The Mosel River and Valley is a peaceful place that we enjoyed, and liked it better than the Rhine Valley. We stayed in the tiny hamlet of Beilstein, between Cochem and Eltz Castle, in a hotel overlooking the Mosel River. Our comfortable room had a large balcony where we were able to enjoy watching the river, ferry, outdoor cafes, tourists, and boats on the river. Plus, the sun shines on us as it sets in the west over the mountain. Grapevines are everywhere on the steep hillsides with vineyards planted on up to 55 degree slopes!
While driving to Beilstein, on Tuesday, we visited the Eltz Castle, a spectacular castle initially built in the ninth century, it is also travel guru Rick Steves’ favorite castle in Germany. It is still owned by the same family, now in the 33rd generation. This castle could have been a model for Disney. Our tour took us through a dozen rooms, and we only saw a small piece of it, as people still live here. The castle’s treasurery, full of exquisite historic items, is owned by the family, and includes gold in coins, china, necklaces, as well as suits of armor, weapons, and guns from past centuries.
On Wednesday, in Beilstein we rented bicycles from a small garage up the street from our B&B. We gave the bike store owner a 10 euro note for the use of two bicycles all day, with no papers to sign or signature needed. He only asked what hotel we were staying at, smiled, and then we rode away on two great multi-speed bikes.
We rode 30 miles up and down the Mosel river on both sides. Bike paths like the ones here are seldom provided in the USA – well-paved, mostly free from car traffic, and shared with pedestrians. Even many of the bridges in Germany provide bike lanes. And it was good to use our bike legs again after our 8-day bike trip in Netherlands.
The hamlet of Beilstein is magical. Busy during the tourist hours of 9-5 pm, but then it is quiet and enjoyed by those of us who are staying in one of the many hotels. Our hotel had a great chef, and his talent shined for both breakfast and dinner.
All in all, Beilstein was a great place to visit in Germany. The river traffic is a fraction of that on the Rhine, there are no railroad trains on the river whistling past every five minutes, the bicycling is better, and the relaxed mood is supreme.
