Travel report: Star bike tours on the Moselle
From our guest Ina
Ina cycled along the three rivers Moselle and its two tributaries Saar and Sauer on her trip Center Based Cycling Tour Treves. The Hotel Deutscher Hof is located on the edge of the historic city of Tier and is the starting point for great cycle tours. Read about Ina's great experiences and adventures.
Since the 2021 season, the course of the cycle tour has changed, so that other excursions from Trier are described in Ina's travel report.
Show more Show lessTwo countries and three rivers in five fantastic days
Kilometer after kilometer, my red bike rolled along the excellently signposted cycle paths along the three rivers Moselle, Saar, and Sauer. I could see yellow rapeseed fields, green meadows, red blossoming chestnut trees, and countless vines, not to mention the abundance of water and the enchanting villages. "I wonder if this will go well?", I thought at the beginning of the trip, which I embarked on alone at the end of April over the 1st of May.
But the personal documents from Radweg-Reisen that accompanied me during the tour gave me courage. But first things first:
Day 1: Arrival for a sporty, feel-good vacation
After a five-hour drive, I was warmly welcomed at the Hotel Deutscher Hof in Trier, received my rental bike, which seemed to smile at me in extremely good condition and wanted to tell me: "We can do this!". With the city map in hand, I set off on foot in the evening to the nearby Kaisertherme, the cathedral, and the Porta Nigra. These are just a few of the important monuments in Germany's oldest city.
Day 2: The Moselle awaits me
Full of energy, I woke up early and had a hearty breakfast to be prepared for today's stage. The document recommends Bernkastel-Kues as the destination, around 70 kilometers along the Moselle, which seemed unattainable for me in the morning. Fortunately, this tour can also be shortened so that you can hop on the cycle bus or boat at several places and return to Trier. I bravely set off along the Moselle, sticking exactly to the stage description.
As you come across cycle signs everywhere along the way, I quickly relaxed. From now on, it was all about pedaling, enjoying nature and seeing what came next. I took a breather in a café on the banks of the Moselle and in Neumagen-Dhron, the oldest wine village in Germany, where ostrich taverns call the shots and bicycles "dance" on grape presses as decoration. Although I was starting to feel my legs, I decided to persevere as far as Bernkastel-Kues and bravely cycled past the penultimate return option in Piesport. In idyllic Bernkastel-Kues, however, my bike was then recharged and I recovered on a long but panoramic bus ride back to Trier.
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Day 3: The Saar puts me in a good mood
Luckily, my muscles regenerated overnight. Before I set off on the second stage of the day on May 1, I was taken on a two-hour tour of the city by historian and archaeologist Dr. Ackermann. I learned why stones sometimes lie upright, sometimes crosswise, what it is about wall penetrations, and why there are two important churches next to each other here in Trier.
Due to the advanced time, my destination for the day by bike was Mettlach. It's not quite as far away as Merzig, which trained cyclists can certainly manage in an afternoon. For me, however, it was important to get through the day in a relaxed manner, to take my time along the Saar an,d to take home lots of great impressions instead of trying to impress with extra kilometers. A lot was going on on May 1st - both on the Moselle and on the Saar there were groups celebrating everywhere with handcarts, music, sparkling wine, and good humor. I was happy to let myself be infected by this and the route to Mettlach just melted away. There, after crossing the park of the Villeroy and Boch villa, I rode to the train station and took the train back to Trier with my bike.
To celebrate the successful day, I had a delicious four-course meal at the hotel in the evening, which was already included in the price of the trip.
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Day 4: The Sauer ingratiates itself with me
Today I received a packed lunch from the hotel and used it to cycle to the third river on the tour, the Sauer. First, I cycled along the Moselle again, and in Wasserbillig, which is already in Luxembourg, the Moselle and the Sauer flow together. I was curious, crossed the river, and saw that the cycle paths in Luxembourg were just as easy to cycle on. The lovely Sauer then quickly endeared itself to me with a veritable concert given by water birds.
In Echternach, sitting in a street café, I studied the people, who were happy to chat in their three national languages, were in a good mood and made an extremely relaxed impression. Happy and content, I headed back to Trier - again on the Regio-Radler bus. Finally, I put the bike back in the hotel garage and said a wistful goodbye to my reliable, wiry companion.
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Day 5: Summing up and making plans for next time
Today it's time to say goodbye. All that's left for me to do now is think about which trip I'll take next time: will it be the Loire castles or will I choose a bike/boat combination? It doesn't matter. In any case, I was infected by this tour and will certainly go on another bike trip soon and be inspired by every kilometer I cover.
On the way back home, I drew the following conclusion:
Show more Show lessThis tour is great for everyone, regardless of whether you're an athletic traveler or not. As a solo traveler, I felt that I was in good hands at all times, both in the hotel and with the tour description, which got me through the days with confidence. But it's certainly just as much fun with two people or in a group.
