The river Moselle infos and river cruising experiences

[notamermaid]

7 hours ago, Izengolf said:

These problems aside, is the Moselle usually good for sailing with the sundeck available for use to admire the scenery and enjoy the weather?

Yes. The Main and Moselle river differ in that respect. On the Main the bridges are often lower than on the Moselle. From what I have understood, the frequency of the bridges on the Main means that it is easier for the crew to keep the sun deck closed for long periods. Policy on that will differ from cruise line to cruise line and also depend a bit on the ship structure. But more on that is in the Main thread. On the Moselle the bridges give the ships more headroom so in standard conditions the Moselle is fine whereas on the Main it is very often the case to have too little headroom so that the sun deck is a safety issue. Both rivers are kept at a certain level for shipping and that is achieved of course by the many locks. In that both rivers are the same on all river cruising itineraries. So on both rivers low water is not an issue - both mouths of them aside, as those short stretches are affected by the level of the Rhine. Call it fine 99 percent of the time.

 

7 hours ago, Izengolf said:

I had assumed the sundeck may be closed when we board in Frankfurt but opened the next morning for the day spent cruising to Cochem and the rest of the trip. Would this be correct?

This I think is a very likely scenario.

 

notamermaid

 

[Izengolf]

Thank you notamermaid, your scope and depth of knowledge are incredible!

[notamermaid]

Thank you for the praise. Trying my best. There are still a few things about the Moselle I want to find out and cannot seem to get the answers to. I may make a couple of slightly annoying, nosy phone calls at the federal authorities some time, keeping employees from doing proper work.

 

I have had a closer look at your itinerary. Some great options in there. I would be spoilt for choice in Boppard! The Oberlahnstein brewery I have been to, nice place, but the other excursions sound great, too. Eberbach Abbey near Rüdesheim is great.

 

To stay in Trier or go to Luxembourg? Difficult choice.

 

Bernkastel-Kues is pleasant, albeit a bit touristy. I intend to go there this spring again to see the birthplace of Nicholas of Cusa, i.e. an old building on the banks of the river at Kues.

 

notamermaid

 

[Izengolf]

Excellent tips for our stops! It is easier for me to choose because I love anything Roman, very old or with wine and, thanks to celiac disease, avoid excursions with beer, local treats or in home cooking. A Budapest cafe did make me a baked apple that was surely better than the strudel others had - but the stop in Vienna sadly had nothing available while the others ate strudel, Sacher-Torte and another decadent cake.  Lesson learned, ask the Cruise Director ahead of time AND mark it on the excursion selection sheet!

[notamermaid]

6 minutes ago, Izengolf said:

It is easier for me to choose because I love anything Roman, very old or with wine

Cochem and Bernkastel-Kues are the right places for you then, and Trier will blow you away.

https://www.zentrum-der-antike.de/en/home/

Boppard has Roman history (a fort) as well and there is an exhibition in the local museum (have not seen that one).

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

For those stopping in Koblenz. Most river cruise ships dock on the Moselle in Koblenz, rather than on the Rhine. This is Deutsches Eck: https://www.visit-koblenz.de/en/sights/deutsches-eck

You are looking up the Moselle in this photo. For a view of your river cruise ship and the skyline of Koblenz head onto Balduin bridge: https://www.koblenz-touristik.de/geschaeftsfelder/hafen

You can see this at the right side of the photo.

 

The Balduin bridge is old, unfortunately it lost nearly one half of its old pillars to make passage for ships onto the Moselle easier. It is also the approach to the first lock (or last one, looking downstream) on the Moselle. Here is an aerial photo:

 

notamermaid

 

 

 

[CPT Trips]

5 hours ago, Izengolf said:

It is easier for me to choose because I love anything Roman

Here's one to consider.  

 

https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/rheinisches-landesmuseum-trier-archaeological-museum/7848fdcd-c7d4-408b-a74a-d9c3b4709c83

[ural guy]

9 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

Here's one to consider.  

