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THE TOWN OF ZELL AN DER MOSEL


Zell by Karl Bodmer 1841

Zell an der Mosel lies on the banks of the Mosel River in the west of Germany midway between Koblenz and Trier, away from big cities and not that far from France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Netherlands, with excellent access near and far by river, road, rail and low-cost airlines.

Zellerland, the local region, has all the charms of traditional Europe: winemaker villages, castles, abbeys - even a historic spa resort. Plus nature's palette of woods, streams, hills, plateaus and pastures. You can walk, cycle, canoe, cruise, ride buses and trains, take day tours or relax watching the boats go by. Meet locals and visitors alike in the cosy wine bars and cafes.

The Mosel River starts in Eastern France, flows north passing Luxembourg on its left bank, into Germany where it winds its way north-east to the Rhine, with the last 200kms between Trier and Koblenz cutting a deep 'V' through the surrounding higher country: the Hunsruck Plateau on the southern side and the Eifel volcanic hills to the north. Vineyards abound and the tradition of small scale family-owned wineries remains. This is the most scenic part of the river, a popular detour from the Rhine for many river cruise ships. The Mosel River also boasts arguably the world's most popular bicycle path.

History: The Mosel Valley with its rich soil and mild climate gave its early inhabitants a comfortable life, enough so that they could spend much of their time making wine and drinking it. Visitors are a tradition too, as the Mosel provided a natural passageway between France and the Rhine for traders, pilgrims and armies. Trier was an important city in the Roman Empire. Castles and abbeys dot the landscape. In WW1 the Mosel Railway was used to haul monster cannons to the Western Front.

Day Excursions: Going out further in a day, you can choose to visit places such as the Rhine River Gorges, Koblenz, Cologne, Bonn, Limburg, Heidelberg, Mainz, Frankfurt, Trier, Saarburg and Luxembourg. See our page for 'explore near'.

You're right in the heart of Europe.

Zell and Mosel TV documentary on Youtube: The following 10 minute segment is the first of 5, taking in the Mosel from Zell to Koblenz: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hescCsBlw8


More information: To get more ideas and help you find your way around, Zellerland's tourist office (5 mins walk from My Europe Base) has English speaking staff and plenty of information; for example the VRM free local bus/rail/ferry schedule of 300+ pages, which comes with instructions for 48 walks and 6 bike rides taking up another 180 pages!

www.zellerland.de (local region) I www.cochem-zell.de (incl neighbouring areas) I www.mosellandtouristik.de (larger region) I www.bad-bertrich.de (nearby spa resort) I www.flyhahn.com (tourist info for air travellers) I www.vrminfo.de (local rail/bus/ferry schedules)