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The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
. A small part of Belgium is in its basin as it includes the
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
and the
Our Our or OUR may refer to: * The possessive form of "we" * Our (river), in Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany * Our, Belgium, a village in Belgium * Our, Jura, a commune in France * Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR), a Politics of Jamaica#Regulator ...
. Its lower course "twists and turns its way between Trier and Koblenz along one of Germany's most beautiful river valleys."''Moselle: Holidays in one of Germany's most beautiful river valleys''
at www.romantic-germany.info. Retrieved 23 Jan 2016.
In this section the land to the north is the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
which stretches into Belgium; to the south lies the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
. The river flows through a region that was cultivated by the Romans. Today, its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where "some of the best Rieslings grow". Many castle ruins sit on the hilltops above wine villages and towns along the slopes. Traben-Trarbach with its
art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
architecture and Bernkastel-Kues with its traditional market square are two of the many tourist attractions on the Moselle river.


Name

The name Moselle is derived from the
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
name form, ''Mosela'', via the Latin ''Mosella'', a diminutive form of ''Mosa'', the Latin description of the Meuse, which used to flow parallel to the Moselle. So the ''Mosella'' was the "Little Meuse". The Moselle is first recorded by Tacitus in Book 13 of his '' Annals'' and in Book 4 of his ''
Histories Histories or, in Latin, Historiae may refer to: * the plural of history * ''Histories'' (Herodotus), by Herodotus * ''The Histories'', by Timaeus * ''The Histories'' (Polybius), by Polybius * ''Histories'' by Gaius Sallustius Crispus (Sallust), ...
''. The Roman poet Ausonius made it a literary theme as early as the 4th century. In his poem dated 371, called '' Mosella'', which was published in 483 hexameters, this poet of the Late Antiquity and teacher at the Trier Imperial Court (''Kaiserhof'') described a journey from Bingen over the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
hills to the Moselle and then following its course to Trier on the road named after him, the
Via Ausonius Via or VIA may refer to the following: Science and technology * MOS Technology 6522, Versatile Interface Adapter * ''Via'' (moth), a genus of moths in the family Noctuidae * Via (electronics), a through-connection * VIA Technologies, a Taiwan ...
. Ausonius describes flourishing and rich landscapes along the river and in the valley of the Moselle, thanks to the policies of their Roman rulers. The river subsequently gave its name to two French republican départements:
Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...
and Meurthe-et-Moselle.


Geography

The source of the Moselle is at above sea level on the Col de Bussang on the western slopes of the
Ballon d'Alsace The Ballon d'Alsace german: Elsässer Belchen (el. 1247 m.), sometimes also called the Alsatian Belchen to distinguish it from other mountains named " Belchen" is a mountain at the border of Alsace, Lorraine, and Franche-Comté. From its top, vi ...
in the Vosges. After it discharges into the Rhine at the Deutsches Eck in
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
at a height of above NHN sea level. The length of the river in France is , for it forms the border between Germany and Luxembourg, and is solely within Germany. The Moselle flows through the Lorraine region, west of the Vosges. Further downstream, in Germany, the Moselle valley forms the division between the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
and
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
mountain regions. The average flow rate of the Moselle at its mouth is ,Hydrologischer Atlas der Schweiz 2002, Tab. 5.4 ''Natürliche Abflüsse 1961-1980'' (natural discharges)
see map
)
making it the second largest tributary of the Rhine by volume after the Aare () and bigger than the Main and
Neckar The Neckar () is a river in Germany, mainly flowing through the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, with a short section through Hesse. The Neckar is a major right tributary of the Rhine. Rising in the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis near Schwenn ...
.


River sections

The section of the Moselle from the France– Germany– Luxembourg tripoint near
Schengen The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
to its confluence with the
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
near Konz shortly before Trier is in Germany known (geographically incorrectly) as the
Upper Moselle The Upper Moselle (german: Obermosel) is the section of the River Moselle, 45 kilometres long, that runs from the Franco-German-Luxembourg tripoint near Perl to its confluence with the Saar near Konz shortly before Trier. From the tripoint to its ...
. The section from Trier to
Pünderich Pünderich is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Zell, whose sea ...
is the
Middle Moselle The Middle Moselle or Central Moselle (german: Mittelmosel) refers to the approximately 120-kilometre-long section of the river Moselle, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany from the city of Trier to Zell. The subsequent section of t ...
, the section between Pünderich and its mouth in Koblenz as the
Lower Moselle The Lower Moselle (german: Untermosel or ''Terrassenmosel'') is the name given to the lower reaches of the Moselle river - just under 100 kilometres long - in Germany between Pünderich and the Moselle's confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz. ...
or Terraced Moselle (''Terrassenmosel''). Characteristic of the Middle and Lower Moselle are its wide meanders cut deeply into the highlands of the
Rhenish Massif The Rhenish Massif, Rhine Massif or Rhenish Uplands (german: Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, : 'Rhenish Slate Uplands') is a geologic massif in western Germany, eastern Belgium, Luxembourg and northeastern France. It is drained centrally, south to n ...
, the most striking of which is the ''Cochemer Krampen'' between
Bremm Bremm is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to ...
and Cochem. Also typical are its vineyard terraces. From the tripoint the Moselle marks the entire Saarland–Luxembourg border.


Catchment

The catchment area of the Moselle is in area. The French part covers , about 54 percent of the entire catchment. The German state of Rhineland-Palatinate has , the Saarland , Luxembourg , Wallonia in Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia, .


