10 Reasons to visit Via Mosel

1. Three countries in three days 

Only on the Moselle can you experience wine architecture in three days in three different countries. Via mosel’ is the only tourism programme that presents the outstanding wine architecture from three different countries. Spend three hours, three days or three weeks in the Schengen border triangle, depending on your mood. The region has everything, from idyllic street villages to hiking tours through the vineyards. Modern architecture, which reflects the innovation in the Moselle wine scene, butts up against historical architecture, partly built on Roman foundations, such as at the Vereinigte Hospitien in Trier with the oldest wine cellar in Germany. Or head to St Martin in Remich in Luxembourg where you can taste crémant in a limestone gallery.

2. Portes Ouvertes Via mosel’ 

The Portes Ouvertes Via mosel’ takes place every year on the first weekend in April and sees wineries with the most beautiful wine architecture along the Moselle open their doors even wider. In addition to tastings and guided tours, you can also visit exhibitions, quizzes and workshops. Relax along the way and enjoy the laissez-faire attitude of the Moselle people with wine, sparkling wine and delicacies such as a regional planchette.

3. Historical architecture with exciting stories  

One historic winegrower’s house from 1822 near Toul, France, stands out in particular: the Domaine Régina. Almost completely dilapidated, a young family bought this building in Bruley in 2000 and began to rebuild it and give it a new lease of life. Modern methods enabled them to cultivate a yeast strain native to their cellar, which they now use to ferment wines such as Gamay in a personalised way. Visit the family for yourself and taste the wines in the oldest vaulted cellar in the area. 

4. Modern architecture 

Modern architecture usually begins on a free patch of earth that contains few limiting factors beyond its intended use and your imagination. Check out the square Bastgen winery or the house without corners in the Regnery winery in Klüsserath, both in Germany. At Schumacher-Knepper in Luxembourg, grandma’s ‘parlour’ has been transformed into a modern wine bar. The classic main house of the Römerkelter in Germany offers sleeping accommodation, while the pleasant garden and sustainable new building provides space for relaxation, entertainment and, of course, the production of organic wine. 

5. Diverse styles  

The diverse architectural ideas of the winegrowers are realised in very different ways. Check out the minimalist but impressive building by René Bentz in Luxembourg. But also buildings by renowned architects such as the winegrower’s cottages by Matteo Thun in the WeinKulturGut Longen-Schlöder in Germany or one of the first buildings by the Mosel star architect Valentiny in his design by Cep d’Or, also in Luxembourg. You can also follow in Valentiny’s footsteps on a walk through the southern Luxembourg wine villages such as Remerschen or Wellenstein and visit the expo of his models in the Valentiny Foundation.

6. Wine tasting in a special ambience 

When tasting wine, the environment you’re in influences your perception – smell, light, humidity and noise all make a difference. The building design, the architecture, the materials used and your level of comfort have a major impact on whether the wine not only tastes good, but even very good. Give yourself some unforgettable holiday moments by enjoying wine in the most beautiful rooms, then take a few bottles home with you, close your eyes and think back to the Moselle with a glass of good wine.

7. Enjoyment all along the river 

Those who enjoy wine like to enjoy it holistically. In addition to the enjoyment of architecture, the culinary delights on the Via mosel’ do not fall by the wayside. On prior request, some wineries can offer a platter or two to accompany the wine, while some wineries offer a wine tavern during certain months of the year, serving simple but delicious regional specialities alongside their own wine. Culinary delights have become an integral part of everyday life in some establishments. For example, you can dine Mosel-style from March to November in the Weinzeit restaurant at Winzerhof Gietzen in Hatzenport in Germany. The new restaurant at the Cantzheim winery in Kanzem in Germany gets really cosy in winter and serves food with ingredients made out of regional products from Germany, Luxembourg and France.

8. Overnight stays 

No need to worry about drinking and driving   a number of wineries offer guest rooms. The Domaine Les Beliers in Ancy-sur-Moselle, in France, is a great example. Situated in the middle of the vineyards, this new building has two guest rooms with panoramic windows overlooking the vineyards. And enough space to stop for the night with a motorhome or campervan if necessary. At the JK Winery in Ahn in Luxembourg, you can also park your campervan next to the sustainable new building on the edge of the village with van enthusiast vintner Jeff Konsbrück and then enjoy the view of the Moselle valley with a glass of ‘CamperWine’. You can enjoy a Mediterranean feeling in the idyllic courtyard at Winzerhof Giwer-Greif (Wasserliesch, Germany) and then fall straight into bed. But many other wineries also offer overnight stays. For example, Weingut Fries (Löff-Kattenes, Germany) offers a B&B in its superbly renovated half-timbered house, while Weingut von Heddesdorff in Winningen on the German Moselle offers holiday flats right next to the castle building.

9. Guides: Let us take you by the hand  

You are welcome to stroll through idyllic Via mosel’ villages, lingering to admire a door or smell a flower. Or you can book a tour with a local guide who can point out the hidden treasures, tell you the story behind them and share their knowledge of the region. The Lorraine and the Schengen border triangle in particular are historically interesting, with borders changing through the centuries, as evidenced by the architecture. 

10. A handy website to plan your trip

Before you come to the Moselle, you can put together your itinerary from the comfort of your own home. Let the photographs, descriptions of the wineries and accommodation tips inspire you to discover your dream route along the Moselle. 

viamosel.com