Enjoying the Mosel

We took full advantage of the great weather last weekend by driving down the road to visit a popular little village on the Mosel river: Bernkastel. This village is a well known for it's winegrowing and of course, another castle high upon the hill. The castle, Burg Landshut, was built around 1291 at the same time the village was named "Berrincastel" by King Rudolph of Germany. Ironically, the castle Burg Landshut fell victim to a fire in 1692 and has been a ruin since then (actually, you can order a tasty treat and satisfying beverage at the cafe located inside the former castle....but I'll get to that later).

The views from the shores of the Mosel river are simply amazing. This was our first view after we parked the car and looked up the hill:


Another view from the valley only this time looking at the remains of Burg Landshut sitting high upon the hill.


Walking around Bernkastel is definetely a recommended activity. The village is filled with medieval half-timbered houses and there are plenty of wine shops to sample the local product. Riesling is the customary grape grown in the vineyards around Bernkastel, making the village somewhat of an oasis for white whine lovers.

A common feature on the homes in the village is the hook and pulley fastened to the top of the house. This system allows the residents to move large objects into and out of their homes with relative ease. Actually, given the narrow streets and small staircases in these buildings, I would opt to use the system for the entire move.

In order to hike up to the Burg Landshut, you must walk through the village to reach the trailhead. About half through the village we turned around and notice the spectacular view:

On our way to the Burg Landshut, we unknowingly walked into the famous Spitzhauschen (or pointed house). It is one of the original buildings in Bernkastel and was erected in 1416. To put that into perspective, this building was completed before the birth of Dominic Colombus, the father of Christopher Columbus. Today you can purchase a wine grown from one of the many local vineyards inside.

Just around the corner from the Spitzhauschen is the St. Michaelsbrunnen fountain that was built in 1606.

Another great view of one of the many shopping areas in Bernkastel.

Still not to the trailhead yet, but we did come across this great piece created in 1750, a good 26 years before the US constitution was signed.

The building next to the statue had the following words of wisdom painted high above:

As we started the climb up to the Burg Landshut, we noticed this collection of garages. Pretty neat view.....

The hike up to the Burg Landshut is an effort but it does reward you with very nice views.

Reaching the final destination: the Burg Landshut.

Turn around and this is the view of the Mosel valley with Bernkastel in the background.

And turn to your right......

Remember earlier when I mentioned the tasty treat and satisfying beverage? Well here is the view from the patio of the cafe. It's a great place to spend a few minutes and enjoy the view with your snacks.

You can walk around the ruin and take in the view looking the opposite direction of the Mosel river.

We opted to hike down a trail that led through a vineyard. Here Andrea is surrounded by the world-known Riesling grapes with the Mosel river in the background.

I'm convinced there is no bad view in Bernkastel.

Almost to the valley floor, this is looking out over the Mosel river.

Now that we have visited Bernkastel, we understand why this is both such a popular destination for tourists and favorite hangout for the locals. Great scenery, many trails to walk around the vineyards, and plenty of bicycle paths.....all within 20 minutes from our village. I think it is safe to say that we will be spending some quality time on the Mosel during our stay here in Germany.