Moselle and Saar

Route description

The route starts at the Saarschleife viewpoint near Mettlach, where a tree-top walkway rises above a hairpin bend of the river Saar. From here it is a short drive to Trier, Germany’s oldest city, with the Roman Porta Nigra gate, the imperial baths and the basilica of Constantine.

The B53 follows the Moselle downstream through steep vineyards to Bernkastel-Kues, a wine town with a half-timbered market square below the ruins of Landshut castle. The steep slate slopes around the town produce some of the Moselle’s best-known Rieslings.

Further downstream, the Reichsburg Cochem stands on a vineyard hill above a bend in the Moselle, and the riverside town has motorhome parking. From the Moselle a short drive leads to Burg Eltz, a castle owned by the same family for more than 850 years, hidden in a forest valley; from the car park it is a walk or a shuttle bus ride.

The route ends at Koblenz, where the Moselle flows into the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck and a cable car crosses the river to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress. The Moselle is lined with motorhome parking areas, and September and October are busy with wine festivals.