 

https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/rheinisches-landesmuseum-trier-archaeological-museum/7848fdcd-c7d4-408b-a74a-d9c3b4709c83

When Vantage took us to Trier, we missed the museum, but visited both the Roman Amphitheater and also the Imperial Baths.  The bath complex was huge and you wander through halls and various passages.  No idea they were so large.

 

I'm on the Moselle now, in Metz.  A very nice city as well.  Flowers are trees are starting to bloom.  Lorraine region is nice countryside to explore.

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, ural guy said:

I'm on the Moselle now, in Metz.  A very nice city as well.  Flowers are trees are starting to bloom.  Lorraine region is nice countryside to explore.

I had forgotten you would be there now. Enjoy. I really like Metz. Make sure you see the stained glass in the Cathedral. It is magnificent. And the train station with its Wilhelmian era architecture. Sierck-Les-Bains is not particulary picturesque but I really enjoyed visiting the castle ruins overlooking the town. For a really good castle in the hills visit Chateau Malbrouck: https://www.thionvilletourisme.co.uk/offers/malbrouck-castle-manderen-en-3332487/

Though it may be a bit early in the year.

 

notamermaid

 

[ural guy]

Metz and Roman history, wow!  Museum of La Cour d'Or, was founded in 1839, and during a 1930's expansion they found Roman baths.  They incorporated that into the museum, to include graves they found as well.  Creepy seeing 7 skeltons under very clean glass in the floor.  Their collection is impressive, from old lead coffins (empty?), to altars, mosaic tiles...I just wandered in and was blown away.  Free admission.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I was able to see the Cathedral stained glass, what a magnificent structure.  300 years to build.  

 

 

and the train station.

 

 

and a repurposed phone booth.

 

 

A great walkable city, not too big, not too small.

 

 

 

[notamermaid]

2 hours ago, ural guy said:

Museum of La Cour d'Or, was founded in 1839, and during a 1930's expansion they found Roman baths. 

Unfortunately I have not been in yet. I had read about the Gallo Roman baths: https://musee.eurometropolemetz.eu/fr/gallo-romaines.html

 

I agree, Metz is a walkable city. For those who do not feel like doing lots of walking there is a small sightseeing train that leaves from the Cathedral square (not in winter): https://lepetittraindemetz.com/la-ville-de-metz-2/

 

notamermaid

 

 

[ural guy]

Last night, the placement of the lights so the green roof pops, great job.  While I was standing there, a couple turned the corner and this view drew a gasp, it is that stunning.  You get nice little glimpses of the Cathedral throughout town.

 

 

 

[Canal archive]

You’re so right and the depth it shows of the stone structure I’m sure would stun the original builders. Thank you superb photograph. 📸

[notamermaid]

I find the Cathedral really beautiful. Great lighting, I have so far only seen it in daylight.

12 hours ago, Canal archive said:

depth it shows of the stone structure

It is the flying buttresses that add to that effect. The people call the edifice "God's Lantern". Or "Lorraine's Gem". The yellow colour of the stone really shines in sunlight. The expanse of the glass is enormous, more than in many other more famous Gothic Cathedrals. In France no other cathedral has more stained glass.

 

Metz is the most important port in France for grain. The harbour is really large and there is also a marina. You can take river trips around Metz but river cruises that go to Metz are still few. It is mostly the bike & boat tours. The city rarely sees river cruise ships over 70m length anchoring.

 

notamermaid

 

 

[notamermaid]

In comparison to the Rhine we talk very little about the legends and fairy-tales of the Moselle. I myself have heard very few. Compilations in German do exist. In English it is a bit difficult to find the legends. Three well-known stories are covered by this page from the Amawaterways website: https://www.amawaterways.eu/connections/true-stories-of-the-moselle

 

This is a story from a castle that is not normally visited on a river cruise as it is a bit out of the way, the Ehrenburg above Brodenbach village: https://www.ehrenburg.de/en/castle/the-legend-of-the-kissing-niche

 

The nearest popular river cruise port is Alken, less than 15 minutes by car. Cochem is a good half hour away. If you would like to go back in this thread a bit - I wrote about Brodenbach, which does have a landing stage, in post #288.