Tributaries

The three largest tributaries of the Moselle are, in alphabetical order, the Meurthe, the
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
and the
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
. The Meurthe was the old upper course of the Moselle, until the latter captured the former upper reaches of the Meuse and took it over. However, the Meuse only delivered a little more water than the Meurthe at its confluence. The Saar is the biggest of all the tributaries () as well as the longest (). The Sauer is the largest left-hand tributary and drains the region on either side of the German-Luxembourg border. The largest tributary relative to the Moselle at its confluence is the Moselotte, which is about 40% greater by volumetric flow and thus represents the main branch of the Moselle system. At its mouth, the Moselle delivers of water into the Rhine after flowing for . TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:xxxx ImageSize = width:500 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 top:10 bottom:40 AlignBars = justify Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas Period = from:0 till:250 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:30 start:0 gridcolor:blue BarData= barset:Riverlength PlotData= width:18 fontsize:M textcolor:black color:skyblue shift:(20,-6) anchor:from barset:Riverlength from:start till:end width:20 color:drabgreen Text:The_10_longest_tributaries fontsize:10 from:start till:end width:20 color:canvas from:start till:227 text:
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
(227 km) from:start till:173 text:
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
(173 km) from:start till:161 text: Meurthe (161 km) from:start till:142 text:
Kyll The Kyll (), noted by the Roman poet Ausonius as ''Celbis'',Ausonius, ''Mosella'', v. 359 is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel mountains, near the b ...
(142 km) from:start till:138 text: Seille (138 km) from:start till:97 text: Madon (97 km) from:start till:86 text: Orne (86 km) from:start till:74 text: Lieser (74 km) from:start till:63 text: Salm (63 km) from:start till:59 text:
Elzbach The Elzbach (also: ''Elz'') is a small river in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, a left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel, near Kelberg. The Elz flows through Monreal and past Eltz Castle. It flows into the Moselle in Moselkern, in ...
(59 km) TextData= fontsize:M pos:(10,20) text:km
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:xxxx ImageSize = width:500 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 top:10 bottom:40 AlignBars = justify Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas Period = from:0 till:80 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:10 start:0 gridcolor:blue BarData= barset:Riverlength PlotData= width:18 fontsize:M textcolor:black color:skyblue shift:(20,-6) anchor:from barset:Riverlength from:start till:end width:20 color:drabgreen Text:The_10_largest_tributaries_by_volume fontsize:10 from:start till:end width:20 color:canvas from:start till:78.2 text:
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
(78.2 m³/s) from:start till:53.8 text:
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
(53.8 m³/s) from:start till:41.1 text: Meurthe (41.1 m³/s) from:start till:13.7 text: Moselotte (13.7 m³/s) from:start till:12.4 text: Orne (12.4 m³/s) from:start till:11.1 text: Madon (11.1 m³/s) from:start till:10.5 text: Seille (10.5 m³/s) from:start till:10.2 text:
Kyll The Kyll (), noted by the Roman poet Ausonius as ''Celbis'',Ausonius, ''Mosella'', v. 359 is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel mountains, near the b ...
(10.2 m³/s) from:start till:9.7 text: Vologne (9.7 m³/s) from:start till:4.5 text: Alf (4.5 m³/s) TextData= fontsize:M pos:(10,20) text:m³/s
TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:xxxx ImageSize = width:500 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:10 right:10 top:10 bottom:40 AlignBars = justify Colors = id:canvas value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97) BackgroundColors = canvas:canvas Period = from:0 till:7500 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:1000 start:0 gridcolor:blue BarData= barset:Riverlength PlotData= width:18 fontsize:M textcolor:black color:skyblue shift:(20,-6) anchor:from barset:Riverlength from:start till:end width:20 color:drabgreen Text:The_10_largest_catchments_of_the_tributaries fontsize:10 from:start till:end width:20 color:canvas from:start till:7431 text:
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
(7,431 km²) from:start till:4259 text:
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
(4,259 km²) from:start till:3085 text: Meurthe (3,085 km²) from:start till:1348 text: Seille (1,348 km²) from:start till:1268 text: Orne (1,268 km²) from:start till:1032 text: Madon (1,032 km²) from:start till:843 text:
Kyll The Kyll (), noted by the Roman poet Ausonius as ''Celbis'',Ausonius, ''Mosella'', v. 359 is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel mountains, near the b ...
(843 km²) from:start till:402 text: Lieser (402 km²) from:start till:385 text:
Rupt de Mad The Rupt de Mad () is a long river in the Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle'' départements'', northeastern France. Its source is several small streams which rise at Geville, northwest of Toul. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of ...
(385 km²) from:start till:369 text: Vologne (369 km²) TextData= fontsize:M pos:(10,20) text:km²


List of tributaries

;From the left: Madon, Terrouin, Esch,
Rupt de Mad The Rupt de Mad () is a long river in the Meuse and Meurthe-et-Moselle'' départements'', northeastern France. Its source is several small streams which rise at Geville, northwest of Toul. It flows generally northeast. It is a left tributary of ...
, Orne,
Fensch The Fensch or Fentsch is a river in the Moselle department of the Grand Est region of France. It is a left tributary of the Moselle, and thus a sub-tributary of the Rhine. Geography The Fensch is long. It rises in Fontoy in the west of the M ...
, Gander, Syre,
Sauer The Sauer (German and Luxembourgish, , ) or Sûre ( French, ) is a river in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. A left tributary of the Moselle, its total length is . Rising near Vaux-sur-Sûre in the Ardennes in southeastern Belgium, the Sauer f ...
,
Kyll The Kyll (), noted by the Roman poet Ausonius as ''Celbis'',Ausonius, ''Mosella'', v. 359 is a river in western Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate), left tributary of the Moselle. It rises in the Eifel mountains, near the b ...
, Salm, Lieser, Alf, Endert, Brohlbach, Elz. ;From the right: Moselotte, Vologne, Meurthe, Seille,
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
, Olewiger Bach, Avelsbach,
Ruwer The Ruwer is a river in Germany with a length of . It is a right tributary of the Moselle. The valley of the Ruwer is a part of the Moselle wine-growing region near Trier in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is famous for its Riesling wines ...
, Feller Bach, Dhron, Ahringsbach,
Kautenbach Kautenbach ( lb, Kautebaach) is a village in the commune of Kiischpelt, in northern Luxembourg. In 2005, the village had a population of 120. Kautenbach was a commune in the canton of Wiltz Wiltz ( lb, Wolz or (locally) ) is a commune ...
, Lützbach, Flaumbach, Altlayer Bach, Baybach, Ehrbach.


Towns

Towns along the Moselle are: * in France: Épinal, Toul, Pont-à-Mousson, Metz and Thionville * in Luxembourg:
Schengen The Schengen Area ( , ) is an area comprising 27 European countries that have officially abolished all passport and all other types of border control at their mutual borders. Being an element within the wider area of freedom, security and j ...
, Remich, Grevenmacher and
Wasserbillig Wasserbillig ( lb, Waasserbëlleg ) is a town in the Communes of Luxembourg, commune of Mertert, in eastern Luxembourg. , Wasserbillig has 2,186 inhabitants, which makes it the largest town in Mertert. Wasserbillig is the administrative seat of ...
* in Germany: Konz, Trier, Schweich, Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach, Zell, Cochem and
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...


Adjacent mountain ranges

From Trier downstream the Moselle separates the two
Central Upland The Central UplandsDickinson (1964), p.18 ff. (german: die MittelgebirgeN.B. In German die ''Mittelgebirge'' (plural) refers to the Central Uplands; das ''Mittelgebirge'' refers to a low mountain range or upland region (''Mittel'' = "medium" and ...
ranges of the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
(to the northwest) and the
Hunsrück The Hunsrück () is a long, triangular, pronounced upland in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is bounded by the valleys of the Moselle-Saar (north-to-west), the Nahe (south), and the Rhine (east). It is continued by the Taunus mountains, past ...
(to the southeast).


