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Saar & Mosel 8 Day Bike and Barge Tour (Guided)
This bike and barge tour along the Saar and Mosel combines the best of the German ‘Bundesländer’ Saarland and Rheinland Pfalz. While cycling from Mettlach to Cochem you’ll discover the legacy of the Roman Empire, Saarschleife, Castles; go beyond your limits and meet the ‘Queen of grapes’.
Go back in time and visit the Roman villas and public baths along the two rivers. In Trier you can visit the Porta Nigra. This ancient gateway is one of the best known monuments from the Roman era. While cycling through one of Germany’s greater wine-growing areas this is an excellent occasion to taste a lot of different wines and see where they grow and how they are made. Get acquainted with the excellent but uncomplicated wines from the Saar and the so called ‘Spitzenweinen’ along the Mosel like the ‘Zeller Schwarze Katz’. The main ingredient for those wines is the Riesling, a white grape variety which dates back to the 15th century and is crowned the ‘Queen of grapes’.
Distance: 35-50 km average per day. Altitude: 0-100 hm average per day. The lightest cycling holiday; over mostly flat terrain, with not too long daily distances (average 50 km). Short spicy slopes with height differences of up to ± 100 meters occur.
Our motorised passenger vessels, about 35 - 45 metres in length, are former river vessels especially converted for this kind of holiday. The barges all comply with the strict safety regulations laid down by the Dutch Shipping Inspection Authorities. On board you find a cosy dining room, a sun deck/a deck for the bicycles. All cabins are provided with running water (hot and cold), private shower and toilet, 220 voltage and central heating. There is limited storage space in the cabin. We recommend 1 suitcase per person. You can slide the suitcase under the bed. Do not expect a cruise ship with its passive luxury. The Bike & Barge Holidays are for people who really enjoy the physical activity of cycling and who value sociability more than wholesale luxury.
If you would like to rent a Touring bike (115 EUR) or E-Bike (225 EUR), please contact [email protected] when booking
This Tour also operates from Mochem to Mettlach
Slow Tours offers a range of Bike and Barge Tours in Europe
Mettlach 15km
Your tour starts in the beautiful Saarland town of Mettlach, home of Villeroy & Boch and with a lot of shops and terraces. At 4 PM we will make a short trip along the Saar River to a beautiful mooring-place near the Saarschleife (Saar loop).
Saarschleife - Saarburg 35km
After breakfast we bike to the Saar-Canyon. Here we have the opportunity to hike to an outlook site on top of the Saar-Canyon where we have a magnificent panorama over the faraway surroundings. The hike is not steep and takes 1 hour uphill and half an hour downhill. At lunchtime we will arrive back in the town of Mettlach where we will have lunch and can visit the town with its outlet-shops. Of course we won’t forget to visit the biggest attraction of the town: The Villeroy & Boch porcelain museum including a cup of coffee in the beautiful Museum-Café. We will end this day-trip in the very scenic town of Saarburg with its huge waterfall in the middle of town.
Saarburg - Nearby Trier 35km
During today’s tour you switch rivers, leave the Saar behind and follow the Mosel. One thing’s for sure, you’re not the first tourist in the area: it was around the year 365 A.D. that the river inspired the Roman teacher Magnus Ausonius to write his hymn Mosella: ‘Greetings, river, framed by perfumed vineyard-covered hills, Framed by grass river of greenest shores. Your strong waters carry ships, flowing in easy waves. Along the stream, and a glittering lake your depths emulate.’ We can take a detour and cross the border into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In the afternoon we ride on to Trier where you’ll stay for around 3 hours. This city is known for its Roman legacies like the Porta Nigra, the Basilica of Constantine the Great and the amphitheatre. After visiting there is one hour cycling to the mooring-place of the barge.
Nearby Trier - Bernkastel-Kues 50km
Just like yesterday the Romans are still present today. Along the route you’ll find a lot of old Roman villas, public baths and other relics of ancient civilizations. All the historical buildings are placed on the slopes along the winding river. Especially the town of Neumagen-Dhron is interesting for its Roman remains. This used to be a Roman fortress and the place where the famous Romna whineship was found. The end point of today is the medieval town of Bernkastel-Kues with its romantic narrow streets, remarkable half-timbered houses and picturesque nooks and crannies. There’s the opportunity for a wine-tasting-excursion in a winery.
Mosel-Maare Cycling Trail 55km
In the morning the cycle bus takes you to Daun, to the start of the Mosel-Maare cycling trail, possibly the most famous cycling trail of the central Moselle. The track is built on an old railway line. There is no simpler way to cycle to the Moselle valley than on the former railway line through the Volcanic Eifel! The road runs through the landscape of volcanoes and crater lakes, along magnificent viaducts and past old railway stations. Light as a feather, it continues to roll on the Moselle bike path to Bernkastel-Kues.
Bernkastel-Kues - Zell 40km
As if it had imbibed a drink or two, the Mosel makes its way through a green and fascinating landscape with vineyards and forests. Along the way you’ll find some beautiful towns and villages like the so-called ‘Winzerdorf’ Wolf and even further around the next curve you’ll be surprised by the beautiful double city in Jugendstil, Traben Trarbach. Just before Zell you will bike to the “Marienburg” where you will be awarded by a splendid view over the Mosel Meander. The ship waits for you in the city of the black cat, Zell. The story goes that when some wine merchants from Aachen had to choose which wine barrel they should buy a black cat jumped upon one of the barrels to defend it. Of course this made it clear for them which barrel they needed to buy
Zell - Cochem 35km
The day starts with a ride to the almost vertical vineyards of Calmont near Bremm. Here you can take a hike up the slopes and see yet another wonderful bend in the Mosel river. After lunch we ride on to the beautiful village of Beilstein, décor of many movies. After the visit we cycle the last part of the trip along the Mosel to Cochem, the final destination of this cycling week. Cochem is famous for its wines and dominated by the old Reichsburg.
Cochem
End of the tour after breakfast, before 10 AM.
Tours marked with are special prices.
| Start | End | Max. No. Guests | Accommodation | Price p.p. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30 2025 | Sep 06 2025 | 14 | Single rooms | 2,520€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,710€ | |||||
| Sep 13 2025 | Sep 20 2025 | 14 | Single rooms | 2,520€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,710€ | |||||
| Sep 27 2025 | Oct 04 2025 | 14 | Single rooms | 2,310€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,570€ | |||||
| Oct 11 2025 | Oct 18 2025 | 14 | Single rooms | 2,070€ | ||
| Double rooms | 1,410€ |
If you would like to drive yourself before or after your tour, ask us for a quote on any brand new Renault, Peugeot or Citroen vehicle for driving in Europe.
Pick up your vehicle from most capital cities in Europe and return it to your drop off destination. Top insurance cover. Email [email protected] for a competitive quote
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