Visit the Roman villas and public baths
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.
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’.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
End of the tour after breakfast, before 10 AM.
Cycling in the Saar and Mosel region
Our carefully selected routes will lead you along the most beautiful spots of the Saar and Mosel region.
This bike trip is approx. 50% on bike paths and 50% on non-busy roads.
The average daily distance is around 45 kilometers. Most participants prefer riding in a group with the cycling guide, but you can also ride individually. A road book is included (1x per cabin). Gps-tracks can be provided by e-mail.
! Note: in 2025, the tour starts on Saturday !
Boarding time is on Monday between 2 PM and 3 PM. You are expected on our barge the latest at 3 PM. You can recognise the barge by the banner with ‘Cycletours’ written on it. The name of your barge ‘Zwaan’ is printed on the voucher, which you will receive separately. After arrival there’s coffee and tea on board. Other drinks are also available on cash payment. If you want you can bring your luggage in advance: from noon onwards.
The mooring place of the barge in Mettlach is along the Saar river at the level of Mettlach Train Station: Von Boch-Lebigstrasse, Mettlach, Germany (10 minutes walk from the train station).
The nearest airport to the embarkation point of the barge in Mettlach is Frankfurt Airport (FRA). There is a train connection to Mettlach. The train leaves at least every hour and travel time is about 3,5 hours. You need to change trains once or twice. The price for a one-way train ticket (2nd class) from Frankfurt Airport to Mettlach is about € 50,-. For the exact departure times and prices check www.db.de
The nearest train station to the embarkation point of the barge is Mettlach Train Station. Walking distance from the train station to the barge is about 500 meters. A taxi from the train station to the barge takes about 5-10 minutes and costs about € 10,-.
The tour ends one week later on Monday morning after breakfast before 9.30 AM. You will spend the night from Sunday to Monday on board in Cochem.
From the barge in Cochem it is walking distance to the train station (1.5 km/ 1 mile) or you can take a taxi (5 minutes). You can take the train to Frankfurt Airport (FRA). The train leaves twice per hour and it takes about 2 hrs. to travel to the airport. The price for a one-way train ticket (2nd class) is about € 50,-. For the exact departure times and prices check www.db.de
On this tour the following barge is scheduled:
Rental bikes on this tour.
Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedalling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge is all about! In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with the others, and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck. 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.
Free WiFi is (limited) available in lounge and on deck.
The captain/skipper, the chef and your tour guide all welcome you warmly. They are prepared specifically for these trips and will provide good and safe passage, good meals, and a friendly, pleasant atmosphere. They will, of course, also give you a great deal of interesting information during and after the cycling and sailing. The skipper is responsible for the smooth running of things on board; the cook is in charge of the catering. A tour leader accompanies you during the bike ride and can assist in case of breakdowns. He/She will be your guide to point out the things of interest along the way and is multi-lingual (Dutch/English, some speak German and/or French).
Your chef is used to cook delicious meals for hungry cyclists. Besides an extensive breakfast, you will also be offered a packed lunch for on the road. It consists of different types of bread and sandwich fillings, juice, a snack and a piece of fruit. Lunch package needs to be prepared by yourself after breakfast. Dinner is different every day. There is a first course, main course and dessert The meals on board are included in the price, as are coffee and tea. Soft drinks and alcoholic drinks can be obtained at a reasonable charge. When you return on board after the day’s cycling, a cup of tea or coffee with a biscuit will be waiting for you.
If you suffer from food allergies or food intolerance (such as lactose- or gluten- intolerance/-allergy) or if you have special meal requirements (vegetarian; pescetarian; vegan meals; gluten free meals etc.), we ask you to mention this when booking, but no later than 14 days before arrival. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus and special food requirements cannot always be met in all details.
In case of vegan meals, gluten free or lactose diet, there is an additional charge.
One of the most attractive aspects of the Bike & Barge holidays is that you encounter an international company on board, including people from e.g. USA, Canada, Australia, France and United Kingdom. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know various cultures at the same time! We have people of all ages, solo travelers, couples and also families with children (during the school holidays).
Yes, but you must indicate this when booking. Diets which need a special preparation or special ingredients can only be offered in limited form. We will do our best to meet your needs, but we also ask for your understanding as due to limited logistic possibilities on a barge we are not able to prepare complete specialized menus.
On some trips, in case of a gluten-free diet/lactose-free diet/ vegan meals, a surcharge applies. This is stated per tour.
We recommond to wear a bike helmet on all tours. On our own tours (barges Anna Antal; Liza Marleen; Wending; Sailing Home; Zwaan and Clair de Lune) we provide a safety helmet with all our own rental bikes.
In some countries a helmet is mandatory. This is stated on the tour page.
Most of the participants then wear rainwear. When the weather is so bad that cycling becomes really impossible (but that is almost never the case!), you can stay on board or your guide can organize an alternative program with, for example, cultural excursions and city tours (at your own expense).
The main countries represented by our cycling guests are: United States and Canada. We also receive guests from United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. The common language on board is English.
No, the barge doesn’t take the same route as the cyclists do. Sometimes the route may be altered because of weather conditions or repairs to bridges or locks and then the guests and the guide can arrange with the skipper to be met at a different place. Naturally you can always stay on board for one or more days.
