenburg, with a wide view over the loop. The turning point of the route.

Practical: park by the river; the Art Nouveau walk and the climb to the Grevenburg are done on foot.

Practical: for convertible, motorbike and camper

From the Netherlands and Belgium: the Moselle has been a classic holiday region for decades. From the border at Aachen you reach Bernkastel-Kues in about two hours. To start the loop from your holiday base, type your start town into the planner and Touren.app rebuilds the same route from Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach, Zeltingen or wherever you are.

Two Moselle loops: this Middle Moselle drive takes the heart around Bernkastel; the Moselle scenic drive around Cochem takes the lower valley downstream, with the Calmont and Zell. They join up nicely if you stay a few days on the river.

Which vehicle: the riverside lanes through the Riesling slopes and the heights behind them are winding and varied, great for convertible and motorbike. It works well in a campervan too; mind the narrow half-timbered centres of Bernkastel and Kröv and park on the edge.

The Eifel and the Rhine are next door: the Moselle borders the Eifel to the north and flows into the Rhine at Koblenz. Combine with the High Eifel scenic drive or the Middle Rhine scenic drive past the Loreley.

How we keep it honest: we have measured this loop and curated the stops; the label is 'measured and checked'; driving it comes next. The distance was set via Google Maps with motorways avoided.

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