Geology

The Vosges, the present source region of the Moselle, were formed about 50 million years ago. In the Miocene and Pliocene epochs the ancient Moselle (''Urmosel'') was already a tributary of the ancient Rhine (''Ur-Rhein''). When, in the
Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
period, the
Rhenish Massif The Rhenish Massif, Rhine Massif or Rhenish Uplands (german: Rheinisches Schiefergebirge, : 'Rhenish Slate Uplands') is a geologic massif in western Germany, eastern Belgium, Luxembourg and northeastern France. It is drained centrally, south to n ...
slowly rose, the meanders of the Moselle were formed between the Trier Valley and the Neuwied Basin.


Water levels

The
highest navigable water level The reference water levels are used on inland waterways to define a range of water levels allowing the full use of the waterway for navigation. Ship passage can be limited by the water levels that are too low, when the Fairway (navigation), fairway ...
(HSW) is and normal level (NSt) is at the Trier Gauge (''Pegel Trier''). High water: * , Trier Gauge on 21 December 1993 * , Trier Gauge on 28 May 1983 * , Trier Gauge on 23 January 1995 * , Trier Gauge on 12 April 1983 * , Trier Gauge on 27 February 1997 Low water: * in Bernkastel on 28 July 1921


History

The Moselle was known to the Romans by the name of ''Flumen Musalla'' (in the '' Tabula Peutingeriana''), and the river was romanticised by the poet Ausonius around 371. From 1815, the Moselle formed the border between the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and Prussia (
German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
in 1871). In the act of 10 April 1952 ratifying the treaty instituted by the ECSC, Article 2 charged the
French Government The Government of France ( French: ''Gouvernement français''), officially the Government of the French Republic (''Gouvernement de la République française'' ), exercises executive power in France. It is composed of the Prime Minister, who ...
"to initiate, before the establishment of the Common Market, negotiations with the governments concerned in order to achieve a rapid implementation of the canalisation of the Moselle between Thionville and
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
. The River was canalised between Metz and Thionville, via a canal opened in 1964 by the Grand Duchess,
Charlotte of Luxembourg Charlotte (Charlotte Adelgonde Elisabeth Marie Wilhelmine; 23 January 1896 – 9 July 1985) reigned as List of monarchs of Luxembourg, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg from 14 January 1919 until her abdication on 12 November 1964. She acceded to th ...
, the Federal Chancellor of Germany, Konrad Adenauer and their host,
Charles de Gaulle Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle (; ; (commonly abbreviated as CDG) 22 November 18909 November 1970) was a French army officer and statesman who led Free France against Nazi Germany in World War II and chaired the Provisional Government ...
, President of France. It is on the Moselle, at the site of the France–Germany–Luxembourg tripoint, that the Schengen Agreement was signed in 1992, establishing the free movement of goods and people in the European Community.


Economy

The Moselle valley between Metz and Thionville is an industrial area, with coal mining and
steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...
manufacturers. The Moselle valley is famous for its scenery and wine. Most well-known is the German
Mosel wine region Mosel () is one of 13 German wine regions (''Weinbaugebiete'') for quality wines (''Qualitätswein'', formerly ''QbA'' and ''Prädikatswein''), and takes its name from the Mosel River (french: Moselle; Luxembourgish: ''Musel''). Before 1 August 2 ...
, while the Luxembourg
winegrowing Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...
region is called ''Moselle Luxembourgeoise'' and the French region is called '' AOC Moselle''. Most notable among the wines produced here are Riesling, Elbling,
Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine R ...
, Kerner, and Auxerrois. The German part of the Moselle is a tourist destination.


Navigation

After the Second World War, France pressed to be able to ply the Moselle with larger ships in order to be able to link the industrial regions of Lorraine. When, in 1955, the population on the Saar voted to belong to West Germany, France demanded as "compensation" an upgrade of the Moselle. On 27 October 1956 they concluded the Moselle Treaty with Germany and Luxembourg for a canalisation of the Moselle and conceded to Germany in return the extension of the
Grand Canal d'Alsace The Grand Canal of Alsace (, ) is a canal in eastern France, channeling the Upper Rhine river. It is 50 kilometers (about 30 miles) long between Kembs and Vogelgrun, and provides access to the region from the Rhine River, Basel in Switzerland, ...
on the Upper Rhine instead of an extension of the canal via Breisach. In 1958 work began and by 26 May 1964 the Moselle could be officially opened from Metz to Koblenz as a major waterway for shipping with 14 locks. France extended it by 1979 as far as
Neuves-Maisons Neuves-Maisons (, literally ''New Houses'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France, on the banks of the Moselle. The city had a great steel industry during the 19th and ...
. With that, of the Moselle have been upgraded with a total of 28 locks. In the years 1992 to 1999 the navigable channel was deepened from to , which enables 1,500-tonne freighters to use the river, a 20% increase in capacity. The channel has a width of , more on the bends. The
Moselle Commission Moselle Commission (originally ''International Moselle Commission'') is an intergovernmental institution established by all three Moselle riparian states (France, Luxembourg, and Germany) to regulate shipping on the Moselle and cooperate in the m ...
, founded in 1962 with its head office in Trier, is responsible for navigation. The Moselle Shipping Police Act which it has produced is valid in all three participant states from Metz to Koblenz. In 1921 the Moselle (Mo) became a Reich waterway, today it is a federal waterway (''Bundeswasserstraße'') from
Apach Apach (german: Apach) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Apach is from Sierck-les-Bains, from Thionville, and from Metz. It is on the border of Germany and Luxembourg, the municipalities just across t ...
at the tripoint to its mouth on the Rhine at kilometre point 592.29 in Koblenz. The waterway is long and managed by the Trier and Koblenz Water and Shipping Offices (''Wasser- und Schifffahrtsämtern Trier und Koblenz''). It is categorized as a European waterway of Class Vb. Its kilometrage begins at its mouth at kilometre point 0 and runs upstream. Since 1816 it has formed a long condominium from Apach, a common Germany–Luxembourg sovereign area with a division of responsibilities set out in a 1976 agreement. The International Moselle Company, initially set up in 1957 to finance the construction of the river's upgrade, manages the shipping charges and the operation and maintenance of the waterway which they are used to fund. Today the Moselle is navigable for large
cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...
s up to long from the Rhine in Koblenz up to
Neuves-Maisons Neuves-Maisons (, literally ''New Houses'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France, on the banks of the Moselle. The city had a great steel industry during the 19th and ...
, south of Nancy. For smaller ships it is connected to other parts of France through the
Canal de la Meuse The Canal de la Meuse is the current name of what used to be the northern branch of the Canal de l'Est ("canal of the east"). It is a canal in northeastern France, predominantly made up of the canalised river Meuse. The Canal de l'Est was built fro ...
and the Canal de la Marne au Rhin. There are locks in
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
,
Lehmen Lehmen is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Euro ...
, Müden, Fankel,
Sankt Aldegund Sankt Aldegund is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Zell, who ...
,
Enkirch Enkirch is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Ge ...
,
Zeltingen Zeltingen-Rachtig is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality ...
, Wintrich,
Detzem Detzem is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
, Trier, Grevenmacher,
Palzem Palzem is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. History From 18 July 1946 to 6 June 1947 Palzem, in its then municipal boundary, formed part of the Saar Protectorate The Saar Protectorate (german: S ...
,
Apach Apach (german: Apach) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Apach is from Sierck-les-Bains, from Thionville, and from Metz. It is on the border of Germany and Luxembourg, the municipalities just across t ...
,
KÅ“nigsmacker KÅ“nigsmacker (; Lorraine Franconian: ''Maacher''/''Kinneksmaacher''; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. KÅ“nigsmacker was the birthplac ...
, Thionville, Richemont,
Talange Talange (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Taléng''/''Taléngen'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 commune ...
, Metz, Ars-sur-Moselle,
Pagny-sur-Moselle Pagny-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Pagny on Moselle'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department * Parc naturel régional de Lorraine Lorraine Regional Na ...
, Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson,
Custines Custines () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. History The town was called Condé until 1719. See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the ...
, Pompey,
Aingeray Aingeray is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. Population Inhabitants are called ''Aingerois''. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the ...
,
Fontenoy-sur-Moselle Fontenoy-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Fontenoy on Moselle'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 Communes of France, ...
, Toul,
Villey-le-Sec Villey-le-Sec () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department References

