Wining and Dining Along the Mosel and the Rhine, Germany

August 18 - 25:

Twike - a tandem bike much snazzier than our rigs!

The rally car displays next to our campsite in Trier

Vineyards (and wine) abound at each bend in the Mosel

Beautiful riverside bikeways in Cochem

Kaiser Wilhelm monument at the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine in Koblenz

At times in our travels, the stops along the way are our rests as we cycle. In the case of this week's side trip along the Mosel and Rhine, our bikes were our transportation between places. We stopped often to photograph sites, especially the many castles, sample local wines and dine on the rich German food, which is much more affordable than other places we have visited. We logged only 35 - 45 km each day (with some hiking to castles and hoisting of glasses, for additional exercise). The campsites and food stops were so plentiful, as there are loads of touring cyclists, that we had to do little planning and could simply roll east down the Mosel, and then, up south along the Rhine without having to carry sufficient food for the next meal. The campsites were great and in terrific locations. We camped at the base of the famed Loreley cliff under a full moon (with delightful and helpful Dutch neighbours) and at the confluence of the Mosel and the Rhine in Koblenz.

The only challenge was our arrival in Trier, where we found there to be a lot of fast drivers. We were a bit surprised by our challenging ride to the campground until we found out that an international car rally (i.e. race) was taking place on the local roads that weekend, starting the next morning at 8 a.m. Guess how we found out? Many of the race marshals were camped (and drinking) alongside us at the crowded campground and the cars were all displayed along the river at the edge of the campground. As it turned out, we saw some of the cars in action along the narrow vineyard roads, but didn't have to vie for road space with them (or their helicopter and fan entourages).

Along the Mosel, we cycled through countless vineyards and quaint towns with traditional half-timbered German homes and toll towers. Many towns have ancient celtic and Roman roots, with building remnants that show the layers of history - particularly striking was Trier's Black Gate, Coliseum and Baths. The Rhine River from Koblenz to Bingen is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the landscape and river traffic kept us enthralled, with castles and views at every turn.

Travelling and camping along this section of the Rhine is noisy, though. The hills rise steeply from the river and there are virtually no bridges along this section. Thus, there is a road and busy railway, as well as the many commercial boats on the river contributing to creating an almost constant transportation related rumble. For most campers in caravans/trailers, this is not a problem, but our tent doesn't match up in the soundproofing department! We loved the scenery and wine here, but do miss the quiet of the Canadian wilderness!