Everyone talks about flow. The guy on the phone is also trying to lure me in with Anglicised jargon. He talks about "flowy" super trails that supposedly wind through the landscape right on his doorstep. Kilometres of them. And they're just waiting for chunky tyres. Where is that supposed to be? On the Moselle? That's all right. In my idea of this region, trails and flow play a rather subordinate role. I'm thinking more of dimly lit wine taverns with a rustic oak ambience, populated by swaying skittles clubs and slogans on the wall like "Old wine and young women are the best pastimes". But Ralph doesn't let up and talks about a stage tour that he and his partner Achim have planned. Always along the high banks of the Moselle, to be ridden with the greatest possible biking pleasure and peppered with absolutely postcard-perfect viewpoints. Wine tasting in the evening? Can be arranged! And somehow I'm starting to get weak in the knees. I'm sure we'll check the flow factor professionally on site.
The Moselle region has a lot to offer for bikers
"The good Lord did not want fine wine to spoil, so he gave us the necessary thirst along with the vines". I had a hunch. Our first day on the Moselle is less than two minutes old when I hear the first shaking rhyme from the wall of the house opposite. Just behind it, my morning gloom is thwarted by a green overgrown wall. The Zeller vineyards are so steep that if they were bare rock, they would easily pass for a climbing Eldorado.
Information about mountain biking on the Moselle
After crossing the German border, the Moselle takes a particularly wild turn on its way to the Rhine. The main town in the region is the half-timbered town of Bernkastel-Kues.
Location
Over 500 kilometres long, the Moselle has its source in France, west of the Vosges mountains. It flows northwards, later marking the border with Luxembourg before finally becoming a German river at Trier. The Moselle flows into the Rhine at Koblenz. It is characterised by its numerous bends, where the water sometimes changes its direction of flow by more than 180 degrees.
Arrival
From the Rhine-Main area on the A61 or A48 via Koblenz. From the Saarland, take the A62 or A6 towards Trier. The A48 motorway runs parallel to the Moselle. By train: One route runs almost directly along the Moselle from Koblenz to Trier. You can therefore return to the starting point several times a day on a stage journey.
Route
The Moselle valley separates the Eifel and Hunsrück low mountain ranges. The Moselle High Trail, marked with an M, runs along both sides. The Hunsrück variant is more challenging for bikers, with many singletrail sections and metres in altitude. Our route follows the Moselle High Trail for longer stretches. However, there are numerous sections on other single trails that are difficult to find without a GPS track. You often have to reckon with rough climbs and a few metres of pushing. You can download the GPS track of the route in GPX format below.
Guided MTB tours
mtbtour-mosel, Nikolausufer 59, 54470 Bernkastel-Kues, Tel. 0176/20730681, www.mtbtour-mosel.de
Trailtouren, Moselstraße 48, 54341 Fell-Fastrau, Tel. 0163/8887555, www.trailtouren.de
Overnight stay
Most of the accommodation in the Moselle Valley is geared towards cyclists. Overview under www.mosellandtouristik.de
Our tips
Zell: Day Winery, Marktstraße 6, 56856 Zell, Tel. 06542/4581, www.weingut-day.de
Bernkastel: Burgblickhotel, Goethestraße 29, 54470 Bernkastel-Kues, Tel. 06531/9722770, www.burgblickhotel.de
Leiwen: Hotel Alte Metzgerei, Römerstraße 11, 54340 Leiwen, Tel. 06507/3328, www.hotel-herres.de
Bike shops
Fun Bike Team, Schanzstraße 22, 54470 Bernkastel-Kues, Tel. 06531/94024, www.funbiketeam.de
Fahrrad Wildmann, Uferallee 55, 54492 Zeltingen-Rachting, Tel. 06532/954367, for small groups of up to eight people the boss also organises return transport by minibus and bike trailer.
Maps
The detailed topographical maps of the Eifelverein at a scale of 1:25000 (sheet sections 23, 30, 31, 35) are good. Info under www.eifelverein.de
Basics
Tourist Information, Gestade 6, D-54470 Bernkastel-Kues, Tel. 06531/50019-0, Fax -19, www.bernkastel.de
The 3 stages of the MTB tour on the Moselle
From Zell to Trier, around 160 kilometres and 4,000 metres in altitude take their toll on your stamina. And it is almost impossible to find a rhythm during the constant ups and downs.
- Stage 1: Route 51.1 km, 1,350 m elevation gain, riding time 5 h, difficulty level medium - difficult
- Stage 2: route 49.9 km, 1,250 m elevation gain, riding time 5:30 h, level of difficulty medium - difficult
- Stage 3: route 58.7 km, 1,210 metres in altitude, riding time 5 hours, level of difficulty medium - difficult
The entire Moselle tour with these GPS data can be downloaded below.
Downloads:
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