Communes of Meurthe-et-Moselle, ...
, and Neuves-Maisons. By 1970 more than 10 million tonnes of goods were being transported on the Moselle, the majority on towed barges. Upstream freight mainly comprised fuel and ores; downstream the main goods were steel products, gravel and rocks. There is an inland port at Trier, a
transshipment site Transshipment, trans-shipment or transhipment is the shipment of Cargo, goods or Intermodal container, containers to an intermediate destination, then to another destination. One possible reason for transshipment is to change the means of trans ...
in
Zell (Mosel) Zell (Mosel) is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Zell has roughly 4,300 inhabitants and is the seat of the like-named ''Verbandsgemeinde''. Geography Location Zell is an hour's drive from both Koblenz and Tr ...
; and there are other ports in
Mertert Mertert () is a commune and town in eastern Luxembourg, on the border with Germany. It is part of the canton of Grevenmacher. The commune consists of the towns of Mertert and Wasserbillig. Mertert has a river port on the Moselle The Mo ...
, Thionville, Metz and
Frouard Frouard () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the region of Grand Est, north-eastern France. It is located 10 km north of Nancy near the confluence of the Moselle and Meurthe. It is noted for its Medieval mill; and was ...
. In addition to freighters there are also pleasure boats for tourists between the very busy wine villages and small towns of the Middle and Lower Moselle. There are also yachting or sports marinas in the following places:
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
,
Winningen Winningen is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in E ...
,
Brodenbach Brodenbach is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in ...
, Burgen,
Löf Löf is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe ...
,
Hatzenport Hatzenport is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in ...
, Senheim,
Treis Treis-Karden is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was the seat of the former like-named ''Verbandsg ...
, Traben-Trarbach,
Kues UES may refer to: * C.D. Universidad de El Salvador, a professional football team representing the University of El Salvador * Estadio Universitario UES, a multi-use stadium in San Salvador, El Salvador * FGC UES, the owner and operator of the ele ...
,
Neumagen Neumagen is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Möhlin near Bad Krozingen. See also *List of rivers of Baden-Württemberg A list of rivers of Baden-Württemberg, Germany: A * Aal * Aalbach *Aalenbach * Abl ...
,
Pölich Pölich is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
, Schweich, Trier and Konz. The Moselle is linked near Toul via the Canal de la Marne au Rhin with ''inter alia'' the Meuse, the Saône and the Rhône. Other canals link the river to the North Sea and even the Mediterranean.


Locks and dams (weirs)

There is a total of 28 changes of level on the Moselle: * 16 in France near
Neuves-Maisons Neuves-Maisons (, literally ''New Houses'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France, on the banks of the Moselle. The city had a great steel industry during the 19th and ...
,
Villey-le-Sec Villey-le-Sec () is a Communes of France, commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle Departments of France, department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department References

Communes of Meurthe-et-Moselle, ...
, Toul,
Fontenoy-sur-Moselle Fontenoy-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Fontenoy on Moselle'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 Communes of France, ...
,
Aingeray Aingeray is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in northeastern France. Population Inhabitants are called ''Aingerois''. See also *Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the ...
,
Frouard Frouard () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the region of Grand Est, north-eastern France. It is located 10 km north of Nancy near the confluence of the Moselle and Meurthe. It is noted for its Medieval mill; and was ...
-Pompey,
Custines Custines () is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. History The town was called Condé until 1719. See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department The following is a list of the 591 communes of the ...
, Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson,
Pagny-sur-Moselle Pagny-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Pagny on Moselle'') is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France. See also * Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department * Parc naturel régional de Lorraine Lorraine Regional Na ...
, Ars-sur-Moselle, Metz,
Talange Talange (; ; Lorraine Franconian: ''Taléng''/''Taléngen'') is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. Population See also * Communes of the Moselle department The following is a list of the 725 commune ...
, Richemont, Thionville,
KÅ“nigsmacker KÅ“nigsmacker (; Lorraine Franconian: ''Maacher''/''Kinneksmaacher''; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. KÅ“nigsmacker was the birthplac ...
and
Apach Apach (german: Apach) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Apach is from Sierck-les-Bains, from Thionville, and from Metz. It is on the border of Germany and Luxembourg, the municipalities just across t ...
* 2 between Luxembourg and Germany near
Stadtbredimus Stadtbredimus () is a Communes of Luxembourg, commune and small town in south-eastern Luxembourg. It is part of the Remich (canton), canton of Remich. , the town of Stadtbredimus, which lies in the south-east of the commune, has a population of 67 ...
-
Palzem Palzem is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. History From 18 July 1946 to 6 June 1947 Palzem, in its then municipal boundary, formed part of the Saar Protectorate The Saar Protectorate (german: S ...
and Grevenmacher- Wellen * 10 in Germany near Trier,
Detzem Detzem is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
, Wintrich,
Zeltingen Zeltingen-Rachtig is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Geography Location The municipality ...
,
Enkirch Enkirch is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Ge ...
, St. Aldegund, Fankel, Müden,
Lehmen Lehmen is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Euro ...
and
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
.
Detzem Detzem is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after ...
is the highest lock – – and at the upstream reach is the longest on the river; it is the only lock to be built on a canal of some length excavated outside the river bed. With the exception of Detzem, all the structures at each change in level are laid out side by side; the lock is by one riverbank, the weir in the middle and the hydropower plant on the other bank. Between the lock and weir are a boat slipway and channel and boat lock, while between the weir and the power station is the fish ladder. The structures have been blended into the landscape through their low-level design; this was achieved by the choice of sector gates for the weir, vertically lowering upper gates and mitred lower lock gates. The water levels and hydropower works are controlled by the Fankel Central Control Station (''Zentralwarte Fankel'') of the RWE Power Company at Fankel.


