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The river Moselle infos and river cruising experiences


notamermaid
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... and then we went on to Koblenz and offered a coach trip to Cochem.

 

The scenery was lovely - often through rain, but I love the sea so I think we have made our decision.

 

Hello,

I would like your opinion of the Moselle bus trip please. How long did it take, what route did you take, where did you stop, where was wine tasting, etc/

 

Thank you

 

Notamermaid,

Thank you for all the wonderful and educational links... and your day to day input.

Edited by M&Rsquared
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Hello Hydrokitty,

 

the bomb was located in Neustraße about 300m away from the Constantine basilica. You might well have walked through the street when you where in Trier.

 

On a somewhat happier note in April of this year, another dig - in Paulinstraße, the road leading towards Porta Nigra when you are outside of the city centre - revealed a Roman cemetery. The road has been known to be a major thoroughfare with Roman graves along it. Nevertheless archeologists where delighted to find 20 graves from the first to the third centuries AD. Grave goods where coins, jugs, plates and oil lamps. More stuff for the already impressive collection in the Landesmuseum: http://www.landesmuseum-trier.de/en/home/dauerausstellung.html

 

notamermaid

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Hello Hydrokitty,

 

the bomb was located in Neustraße about 300m away from the Constantine basilica. You might well have walked through the street when you where in Trier.

 

On a somewhat happier note in April of this year, another dig - in Paulinstraße, the road leading towards Porta Nigra when you are outside of the city centre - revealed a Roman cemetery. The road has been known to be a major thoroughfare with Roman graves along it. Nevertheless archeologists where delighted to find 20 graves from the first to the third centuries AD. Grave goods where coins, jugs, plates and oil lamps. More stuff for the already impressive collection in the Landesmuseum: http://www.landesmuseum-trier.de/en/home/dauerausstellung.html

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks for the update!!! We probably were very close to the bomb. That is exciting about the Roman graves....now I'll have to come back!!!

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  • 2 months later...

Yesterday's local news showed as part of their "weather in our region" video feature a few seconds of the Trier embankment and passengers rejoining the Uniworld "River Queen" over a Viking River Cruises landing stage! It appears that the traditional "I have been here first" at Rhine and Danube ports extents to the Moselle (I have mentioned the historical business connection between KD and Viking a few times).

 

Anyway, what a lovely ship in retro design she is. I would love to sail on her.

 

For those that have been to the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues in particular here is a nice short video clip to remind you of your trip. For those who have not been, well you might want to consider the Moselle for a land trip or river cruise after this :). Made by Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcasting house:

 

Enjoy.

 

notamermaid

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Yesterday's local news showed as part of their "weather in our region" video feature a few seconds of the Trier embankment and passengers rejoining the Uniworld "River Queen" over a Viking River Cruises landing stage! It appears that the traditional "I have been here first" at Rhine and Danube ports extents to the Moselle (I have mentioned the historical business connection between KD and Viking a few times).

 

Anyway, what a lovely ship in retro design she is. I would love to sail on her.

 

For those that have been to the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues in particular here is a nice short video clip to remind you of your trip. For those who have not been, well you might want to consider the Moselle for a land trip or river cruise after this :). Made by Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcasting house:

 

Enjoy.

 

notamermaid

 

Nice....thanks for sharing....brought back warm memories.

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Yesterday's local news showed as part of their "weather in our region" video feature a few seconds of the Trier embankment and passengers rejoining the Uniworld "River Queen" over a Viking River Cruises landing stage! It appears that the traditional "I have been here first" at Rhine and Danube ports extents to the Moselle (I have mentioned the historical business connection between KD and Viking a few times).

 

 

 

Anyway, what a lovely ship in retro design she is. I would love to sail on her.

 

 

 

For those that have been to the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues in particular here is a nice short video clip to remind you of your trip. For those who have not been, well you might want to consider the Moselle for a land trip or river cruise after this :). Made by Deutsche Welle, the German international broadcasting house:

 

 

 

Enjoy.

 

 

 

notamermaid

 

 

I'm on board the River Queen. We left Trier yesterday afternoon and sailed to Bernkastel on a beautiful sunny day and the Moselle was at its best. We departed Bernkastel late this afternoon and are en route to Koblenz which we will reach late tonight.

 

The River Queen is indeed an elegant ship and in my opinion the most beautiful of those that sail the Rhine and Moselle.

 

Thanks for the clip.

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Thank you Chris,

 

Saw this bumped - want to make sure people know we have a Moselle River Cruise Tips story.

 

lavendereye,

 

I would normally not do this as it is not so interesting in general but here it is, the weather report, perhaps you recognize yourself or a fellow passenger ("oh, look that's Jeff from _ !") :). Press play on the photo, then on the time bar go to 26:28, first is Koblenz, then Trier: http://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=4db4cdf0-802c-11e6-aaed-0026b975e0ea

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

Edited by notamermaid
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Hi Notamermaid have just come across this sight, with regard to your WW1 relative try the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetary list which covers loads of nationalities. I discovered that I had two great uncles (through delving into some family history) who perished in WW1 and through there sight discovered where they where remembered as one was on the Somme and one at Jutland.

