One of our earliest road trips, and still our favorite, was driving the Moselle River Valley in Germany’s wine country. This is where Riesling is grown, on hillsides in one of Europe’s most romantic spots. We followed the river with its endless vineyards and picturesque towns on either side, our favorites being Boppard and Bernkastel-Kues. The valley is also home to the famous Burg Eltz castle. We recommend budgeting at least 4 days for this drive.
We began in Cologne and visited Augustusburg Palace and Schloss Drachenburg, then crossed the Rhine River on a ferry in Koblenz, where the two rivers meet, and enjoyed a beer here. We then drove to Boppard on a UNESCO protected stretch of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley. We watched the sun set over Boppard, then drove to Moselkern, the closest town to Burg Eltz.
Driving Tip: Google Maps often defaults to the shortest route which takes you away from the river. Make sure you select the route that follows the river, as this is the whole point of the drive!
In the morning we joined the first tour of the day at Burg Eltz, which opens at 9:30am. You can walk up the path in front of the castle and see it from above too.
After the castle tour, we drove through Cochem and Zell before arriving at our Airbnb in Horbruch, an idyllic town with pastures and horses where we based ourselves for the next two days.
During these two days we visited Traben-Trarbach, where you can climb up to the Grevenburg Castle Ruins for a beautiful view of the river valley below. We also visited Bernkastel-Kues and Piesport, along with numerous terraced vineyards along the way.
In each of these towns we sampled Riesling and learned about the vineyards in this region. The best grapes apparently grow on the steepest hillsides. There are many wine shops that serve small pours for just a few euros. You can even take your glass outside and sit by the river.
Finally, we ended our road trip in Trier, a larger town with many historic and architecturally interesting sites, such as Konstantinbasilika, Saint Peter’s Cathedral, and Kurfürstliches Palais. We spent two nights here before returning the car.
And that wraps up our road trip!
