There are many castles on the Moselle. Among them are well-known ones such as Eltz Castle or the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress near Koblenz. But there are more that are worth a trip or even a trip. We present the most beautiful of them here.
The most beautiful castles on the Moselle
Along the Mosel there are numerous castles and castle ruins. Some of them are still inhabited today. Others serve as a hotel. Still others are now museums. Finally, there are those of which only ruins remain. However, all of them bear witness to the eventful history of the region along the Moselle. When choosing the castles, it was important to us that they can be visited and that they offer a special experience. This can be a visit, a restaurant with a view. You will not find inhabited castles that cannot be visited here.
Eltz Castle, one of the most famous castles on the Moselle
The most well-known castle on the Moselle is Burg Eltz. Strictly speaking, however, it is in a side valley and not directly on the Moselle. The castle is well preserved and shows the development of architecture from 1150 to 1650. On a guided tour you can imagine life at that time. In the treasury you can admire gold and silver work, porcelain, jewellery, glass, ivory, coins, curios and weapons that have been in the possession of the Counts of Eltz for centuries. Also worth seeing are the knight's hall and the kitchen, which has hardly changed since the 15th century.
What you should know before you visit:
- Enter “Burg Eltz Wierschem” into your navigation system, and you will be taken directly to the castle car park.
- From there there is a shuttle bus to the castle. Or you can walk to the castle
- Opening times: From April 1st to November 1st daily from 9.30 am. Last admission at the castle gate: 17.00 p.m
- There are two castle taverns with self-service. Warm dishes are available from 10.30 a.m. to 16.30 p.m.
Accommodation near Burg Eltz* you can book here.
Arras Castle near Alf on the Moselle
Arras Castle in Alf was one of the castles on the Moselle that was closely associated with the Archbishops of Trier. In the 9th century it served as a defensive position for the Counts Palatine of Lorraine to protect the city of Trier. As an imperial castle, it was given to feudal lords. At first it was the Counts Palatine. Later it was the archbishops of Trier. The castle was destroyed in 1689 during the War of the French Succession. Today it has been rebuilt and houses a hotel, a restaurant and a museum.
What you should know before you visit:
- You can find Arras Castle with the navigation system via this address: "Wittlicher Str. 1, 56859 Alf"
- Museum opening times: early March to late December, Mon –
Fri: 10.00 a.m. to 18.00 p.m., Sat – Sun: 9.00 a.m. to 18.00 p.m - Restaurant opening times: early March to late December, daily from 17.30:0 p.m. A table reservation is required. (Telephone: (65 42 222) 75 0, fax: (65 42 25) 95 XNUMX, email: keuthen@arras.de)
- A room in Hotel Burg Arras* you can book here.
Accommodation near Arras Castle* you can book here.
The Reichsburg in Cochem, one of the most grandiose castles on the Moselle
The Reichsburg towers magnificently over the town of Cochem on the Moselle. It is the largest hilltop castle on the Moselle. It once also belonged to the electors of Trier and was severely damaged in the Palatinate War of Succession. In the 19th century, Louis Ravené, a lover of castles, renovated it in neo-Gothic style. Therefore, today visitors can visit the knight's hall, the dining room, the hunting room and the bower.
What you should know before you visit:
- It is not possible to travel directly to the castle with your own car or motorbike. It is best to park your vehicle in Cochem and drive in the summer from May to the end of October Reichsburg Shuttle to the castle. In winter you should allow between 15 and 30 minutes to walk to the castle, depending on the parking space.
- winter season:
- 26.12.2022 – 08.01.2023
- Castle tour: Daily 10.00 a.m. – 15 p.m. (last tour 15.00 p.m.)
- Burgschänke: Daily 11.00 a.m. – 16.00 p.m
- 09.01.2023 – 10.02.2023
- Castle tours: every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.00 a.m. to 15.00 p.m. (last tour at 15.00 p.m.) (castle tavern closed)
- 11.02.2023 – 10.03.2023
- Castle tours: daily 10.00 a.m. – 15.00 p.m. (last tour 15.00 p.m.)
- Guided English tours at 11.00 am and 2.00 pm
- Netherlands round trip at 15 p.m
- Burgschänke closed.
Accommodation near the Reichsburg Cochem* you can book here.
Thurant Castle in Alken on the Moselle
Thurant Castle in Alken on the Moselle is around 800 years old. The castle owes its two towers to the fact that from 1248 the castle had two owners. The archbishops of Cologne and Trier had conquered it together from the burgraves of Zurn. Since they could not agree on a joint administration, they simply divided the castle into a Cologne and a Trier part. These two halves of the castle were complete with their own castle tower, residential and farm buildings and a separate entrance. In later centuries the castle fell into disrepair until it became privately owned in the 18th century. It was renovated at the beginning of the 20th century. Since then you can visit them. Worth seeing are the chapel, the wine cellar and the dungeon with the torture chamber.