Yes the Mosselle is particularly beautiful and more peaceful than some other European rivers. On our cruise we missed the confluence because on our way back we were due there at about 6.00 in the morning which a few of us die hard photographers who had got up to catch the sight realised we had missed it, our captain opologised as he had received a message that the river levels were rising and had to leave the river ASAP. CA

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Thank you Chris,

 

 

 

lavendereye,

 

I would normally not do this as it is not so interesting in general but here it is, the weather report, perhaps you recognize yourself or a fellow passenger ("oh, look that's Jeff from _ !") :). Press play on the photo, then on the time bar go to 26:28, first is Koblenz, then Trier: http://swrmediathek.de/player.htm?show=4db4cdf0-802c-11e6-aaed-0026b975e0ea

 

Have a great cruise.

 

notamermaid

 

Thanks for that video, notamermaid. I was very likely in that photo but of course one couldn't make out individuals at that distance. I think that the River Queen with its retro styling was the most elegant of the many cruise ships I saw on this trip.

 

Our overnight visit to Trier was delightful and the trip that afternoon from Trier to Bernkastel was marked by sunny and warm weather which made for fine viewing of that picturesque stretch of the river. In fact the fine weather continued all the way to Amsterdam where we disembarked on 26 September.

 

For me Trier was one of the highlights of the cruise, partly because of its history and as it was also a city which I had not previously visited.

 

This was my fifth cruise with Uniworld and I continue to be impressed by their high standards in every way.

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Hello Canal archive,

 

Thank you for the tip with the list. It can be so rewarding to find out about relatives and I am sure it was great for you to learn about your great uncles.

 

Such a pity you missed the confluence at Koblenz it is a great place for photo shoots. William Turner loved the view from the Balduin bridge over to Ehrenbreitstein and painted it in lovely vivid colours (well he always did well with colours, didn't he?).

 

I find the Moselle particularly lovely in autumn with all the wine festivals and fairs. The colours will soon change from green to red, yellow and golden shimmer. Not long to go, I hope I can have a drive out in the middle of October when I find them usually at their best. Before the November mists envelop the valley.

 

About those mists: One of my all time favourite photos of the Moselle valley is a shot by a local photographer who captured the castle Reichsburg Cochem in autumn mist and enhanced the scene with a special colour filter. The perfect gothic novel castle, worthy of a mystical home for count Dracula himself!

 

Perhaps in Cochem you can find it in postcard format at a souvenir shop. Beats the standard postcard motifs in my opinion. :)

 

notamermaid

Edited by notamermaid
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Hello lavendereye,

 

welcome back home.

 

Thanks for that video, notamermaid. I was very likely in that photo but of course one couldn't make out individuals at that distance. I think that the River Queen with its retro styling was the most elegant of the many cruise ships I saw on this trip.

 

Our overnight visit to Trier was delightful and the trip that afternoon from Trier to Bernkastel was marked by sunny and warm weather which made for fine viewing of that picturesque stretch of the river. In fact the fine weather continued all the way to Amsterdam where we disembarked on 26 September.

 

For me Trier was one of the highlights of the cruise, partly because of its history and as it was also a city which I had not previously visited.

 

This was my fifth cruise with Uniworld and I continue to be impressed by their high standards in every way.

 

What a coincidence! I had not looked at the thread for a few days and was in the middle of typing when you posted (which I only saw later, of course).

 

Good to hear you enjoyed your cruise so much. Trier really is an interesting city and the bends of the Middle Moselle river create a delightful landscape. I am also pleased to hear that you continue to be impressed by Uniworld. If I could logistically and financially I woul love to give one of their itineraries a try.

 

notamermaid

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  • 2 weeks later...

As a part of a long project the lock at Lehmen is currently undergoing construction work for a second chamber. The increasing trade, i.e. barge traffic, has been slowed down in recent years by the fact that the locks have only one chamber. By 2030 all those locks will have a second chamber. That is the plan, completion depends on - of course - money. The one in Lehmen (between Cochem and Koblenz) will cost 60 million euros and be completed in 2024. It will be right next to the existing chamber.

 

The river traffic will be unaffected by the building works.

 

I hope all those sailing soon can join in some wine festivities and experience lovely autumn colours.

 

notamermaid

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Tricky one, as there is not a comprehensive list, I don't think. This is want I can do right now: 21st to 23rd October in Rüdesheim Federweissenfest (celebrating the young wine), 29th October wine festival in Kröv on the Moselle, a small place between Bernkastel-Kues and Traben-Trarbach.

 

I could not find any in Alsace that are close to the river in October.

 

Will you be given any tours of wine cellars or is a wine sampling event offered? They can be such fun. I have done a couple in German and attended one in English on the Middle Rhine (got an invitation through work) on the vintners premises but not in the cellars themselves. The young vintner did it very well.

 

Perhaps the cruise director will be able to give you some more tips.

 

notamermaid

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Thanks for the wine festival information. We'll be sure to check with the cruise director as well. This sailing is a "Celebration of Wine" cruise so there are several scheduled wine lectures and tastings. I only see one scheduled visit to a wine estate - Weingut Georg Fritz von Nell.