Tourism

Through the Moselle valley run the Moselle Wine Route and the Moselle Cycleway, which may be cycled from Metz in France via Trier to
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
on the
River Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , sourc ...
, a distance of . Between Koblenz and Trier, large sections run on the trackbed of the old Moselle Valley Railway, far from the noise and fumes of motor vehicles. Every year on the Sunday after
Pentecost Pentecost (also called Whit Sunday, Whitsunday or Whitsun) is a Christianity, Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day (the seventh Sunday) after Easter Sunday. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles in the Ne ...
, the of road between Schweich and Cochem is also car-free as part of Happy Moselle Day. A number of notable castles and ruins adorn the heights above the Moselle valley and many are visible on a boat trip on the Moselle. In 1910, a hiking trail, the Moselle Ridgeway, was established which runs for on the Eifel side and on the Hunsrück side. Another unusual trail runs from
Ediger-Eller Ediger-Eller is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Cochem, whos ...
via the Calmont Trail to
Bremm Bremm is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a Municipalities of Germany, municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to ...
through the steepest vineyard in Europe. Before the construction of barrages the Moselle was a popular route for folding kayaks which is why many of the weirs have boat channels. The river is still used today by canoeists, especially during the annual week-long lock closures when no commercial shipping is permitted. In April 2014 the
Moselle Trail The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A ...
was opened, a path running for from Perl on the
Upper Moselle The Upper Moselle (german: Obermosel) is the section of the River Moselle, 45 kilometres long, that runs from the Franco-German-Luxembourg tripoint near Perl to its confluence with the Saar near Konz shortly before Trier. From the tripoint to its ...
to
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
. Numerous Moselle Trail "partner trails", the so-called side branches (''Seitensprünge'') and "dream paths" (''Traumpfade'') enhance the hiking network in the Moselle Valley. The ADAC's Rallye Deutschland has taken place since 2000 in the vineyards along the Moselle at Veldenz, Dhron, Piesport, Minheim, Kesten,
Trittenheim Trittenheim on the Middle Moselle is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Trier-Saarburg district (before January 2012: Bernkastel-Wittlich district) in Rhineland-P ...
, Fell,
Ruwer The Ruwer is a river in Germany with a length of . It is a right tributary of the Moselle. The valley of the Ruwer is a part of the Moselle wine-growing region near Trier in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is famous for its Riesling wines ...
tal and Trier. At
Koblenz Locks Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman military post by Drusus around 8 B.C. Its name ...
the Mosellum offers exhibitions about the migration of fish in the Moselle as well as water ecology, navigation and power generation. With the construction of the visitor and information centre the most modern fish ladder along the Moselle was opened.


Wine

The Moselle winegrowing region lies along the Moselle with a cultivated area of about . The largest part, currently just under , is on German soil in the states of Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland; the Luxembourg part has an area of about (see
Wine in Luxembourg Luxembourg wine is primarily produced in the southeastern part of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with vineyards overlooking the river Moselle. Along this river, which for 42 km makes up part of the border between Luxembourg and Germany, Mosell ...
). Upstream on the Moselle the vineyards extend into France as far as Seille in the region of Côtes de Moselle with an area of and to the region around Toul (
Côtes de Toul Côtes de Toul is an ''Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée'' (AOC) for French wine produced in the département of Meurthe-et-Moselle in the Lorraine ''région''. The Côtes de Toul vineyards cover in an area close to Toul, to the west of the city ...
) covering . The German Moselle wine region, including its tributaries, bears the growing and manufacturing name of "Mosel". For marketing reasons the agricultural authorities of the region have divided it into six winegrowing areas. The wine literature and specialist press, by contrast, divide the region into four areas based on geomorphological, micro-climatic and also historical reasons: ; Upper Moselle: The valley sides of the
Upper Moselle The Upper Moselle (german: Obermosel) is the section of the River Moselle, 45 kilometres long, that runs from the Franco-German-Luxembourg tripoint near Perl to its confluence with the Saar near Konz shortly before Trier. From the tripoint to its ...
(also called the Burgundy Moselle, ''Burgundermosel'') with their overwhelmingly muschelkalk soils belong geologically to the so-called Paris Basin, which explains its low proportion of Riesling – only around 10% in 2010 – and the increasing cultivation of Pinot Blanc and
Pinot Noir Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
grapes. ; Trier Region: Around the city of Trier and in the valleys of the
Saar Saar or SAAR has several meanings: People Given name *Saar Boubacar (born 1951), Senegalese professional football player * Saar Ganor, Israeli archaeologist *Saar Klein (born 1967), American film editor Surname * Ain Saar (born 1968), Est ...
and
Ruwer The Ruwer is a river in Germany with a length of . It is a right tributary of the Moselle. The valley of the Ruwer is a part of the Moselle wine-growing region near Trier in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It is famous for its Riesling wines ...
with their side valleys, the Riesling is the predominant grape on the shale soils, with over 80% of the crop. One climatic feature of this area is the frequent orientation of often small southwest-southeast facing locations in which the vegetation is exposed to stronger, cooler winds and, especially in the light of recent global warming, often achieve lower degrees of maturity than in the narrow, often deeply incised valley of the Middle and
Lower Moselle The Lower Moselle (german: Untermosel or ''Terrassenmosel'') is the name given to the lower reaches of the Moselle river - just under 100 kilometres long - in Germany between Pünderich and the Moselle's confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz. ...
. ; Middle Moselle: With around of vineyard the
Middle Moselle The Middle Moselle or Central Moselle (german: Mittelmosel) refers to the approximately 120-kilometre-long section of the river Moselle, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany from the city of Trier to Zell. The subsequent section of t ...
is the largest winegrowing area of the Moselle. According to the wine experts and trade, the "greatest" wines of the Moselle, both in quantity and quality, are grown here on land that has been consolidated into large concerns with much vaunted steeply sloped vineyards. ; Lower Moselle: In the
Lower Moselle The Lower Moselle (german: Untermosel or ''Terrassenmosel'') is the name given to the lower reaches of the Moselle river - just under 100 kilometres long - in Germany between Pünderich and the Moselle's confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz. ...
Valley, there are a number of medieval castles, high above little villages, decorated with timber-framed houses, surrounded by steep slopes with small terraces in the narrow, winding valley. Here, cultivating vines is very labour-intensive and costly and it is difficult to make it economical. As a result, it is common for vineyards to fall into ruin here. The wine industry on the German Moselle has been declining for decades. In 2005, statistics showed there were of vineyard; by 2012 this had fallen to just . The vineyards that have fallen fallow are mostly those on extremely steep hillsides. There has been a major decline in the number of so-called ''Nebenerwerbswinzer'' (vintners for whom it is a secondary occupation), and the small, family farming operations that, until the end of the 1960s formed the majority of wine businesses. Comparative figures by the Chamber of Agriculture for Rhineland-Palatinate for several wine villages on the Lower Moselle show that there were still 797 wine businesses in the early 1960s, but by the early 2000s there were only just under 100. There has been the opposite trend amongst the established traditional wine estates and more recent vintners with a sound education in
oenology Oenology (also enology; ) is the science and study of wine and winemaking. Oenology is distinct from viticulture, which is the science of the growing, cultivation, and harvesting of grapes. The English word oenology derives from the Greek word ' ...
and business management, who have increased their business through the reclamation of once renowned, but long forgotten sites. The end of the 20th century saw the rediscovery of the use of special terroir in order to improve quality and value, which has led to a more nuanced view of Moselle wine that, a few years before, had been characterised by overproduction, label scandals and cheap offers.


