The Mosel valley from Trier to Koblenz

The Mosel river with its length of 545km is less than half as long as the Rhine. It has its source in the southern Vosges, from where it winds through the area of Trier in order to reach a branch of the Hunsrück. From there, until it meets the Rhine at Koblenz, it flows through the deeply cut, winding valleys of the Rhenish slate mountains, creating a natural boundary at the north of the Hunsrück.

The Mosel valley is mainly open towards the southwest. It is shielded in the north and east by the Hunsrück and the Eifel, and lies in the rain-shadow of these two low mountain ranges. This special valley climate already enabled the Roman conquerors 2000 years ago to grow and produce excellent wine. A decree of the Roman emperor Probus (278-280 A.D.) allowed large scale growing and production of wine. This was the starting-point for the transition of the Mosel valley to one of the most important wine production areas in Germany. Today the Mosel Riesling is associated with famous names such as Bernkastel, Traben-Trarbach, Zell, Cochem and many more.

The Mosel valley itself however is also the birthplace of Johannes Trithemius and Nikolaus of Kues, two influential humanists and scholars around the transition of the Middle Age to the Renaissance. Their philosophical and scientific work significantly influenced the development of the humanities and natural sciences in Germany.