 

When we did the Rhine & Moselle with Vantage, this was a lunch stop--maybe after a morning tour of Trier. It wasn't really a tasting, but a meal with wine. Expect to be serenaded by the head of the winery.

 

FuelScience

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Notamermaid,

 

We will be leaving Saturday for a Rhein and Moselle cruise with Vantage. Will there still be some wine festivals that coincide with our two week cruise?

 

Just a quick comment. On our recent Avalon Cruise (Paris to Amsterdam), we were scheduled to spend an entire Saturday in Bernkastel, arriving early morning, and leaving late in the evening. However, Bernkastel was celebrating its annual wine festival, and we had to do our walking tour and leave town before lunch. Apparently because of the wine festival, the river cruise ships were forced to leave early to make room for other visitors. So having your cruise coincide with a wine festival isn't always a good thing.

 

FuelScience

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Just a quick comment. On our recent Avalon Cruise (Paris to Amsterdam), we were scheduled to spend an entire Saturday in Bernkastel, arriving early morning, and leaving late in the evening. However, Bernkastel was celebrating its annual wine festival, and we had to do our walking tour and leave town before lunch. Apparently because of the wine festival, the river cruise ships were forced to leave early to make room for other visitors. So having your cruise coincide with a wine festival isn't always a good thing.

 

FuelScience

 

Good to know - thanks.

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Just a quick comment. On our recent Avalon Cruise (Paris to Amsterdam), we were scheduled to spend an entire Saturday in Bernkastel, arriving early morning, and leaving late in the evening. However, Bernkastel was celebrating its annual wine festival, and we had to do our walking tour and leave town before lunch. Apparently because of the wine festival, the river cruise ships were forced to leave early to make room for other visitors. So having your cruise coincide with a wine festival isn't always a good thing.

If you really want to do the Wine Festival it should be possible with a little advance planning. Find out where you will be docked that night. Get public transportation schedules. Let the boat know your plans. Have the boat telephone number. I've been on a number of river cruises where people did their own thing.

 

Thom

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  • 2 weeks later...
Just a quick comment. On our recent Avalon Cruise (Paris to Amsterdam), we were scheduled to spend an entire Saturday in Bernkastel, arriving early morning, and leaving late in the evening. However, Bernkastel was celebrating its annual wine festival, and we had to do our walking tour and leave town before lunch. Apparently because of the wine festival, the river cruise ships were forced to leave early to make room for other visitors. So having your cruise coincide with a wine festival isn't always a good thing.

 

FuelScience

 

Thank you for pointing this out. Local river traffic can get in the way of the large river cruises sometimes. On the Rhine the large event Rhine in Flames has a great impact, with restrictions and bans in place, but all river cruise operators know this years in advance and can plan accordingly. Some UK cruise operators even offer special itineraries around the occasion(s).

 

It appears that the season of river cruising on the Moselle - as regards North-American operators - ends earlier than for the European market, a pity really. I find the Moselle also lovely in winter, when the shapes of the hills really stand out, with the vines covered in the frozen dew in the morning.

 

notamermaid

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On the Moselle - as on the Rhine - some vintners leave a small amount of grapes hanging on the vines. They ripen a little, dry, get frost on them and are harvested at freezing temperatures. You will probably have heard of this from your own country. wikipedia has a good site on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine

 

I would not want to stand in the freezing cold - at dawn if weather demands it - on a steep slope cutting vines with sheers :eek:, but I am glad others are willing to do it.

 

Yet, it is still too early for that. First we have the beautiful foliage that we can admire at this time of year. There has not been much storm yet, so just like in my area, I expect there is still a lot of splendid colour on the hills overlooking the valley.

 

If you are heading to Trier perhaps this website might be useful for upcoming events: http://www.trier-info.de/english/index

 

notamermaid

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On the Moselle - as on the Rhine - some vintners leave a small amount of grapes hanging on the vines. They ripen a little, dry, get frost on them and are harvested at freezing temperatures. You will probably have heard of this from your own country. wikipedia has a good site on this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_wine

 

I would not want to stand in the freezing cold - at dawn if weather demands it - on a steep slope cutting vines with sheers :eek:, but I am glad others are willing to do it.

 

notamermaid

 

No need to go that far for me -- trockenbeerenauslese is plenty good!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Yesterday was Volkstrauertag in Germany, it is a quiet day, a day to remember the war dead and the victims of violence. It is the time when an organisation called Volksgräberfürsorge asks for donations to maintain German war cemeteries all over the world.

 

Next Sunday will be Sunday of the Dead. A Christmas market that might have opened before that, will be closed - by law - on that day. On Monday the Christmas market season will start in earnest.

 

Most of you will be travelling on the Rhine and the Danube to see all the lovely markets. I am surprised to read so little online about itineraries on the Moselle in winter. Luxembourg has got a market throughout December, so has Trier. Even the small Bernkastel-Kues has a market that is open not just at the weekends; with a giant Advent calendar as well. A few tour operators in the UK offer trips to the Moselle, but they are land tours.

 

Will anyone of you be on a river cruise that includes the Moselle in November or December?

 

notamermaid

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