Moselle umbrella brand

On 10 November 2006 in Burg, the Moselle Regional Initiative was founded. The introduction of the Moselle as an umbrella brand was based on that of the
Eifel The Eifel (; lb, Äifel, ) is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the southern area of the German-speaking Community of ...
region and covers products and services from the areas of agriculture, forestry, tourism, handicrafts and nature.


Moselle slate

Moselle slate (''Moselschiefer'') is a manufacturing and trade description for
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
from the municipalities of Mayen,
Polch Polch () is a town in the district Mayen-Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is part of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") of Maifeld. It is situated east of Mayen. Polch is twinned with the commune of Vineuil, located n ...
,
Müllenbach Müllenbach is a municipality in the district of Ahrweiler, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe af ...
, Trier and its surrounding area. Today only products from the roofing slate mines of in Mayen and Margareta in Polch bear the name Moselle Slate. The name is derived from the historical transport route for this slate along the Moselle to the Lower Rhine.


Railways

The following railway lines run or ran along the river: *
Koblenz–Trier railway The Koblenz–Trier Railway is a railway line in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, located mostly on the left (northern) bank of the Moselle, connecting Koblenz via Bullay to Trier. It is known in German as the ''Moselstrecke'', i.e. " ...
(''Moselstrecke''), between Koblenz and Bullay, and in Trier, mostly on the left (northern) bank *
Pünderich–Traben-Trarbach railway The Pünderich-Traben-Trarbach line is a branch line in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the valley of the Moselle, which connects the winegrowing town of Traben-Trarbach to Bullay (DB) station to the Koblenz–Trier railway (german: Mos ...
, for its entire length, on the left (northern) bank *
Moselle Railway The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...
, between Bullay and Trier, on the right (southern) bank. Closed in the 1960s. *
Trier West Railway The Trier West Railway (german: Trierer Weststrecke) a 14 km-long railway line running from Trier-Ehrang in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate to Wasserbillig in Luxembourg via Trier-West. The double-track, electrified section between ...
, between Ehrang and Igel, on the left (northern) bank *
Thionville–Trier railway The Thionville–Trier railway (also called in German the ''Obermoselstrecke'', Upper Moselle line) connects Thionville in the French region of Grand Est with Trier in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. It also passes through the westernmos ...
(''Obermoselstrecke''), for its entire length, on the right (eastern) bank *
CFL line 1a The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
, between Wasserbillig and Grevenmacher, on the left (western) bank. No passenger service remains. *
Metz–Luxembourg railway The Metz–Luxembourg railway is a French/Luxembourgish railway line, that connects the French Lorraine region to Luxembourg. The railway was opened between 1854 and 1859. It is an important international railway connection. The part in Luxembourg ...
, between Thionville and Metz, mainly on the left bank * Lérouville–Metz railway, between Metz and Novéant, mainly on the left bank * Frouard–Novéant railway, mainly on the left bank * Paris–Strasbourg railway, between Frouard and Toul * Blainville-Damelevières–Lure railway, between Bayon and Épinal *
Épinal–Bussang railway The railway from Épinal–Bussang is a French 56 km long railway that runs between the cities of Épinal and Remiremont. Route The Épinal–Bussang railway leaves the Gare d'Épinal, entering its terminus Gare de Remiremont after a ...
, between Épinal and
Remiremont Remiremont (; german: Romberg or ) is a town and commune in the Vosges department, northeastern France, situated in southern Grand Est. The town has been an abbatial centre since the 7th century, is an economic crossroads of the Moselle and Mosel ...
, on the left bank


Literature

*''Mosella'', a
Latin poem Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
by Ausonius (4th century). *In the tale, "
The Seven Swabians The Seven Swabians (''Die Sieben Schwaben'') is a German fairy tale, collected by The Brothers Grimm in the second volume edition of their ''Kinder- und Hausmärchen'' (1857) under the number KHM119. The term '' Swabians'' refers to people fro ...
" of the Brothers Grimm, these Swabians drown trying to cross the Moselle. *Accounts of the river, its folklore and local history appear in ''Small Boat on the Moselle'' a 1968 book by Roger Pilkington.


