Last week we went cycling with friends in Germany. This was our first cycling holiday with the dog and our daughter, so we decided to ease into it and booked hotels along the way rather than camp. We had a great time on the Mosel Radweg, and we’re already looking at options to go bikepacking next year.
Intro
The Mosel Radweg follows the Mosel river from Perl to Koblenz. Over our four days of cycling we rode the Trier to Koblenz section, roughly 200km. We gave ourselves some extra time in both Trier and Koblenz to look around, and used the day before we started to leave our cars in Koblenz, so we would finish the trip right where the cars were parked.
Day 1: Trier to Wintrich (+- 60k)
The first day always takes some getting used to. Our hotel was a little off route, so we had a few kilometres to cover before joining the Radweg, and that is where we had our first and only mechanical of the trip: a dropped chain. Getting out of Trier took us across an industrial estate, which was not the prettiest start, but it was short and the route soon improved.
After about an hour we stopped for a coffee break in Schweich, which set the pattern for the rest of the week. We carried on with nice views over the vineyards and stopped for lunch in Neumagen-Dhron. The last stretch brought some rain, so we pulled on our rain gear and rode the final part into Wintrich, where we stayed at a B&B on a vineyard. There were no restaurants in the village, so we ordered in from a “local” Mexican/kebab place.
Day 2: Wintrich to Briedel (+- 50k)
After a good breakfast in Wintrich we set off, and the route was even nicer than day 1. We stopped for coffee in Ürzigermühle and then continued to Traben-Trarbach to raid the local Lidl, which was unfortunately at the top of a steep hill. After grinding our way up and stocking up on food for the evening, the plan was a late lunch on the way and a simple home-cooked dinner in Briedel. We could not find anywhere suitable for lunch in the next few towns, so we arrived in Briedel too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Oopsie ;).
We let ourselves into the apartment, settled on an early dinner anyway, and used the food from Traben-Trarbach as snacks for the rest of the evening.
Day 3: Briedel to Treis-Karden (+- 50k)
With some snacks left over from the night before and fresh bread from the local bakery, we put together a good breakfast and got on the road. Learning from day 2, we had a firmer plan for lunch. A quick coffee and Apfelstrudel in Eller kept us going until Cochem, a pretty town that lived up to its reputation. It also meant a lot more people, and leaving the bikes at the edge of town, which felt a little risky.
After a nice lunch we continued on to Treis-Karden.
On arrival we discovered the restaurant at the B&B was closed on Thursdays, which was a bummer. The only realistic option in town was right across the street. On the plus side, we finally got to taste some wine there (it was not great).
Day 4: Treis-Karden to Koblenz (Güls) (+- 35k)
We knew we had a short day ahead, so we took it easy over breakfast. We also still had not tasted any great wine, which was one of the reasons we wanted to ride the Mosel in the first place, so today we were on a mission. We rode the first few kilometres and stopped for coffee in a beautiful spot behind a supermarket ;). From there we carried on towards Koblenz. I needed some time to myself and rode a bit faster than I had all week, which did not go over well with Ante (sorry!), so once we found each other again I stayed with the group. We rode on to Winningen, known for its wine, and had lunch on a square. Even Wulf got some water from Lea.
A local pointed us to a wine tasting, so we finally got to try some proper local wines. They were the clean, fresh style we really like, so we bought a few bottles to bring home. Wulf was not keen on sharing his chariot with them.
After the tasting it was a short ride to our last hotel in Güls.
Day 5: Güls to Deutsches Eck
A short spin along the last few kilometres to Deutsches Eck to properly finish the ride.
Stats
Total distance ridden: around 200km.
GPX we used: https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/tour/75911296
We spent 4 days on the bike and 5 days off it, either travelling or spending time in Trier and Koblenz.