What you should know before you visit:
- Opening hours:
- March 1st to April 30th: from 10am to 17pm
- May 1st to October 9th: from 10am to 18pm
- October 10th to October 31st: from 10am to 17pm
- November 1st to November 15th: from 10am to 16pm
- 16 November to 28 February: closed
Accommodation near Thurant Castle* you can book here.
Landshut castle ruins in Bernkastel-Kues – castles on the Moselle with a restaurant
Even if Landshut Castle on the Moselle is now only a ruin, it is worth a visit, above all because of the great view of the Moselle valley and the vineyards. The exact age of the castle is unknown. Probst Adalberte was first mentioned in 993 as the owner of the castle. Here you can also find out how the Bernkasteler Doctor wine got its name. According to legend, the wine cured Elector Boemund II of an illness that no other herb could cure. The Doctor wine still exists today. The vineyards near Bernkastel are still the most expensive in the world today. After three destructions, the castle only exists as a ruin. However, this is developed and can be visited.
What you should know before you visit:
- The castle ruins are easily accessible by car, on foot or by train daily from April to October Burg-Landshut Express to achieve.
- There is one in Landshut Castle Restaurant with a great view of the Moselle valley and the vineyards. (Opening hours: Thursday to Tuesday 11.00 a.m. to 21.00 p.m., closed on Wednesdays.)
Accommodation in Bernkastel-Kues*
you can book here
Metternich Castle in Beilstein - one of the castles on the Moselle
Metternich Castle can also only be visited as a ruin. The castle dates from between the 12th and 15th centuries. The last owner of the castle was the Austrian Chancellor and later Prince von Metternich. The von Metternichs came into possession of the castle in 1637. However, they were not able to call their castle their own for long, as the French destroyed it in 1689 during the War of the French Succession. After the French Revolution, different owners took over the castle, but did not rebuild it.
What you should know before you visit:
- Opening times: early April to late October daily from 10.00 a.m. to 18.00 p.m. (last admission 17.30 p.m.)
- The panorama terrace Fürst Metternich is worth a visit. From there you have a beautiful view of the Moselle valley and the vineyards of the region. You can enjoy the view with a cup of coffee and cake or with hearty food and Moselle wines.
Accommodation in Beilstein*
you can book here.
There are numerous other castles and castle ruins along the Moselle. However, these cannot be visited because they are used for other purposes. Or they are privately owned and not open for tours. Others don't offer any special experiences beyond a beautiful view. You can find a list of all the castles along the Moselle at Moselle.de.
That has to be in your suitcase, if you are planning a hike on the Moselle
Some of the castles on the Moselle are not only accessible by car or shuttle bus. Some also have hiking trails. For such hiking trails it definitely pays to be well equipped. You need:
- Comfortable shoeswith which you can also walk over uneven terrain. There are beautiful hiking trails that lead through rough terrain.
- A backpackby taking your gear with you for a day. A Picnic with a view of the Moselle you can plan your hike well here.
- In the summer you also need a hat that protects against the sun. The vineyards for hiking are on the sunny side of the valley.
- Did you pack everything for a hike? With our hiking checklist you can easily check that.
Would you rather travel to the castles on the Moselle in a motorhome?
- Do you want to rent a mobile home? Then you will find information and a selection of booking options. Or do you prefer to travel with a roof tent on the car? The overnight stay in camping tents is also possible.
- Also check with our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
- You want to know where you can stay overnight in Germany and are you looking for campsites? You can find information about this under this link. There you can prepare your meal in a Dutch Oven or on the portable grill .
- You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
Travel Arrangements
Parking at the airport
Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.
How to get there
Arrival by plane, bus or train*. There are flights to Frankfurt . From there it is also possible to travel by train. Alternatively, you can travel by rental car.
Rental car
Reserve your rental car here .
Camper Rentals:
Compare motorhome prices here.
Campsites on the Moselle
Find a large selection of Campsites on the Moselle* here. Camping on the Moselle directly on the water you can reserve here.
Do you also know:
- Go on vacation on the Moselle
- Hiking on the Moselle - hikes through the vineyards
- Moselle tour around Alf on the Moselle
- Good food, wine and the Moselle in Luxembourg
- Discover palaces and castles
- Balloon Museum Gersthofen
Source Castles on the Moselle: own research
Text Castles on the Moselle: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline as well as Wikimedia Commons in the public domain.