Castles

*
Château de Meinsberg A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowaday ...
(dit de Malbrouck): near
Manderen Manderen (, lb, Manneren) is a former commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune Manderen-Ritzing.Château Fort de Sierck-les-Bains A château (; plural: châteaux) is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking regions. Nowaday ...
: situated just on the French-German border at Sierck-les-Bains, this fortress of the Duke of Lorraine dates back to the 11th century. Most of today's castle was constructed in the 18th century, following plans from Vauban. *Schloss Berg: a Renaissance castle at
Nennig Nennig is a village in the Saarland, Germany, part of the municipality of Perl. It is situated on the river Moselle, opposite Remich, Luxembourg. Overview Nennig is known for a Roman villa containing well-preserved mosaics that were excavated in ...
, today a hotel and a casino. * Alte Burg: a manor house built in 1360 at
Longuich Longuich is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It lies on the river Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through no ...
. One of the few surviving manor houses in rural Rhineland-Palatinate. *
Schloss Lieser Schloss Lieser (Castle of Lieser) in the Mosel valley nearby Bernkastel-Kues is one of the most striking buildings within the village of Lieser, Germany. The building currently houses a 49-room Autograph Hotel, called Schloss Lieser, Autograp ...
: a palace at Lieser built from 1884 to 1887 in historistic style. * Landshut Castle: a castle built by the
Electorate of Trier The Electorate of Trier (german: Kurfürstentum Trier or ' or Trèves) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the end of the 9th to the early 19th century. It was the temporal possession of the prince- ...
in the 13th century at Bernkastel-Kues. *
Grevenburg Grevenburg was a castle in Traben-Trarbach in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany. It was the residence of the Rear County of Sponheim and today is a ruin following its destruction by the French in 1734. History The castle was ...
: ruins of a castle at Traben-Trarbach built by Johann III of Sponheim-Starkenburg about 1350, destroyed, after many sieges, in 1734. *Marienburg: a 12th-century castle and later monastery near
Pünderich Pünderich is an ''Ortsgemeinde'' – a municipality belonging to a ''Verbandsgemeinde'', a kind of collective municipality – in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' of Zell, whose sea ...
and Alf. *
Arras Castle Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of t ...
: a 12th-century castle in Alf. * Metternich Castle: a castle built around 1120 at Beilstein, today partly in ruins. *
Cochem Castle Cochem is the seat of and the biggest town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just over 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the Kusel district, as Germany's second smallest district seat. Since 7 J ...
: The castle in Cochem was originally built in the 11th century, but was completely destroyed by
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
soldiers in 1689. The present castle was rebuilt later in the 19th century. *
Thurant Castle The ruins of the Thurant Castle (german: Burg Thurant, also ''Thurandt'' or ''Thurand'') stand on a wide slate hill spur above the villages of Alken on the Moselle in Germany. The castle is in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinat ...
: Above the town of Alken is Thurant Castle, built in the 13th century. It is the only twin-towered
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
along the Moselle. The fortress was built by the Count Palatine Henry of the house of Guelph between 1198 and 1206. From 1246 to 1248, it was the two archbishops of Cologne and Trier. Following conquest, it was divided by a partition wall into two halves, each with a keep (tower). During the 19th century, Thurant disintegrated, becoming a ruin; and in 1911 was acquired by Privy Councilor, Dr. Robert Allmers, who had it rebuilt. Since 1973, the castle has been owned by the Allmers and Wulf families. * Ehrenburg: a 12th-century castle built by the
Electorate of Trier The Electorate of Trier (german: Kurfürstentum Trier or ' or Trèves) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that existed from the end of the 9th to the early 19th century. It was the temporal possession of the prince- ...
at
Brodenbach Brodenbach is a municipality in the district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in ...
. * Eltz Castle: The von Eltz family castle, whose history dates back to the 12th century. It remains in private hands to this day but it is open to visitors. *Lower and Upper Castle,
Kobern-Gondorf Kobern-Gondorf is a municipality in the Mayen-Koblenz, district of Mayen-Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. It is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' Rhein-Mosel. Above the village are the two castles of Niederburg, Kobern, Nieder ...
: two 11th-century castles, today mostly in ruins. *
Pyrmont Castle Pyrmont Castle (german: Burg Pyrmont) stands west of Münstermaifeld near Roes and Pillig on a slate rock outcrop above a waterfall on the Elzbach in the southern Eifel mountains in Germany. It is in the municipality of Roes in the district of ...
: This 13th-century castle near Roes was remodelled and extended several times during the
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
era. * Bischofstein Castle: Across the river from the municipality of Burgen is this 13th-century castle, which was destroyed during the
Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by the Habsburg monarch ...
, but was reconstructed and now serves as a retreat centre for the Fichte Gymnasium in Krefeld.


References

Publius Cornelius Tacitus: Der Text ist verfügbar in der lateinischen Wikisource: Kapitel LIII, at la.wikisource.org Publius Cornelius Tacitus: Der Text ist verfügbar in der lateinischen Wikisource; erwähnt ist die Mosel in Kapitel 71 und Kapitel 77, at la.wikisource.org The Meuse, with a volumetric discharge of is not considered, since it has not officially been a tributary of the Rhine since 1970 (although it is hydrologically). Verzeichnis A, Lfd. Nr. 39 der Chronik
, Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes, at wsv.de

, Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes, at wsv.de
von
Apach Apach (german: Apach) is a commune in the Moselle department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Apach is from Sierck-les-Bains, from Thionville, and from Metz. It is on the border of Germany and Luxembourg, the municipalities just across t ...
am Dreiländereck bis zu ihrer Mündung in den Rhein bei Rhein-km 592,29 ''Gliederung Bundeswasserstraßen''
, mit Informationen u. a. zu Längen (in km) der Hauptschifffahrtswege (Hauptstrecken und bestimmte Nebenstrecken) der Binnenwasserstraßen des Bundes, bei der Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes, at wsv.de
''Moselsteig entfacht das Wanderfieber''
In: Trierischer Volksfreund, dated 26 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2014, at volksfreund.de
Von der Mehrzahl der Winzer nicht genutzte Herkunftsbezeichnung Stuart Pigott, Chandra Kurt, Manfred Lüer: ''Stuart Pigotts Weinreisen – Mosel.'' Scherz, Frankfurt am Main, 2009, , pp. 103 ff. Daniel Deckers (Hg.), ''Zur Lage des deutschen Weins – Spitzenlagen und Spitzenweine'', Stuttgart 2003, pp. 137–187 Publications by the Statistical Office of Rhineland-Palatinate.