 

notamermaid

 

 

Edited March 24 by notamermaid
added info

[notamermaid]

Let us have a look at Easter traditions on the Moselle, specifically Luxembourg. Many are the same or similar to Germany but a few are unique. Just to remind people: the country of Luxembourg straddles the Moselle, meaning the river is the border for some distance. 36km of the river are part of a condominium, meaning the two countries administer the Moselle together but other river borders are part of this arrangement, too. Luxembourg has its own language but is part of the dialect group Moselle Franconian. So we are close in that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luxembourgish

 

In English it is the Easter Bunny, in High German it is the Osterhase and in Luxembourgish the Ouschterhues:

https://luxembourg.public.lu/en/society-and-culture/festivals-and-traditions/easter.html

 

notamermaid

 

 

[SnowshoeCat]

I now have a reservation hold for a Moselle sailing in August. Even though I had hoped to go in the autumn, the summer dates worked better, and it might be nice to sit on the deck without bundling up. I also hope to take advantage of the bicycles as much as possible. I'm just wondering, do the Moselle towns get crowded like the Rhine?  I'm thinking it might be a little quieter. I have until Monday to decide.

[notamermaid]

1 hour ago, SnowshoeCat said:

I'm just wondering, do the Moselle towns get crowded like the Rhine? 

A good question. It would be interesting to hear about this from someone who has been on the Rhine and Moselle on the same cruise. I do not go to the Moselle that often but must say that I did find Bernkastel-Kues busy in August. Cochem I know will get busy in the summer, it is loved by the Dutch. What I can say is that the Moselle river is not as busy as the Rhine river. There are fewer river cruise ships as well. Expect crowds in Trier all the time but I would says it is not Cologne or Strasbourg...

 

notamermaid

 

[SnowshoeCat]

I don't think anyplace is crowd-free anymore, except maybe off-season, just varying levels of crowded. It looks like a nice trip, and I've never been to Luxembourg!

[notamermaid]

Had not thought to post this before, perhaps this is a helpful for those bicycle excursions. There is a signed cycle route along the Moselle: https://en.visitmosel.de/cycling/mosel-cycle-path

 

notamermaid

 

[notamermaid]

1 minute ago, SnowshoeCat said:

I don't think anyplace is crowd-free anymore, except maybe off-season, just varying levels of crowded. It looks like a nice trip, and I've never been to Luxembourg!

Same time posting. 😊 You are right of course. A higher level of crowded along the Rhine I would say, definitely in Rüdesheim. Enjoy Luxembourg, I like the relatively quiet river there and the city (the capital) itself is in a dramatic landscape setting at the Pétrusse and Alzette rivers.

 

I guess you will dock in Remich or Grevenmacher, or is Luxembourg an excursion from Trier?

 

notamermaid

 

[sbjornda]

On 4/6/2024 at 6:23 AM, SnowshoeCat said:

I'm just wondering, do the Moselle towns get crowded like the Rhine?  I'm thinking it might be a little quieter.

You are right. We did a cruise with Scenic that sailed both Rhine and Moselle in 2019, and there were fewer ships on the Moselle. The towns are smaller and less touristy. It was a great experience.

[Izengolf]

1 hour ago, notamermaid said:

will dock in Remich or Grevenmacher, or is Luxembourg an excursion from Trier?

I'm curious to know the company you are going with. With Uniworld this year, Luxembourg is one of the excursion choices in Trier. 

[Daisi]

Avalon docks in Remich, so your excursion to Luxemburg is from there. I believe we will be going to Trier from there as well. I notice that they have changed the tour for this year to dock in Grevenmacher, it used to be Remich. Maybe ours will change as well for 2025.

[SnowshoeCat]

A few quick replies.

Right now it says we dock in Grevenmacher, which is the disembarkation point.Trier is an optional excursion. I think Luxembourg is an included excursion, but I plan to spend an extra day on my own. And it's Avalon.

 

Sorry - we had a death in the family and I'm running around, trying to get ready to travel tomorrow. I'll stop back when I have a chance.