Roman Ruins of the Moselle River

You will arrive in Metz, once a key Roman settlement known as Divodurum. Remnants of ancient thermae and aqueducts still linger, echoed in the collections of the Musée de La Cour d'Or museum. As you explore the old town, the soaring Saint-Étienne Cathedral, and the Moselle’s tranquil banks will offer a striking contrast between past and present.

The Moselle’s winding path will guide you past Thionville, once protected by a Roman castrum securing trade routes. In Schengen, where Europe’s open borders were signed into history in 1985, three nations meet along the river. Crossing into Luxembourg, vineyards first planted by Roman settlers will stretch toward Remich, where the remains of a lavish Roman villa hint at a prosperous estate.

Leaving Remich, you will follow the Moselle past vineyards first planted by the Romans. You’ll pass important Roman road junctions like the one at Konz, where the Saar meets the Moselle. Arriving in Trier, Germany’s oldest city, the massive Porta Nigra will rise before you – its darkened sandstone blocks once believed by medieval monks to be held together by magic, as no mortar was visible. The vast Imperial Baths and the Aula Palatina, Constantine’s throne hall, will immerse you in the grandeur of an empire that once ruled this land.

Departing from Germany’s oldest city, you will pass Schweich, a former Roman supply hub, and Neumagen-Dhron, where a replica of a Roman wine ship recalls the Moselle’s trading past. In Bernkastel-Kues, half-timbered houses surround the medieval market square, while the Doctor Vineyard rises above – a steep hillside famed for wine once believed to cure a 14th-century archbishop. Overlooking it all, the ruins of Landshut Castle offer sweeping views of a valley shaped by Romans, knights, and vintners.

Following the river, you will reach Traben-Trarbach, where grand Art Nouveau villas conceal vast wine cellars carved from Roman foundations. In Zell, the famed Zeller Schwarze Katz vineyard recalls a time when merchants fought over its prized barrels. The journey ends in Cochem, where Reichsburg Castle, once a Roman fort, and later rebuilt after its 17th-century destruction, rises above the Moselle, offering a stunning vista of the surrounding hills.

The Moselle will guide you past Treis-Karden, where a grand Romanesque church rises over the remnants of an ancient Roman settlement. In Löf and Kobern-Gondorf, castle ruins and terraced vineyards unfold along the slopes, revealing a past shaped by conquest and wine. Reaching Koblenz, you will arrive at Deutsches Eck – the "German Corner" – where the Moselle meets the Rhine beneath a towering monument to German unity, standing at the crossroads of history and two mighty rivers.

Before your journey ends, Koblenz will offer a final glimpse into its storied past. The mighty Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, once a Roman military site and later a Prussian stronghold, will tower above the Rhine, offering fantastic views of the river’s confluence. A stroll through the Old Town will reveal hidden courtyards and centuries-old squares, where half-timbered houses stand beside grand Baroque facades. As you bid farewell, the Moselle and Rhine will merge behind you, their waters carrying echoes of emperors, merchants, and travelers who came before.