The Moselle rises in the Vosges Mountains of eastern France and flows 512km through Lorraine, Luxembourg and the German Rheinland before joining the Rhine at Koblenz. Well-waymarked, mostly off-road and with virtually no gradients, it is one of the most straightforward long-distance cycle routes in Europe, passing through vineyard-covered valleys, the great cities of Nancy, Metz and Trier, and the dramatic Moselle gorge.

This comprehensive guidebook covers the full route in 14 stages, with optional excursions through the Saar Valley and the Rhine Gorge and an alternative stage via Luxembourg City. Suitable for both newcomers to cycle touring and experienced long-distance cyclists, it can be completed in a week by fit riders or taken at a leisurely pace over two weeks.

• The 14 stages follow the Moselle from Col de Bussang in the Vosges to Koblenz, passing through Nancy, Metz, Thionville, Remich, Trier and Cochem, with the route mostly on riverbank paths and canal towpaths on well-surfaced asphalt cycle tracks
• Alternative stages are provided via Toul and through the Boucles de Moselle, alongside optional excursions to the Saar Valley from Konz and through the Rhine Gorge to St Goar from Koblenz, allowing riders to extend the trip or explore the wider region
• Alternative stages are provided via Toul and through the Boucles de Moselle, alongside optional excursions to the Saar Valley from Konz and through the Rhine Gorge to St Goar from Koblenz, allowing riders to extend the trip or explore the wider region
• Stage descriptions are supported by mapping and practical information throughout, with accommodation and refreshment listings for every stage and GPX files available to download
• A comprehensive introduction covers background, the natural environment, preparation, getting there and back, navigation, accommodation, food and drink, and what to take, alongside appendices covering a route summary table, language glossary, useful contacts, tourist offices and youth hostels

Straightforward, well-waymarked and rich in scenery and history, the Moselle Cycle Route is an ideal introduction to European river cycling. This is the complete guide to riding it from the Vosges to the Rhine.

The Moselle Cycle Route - Quick Facts

Route: Moselle Cycle Route  
Start: Col de Bussang, Vosges Mountains, France  
Finish: Koblenz, Germany (confluence of Moselle and Rhine)  
Total distance: 512km  
Countries: France, Luxembourg, Germany  
Stages: 14, plus 2 optional excursions and alternative stages  
Key centres: Remiremont, Épinal, Nancy, Pont-à-Mousson, Metz, Thionville, Remich, Luxembourg City (alternative), Trier, Bernkastel-Kues, Cochem, Koblenz  
Optional excursions: Saar Valley from Konz; Rhine Gorge from Koblenz to St Goar  
Difficulty: Straightforward; mostly off-road on well-surfaced asphalt cycle tracks with virtually no gradients; suitable for all levels and all bike types  
Recommended duration: 1 week for fit cyclists (two stages per day); 2 weeks for a leisurely pace with time for sightseeing  
Digital navigation: GPX files available to download  
Practical information: Accommodation and refreshment listings; route summary table; language glossary; useful contacts; tourist offices; youth hostels  
Best season: April to October; possible year-round

Author Highlight

“The Moselle offers variety: from the delights of French cuisine to the pleasures of German Riesling; from rolling foothills and wide valleys in Lorraine to the narrow meandering gorge in Rheinland-Pfalz; from great historic cities like Nancy, Metz and Trier to pretty villages on the Boucles de la Moselle and spread out along the gorge; from Roman fortifications to 20th-century defence lines; and from two of Europe’s largest countries to Luxembourg, one of its smallest.”

- Mike Wells, author of The Moselle Cycle Route

Map key
Overview map

Introduction

Background
The route
Natural environment
Preparation
Getting there and back
Navigation
Accommodation
Food and drink
Amenities and services
What to take
Safety and emergencies
About this guide

Stage 1    Col de Bussang to Remiremont
Stage 2    Remiremont to Épinal
Stage 3    Épinal to Charmes
Stage 4    Charmes to Nancy
Stage 4A    Charmes to Toul
Stage 5    Nancy to Pont-à-Mousson
Stage 5A    Toul to Pont-à-Mousson
Stage 6    Pont-à-Mousson to Metz
Stage 7    Metz to Thionville
Stage 8    Thionville to Remich
Stage 9    Remich to Trier
Stage 9A    Remich to Trier via Luxembourg City
Excursion 1    Konz to Merzig: the Saar Valley
Stage 10    Trier to Leiwen
Stage 11    Leiwen to Bernkastel-Kues
Stage 12    Bernkastel-Kues to Zell
Stage 13    Zell to Cochem
Stage 14    Cochem to Koblenz
Excursion 2    Koblenz to St Goar: the Rhine Gorge

Appendix A    Route summary table
Appendix B    Language glossary
Appendix C    Useful contacts
Appendix D    Principal tourist offices
Appendix E    Youth hostels
 

Seasons

route can be cycled at any time of year, but best between April and October

Centres

route from Col de Bussang to Koblenz, passing through Nancy, Metz and Trier, with extra excursions from Konz and Koblenz

Difficulty

a straightforward cycle ride, mostly off-road on well-surfaced (mainly asphalt) cycle tracks with little ascent; suitable for all levels of cyclist, on all types of bike, although racing cyclists may wish to use the alternative routes described in the guide to avoid a few short sections of gravel.

Must See

the Vosges Mountains; Lorraine; Luxembourg; the German Rheinland; the great cities of Nancy and Metz; the spectacular Mosel gorge; the Hunsrück and Eiffel Mountains.

There is no specific series of maps that provides comprehensive coverage of the whole route. For France, sheet 516 of the Michelin map Alsace, Lorraine (at a scale of 1:200,000) or sheets 314 and 307 (at a scale of 1:150,000) give an overview of the route across Lorraine without specifically showing cycle routes. As the route is under development, things change frequently and the best way to ascertain the up-to-date position is via the Lorraine tourist office, which publishes a map showing sections open, those under construction and those planned (http://lorraine.voie.verte.free.fr).

For the latter stages between Metz and Koblenz, Esterbauer Bikeline publish a cycling guide (see below), which includes strip maps of the route along both sides of the river at 1:75,000. The stretch from Schengen, on the Franco–Luxembourg–German border, to Koblenz, is also covered by a laminated folding strip map of the Mosel-Radweg (sheet 198), published by Publicpress publications (www.publicpress.de). They publish a similar map for the Saar-Radweg (sheet 617). Although these are at 1:50,000, they contain less detail and are less accurate than Bikeline guides.

Various online maps are available to download, at a scale of your choice. Particularly useful is Open Street Map (www.openstreetmap.org) which has a cycle route option showing the route in its entirety, including the planned but not yet constructed stages. This can be a little misleading, as when a track is built it does not always take the exact route originally proposed, and moreover it leaves you to make your own choice of alternative road routes to bypass missing sections.
 

November 2022

Travelling with a cycle on Eurostar

December 2020

Author updates

October 2020

Doing the route on a tandem

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