Bibliography

* Decimius Magnus Ausonius: ''Mosella escription of a journey by ship on the Moselle around 371 A. D.' http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:2008.01.0619 * Jakob Hölscher (ed.): ''Das Moselthal von Trier bis Coblenz. In malerischen Ansichten, nach der Natur gezeichnet von C. Bodmer, in acqua tinta geätzt von R. Bodmer''. 30 pages. Koblenz, 1831–1833 * Johann August Klein: ''Moselthal zwischen Koblenz und Konz,'' printed by Heriot, Coblenz, 1831 * Johann August Klein: ''Das Moselthal zwischen Koblenz und Zell mit Städten, Ortschaften, Ritterburgen, historisch, topographisch, malerisch''. Heriot, Koblenz, 1831 * Wilhelm Haag: ''Ausonius und seine Mosella''. Gaertner, Berlin, 1900 * Michael Gerhard: ''Die Mosel, dargestellt in ihrem Lauf, ihrer Entstehung und ihrer Bedeutung für den Menschen.'' Prüm, 1910
Online edition dilibri Rhineland-Palatinate
* Carl Hauptmann: ''Die Mosel von Cochem bis Bernkastel.'' Bonn 1910
Online edition dilibri Rhineland-Palatinate
* Carl Hauptmann: ''Die Mosel von Coblenz bis Cochem in Wanderbildern.'' Bonn, 1911
Online edition dilibri Rhineland-Palatinate
* Ludwig Mathar: ''Die Mosel (Die Rheinlande, Bilder von Land, Volk und Kunst, Zweiter Band: Die Mosel)'' Cologne o. J. (around 1925), 607 S. (with 117 illustrations and a map of the Moselle Valley from Trier to Coblenz) * Rudolf G. Binding: ''Moselfahrt aus Liebeskummer – Novelle einer Landschaft'', Frankfurt am Main, 1933 (51.–75. Tausend) * Josef Adolf Schmoll alias Eisenwerth: ''Die Mosel von der Quelle bis zum Rhein'' (Deutsche Lande – Deutsche Kunst). 2nd edition, Munich/Berlin, 1972 * Willy Leson (ed.): ''Romantische Reise durch das Moseltal-Von Koblenz nach Trier (with graphics by Carl Bodmer and text by Johann August Klein and Christian von Stramberg)'', Cologne, 1978 * Heinz Cüppers, Gérard Collot, Alfons Kolling, Gérard Thill (Red.): ''Die Römer an Mosel und Saar (Zeugnisse der Römerzeit in Lothringen, in Luxemburg, im Raum Trier und im Saarland)'', Mainz, 1983, Zabern: 2nd revised edition (with 46 colour and 346 black and white photographs) * Heinz Held: ''Die Mosel von der Mündung bei Koblenz bis zur Quelle in den Vogesen: Landschaft, Kultur, Geschichte'' (DuMont-Kunst-Reiseführer). 3rd edition, Cologne, 1989 * Jean-Claude Bonnefont, Hubert Collin (dir.), ''Meurthe-et-Moselle'', edition Bonneton, Paris, 1996, 318 pages. * M. Eckoldt (ed.), Flüsse und Kanäle, Die Geschichte der deutschen Wasserstraßen, DSV-Verlag, 1998 * Ulrich Nonn: ''Eine Moselreise im 4. Jahrhundert-Decimus Magnus Ausonius und seine "Mosella"''. In: Koblenzer Beiträge zur Geschichte und Kultur, Vol. 8, Koblenz: Görres-Verlag 2000, pp. 8–24 (with map and illustrations) * Reinhold Schommers: ''Die Mosel'' (DuMont-Reise-Taschenbücher). DuMont, Ostfildern 2001, * Ludwin Vogel: ''Deutschland, Frankreich und die Mosel. Europäische Integrationspolitik in den Montan-Regionen Ruhr, Lothringen, Luxemburg und der Saar.'' Klartext, Essen, 2001, * Decimius Magnus Ausonius: ''Mosella. Lateinisch-deutsch.'' Published, translated and commented on by Paul Dräger. Tusculum Studienausgaben. Artemis und Winkler, Düsseldorf, 2004, * Uwe Anhäuser: ''Die Ausoniusstraße. Ein archäologischer Reise- und Wanderführer.'' Rhein-Mosel, Alf/Mosel, 2006, * Karl-Josef Gilles: ''Das Moseltal zwischen Koblenz und Trier 1920 bis 1950'' (series of archive photographs), Sutton, Erfurt, 2006, . * Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Südwest: Kompendium der Wasser- und Schifffahrtsdirektion Südwest. Organisatorische und technische Daten, Binnenschifffahrt, Aufgaben, Wasserstraßen. self-publication, Mainz, June 2007 * Alexander Thon / Stefan Ulrich: ''Von den Schauern der Vorwelt umweht... Burgen und Schlösser an der Mosel''. Schnell + Steiner, Regensburg 2007, 1st edition, 180 pp. numerous photographs, 2 overview maps of the Moselle * Wolfgang Lambrecht: ''Malerische Mosel – Gemälde und Druckgraphik aus 100 Jahren'', [Farbbroschüre mit Werken u. a. von Carl Bodmer, Clarkson Stanfield, Rowbotham, Compton, Wolfsberger, Benekkenstein, Burger, Thoma, Nonn, Möhren, Zysing und Bayer, published by the Sparkasse Mittelmosel and the Lions-Förderverein Cochem], Cochem, 2007 * Karl-Josef Schäfer und Wolfgang Welter: ''Ein Jakobsweg von Koblenz-Stolzenfels nach Trier. Der Pilgerwanderführer für den Mosel-Camino.'' Books on Demand, Norderstedt, 2009 (2nd updated edition) * Xavier Deru: ''Die Römer an Maas und Mosel'', Zabern-Verlag, Mainz, 2010 * Groben, Josef: ''Mosella. Historisch-kulturelle Monographie'', Trier, 2011, 311 pp., 237 photographs. * Stefan Barme: ''Nacktarsch, Viez und Ledertanga – Ausflüge in die Kulturgeschichte des Mosellandes''. Stephan Moll Verlag, 2012 (1st edition) * Joachim Gruber: Decimus Magnus Ausonius, "Mosella" ''Kritische Ausgabe, Ãœbersetzung, Kommentar''. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin. Series: Texts and commentaries, Vol. 42, 2013, XI, 370 pp.


External links


mosel.de
mosel.de
Die Mosel
die-mosel.de
Moseltal
moseltal.de
www.mosel.com
mosel.com
HoloGuides – Moselle
hologuides.com
River Moselle
guide to the French section; maps and information on places, ports and moorings on the river from Neuves-Maisons to Apach, by the author of ''Inland Waterways of France'', Imray
Navigation details for 80 French rivers and canals
(French waterways website section)
Bibliography on Water Resources and International Law
Peace Palace Library at ppl.nl
Livecam Moselle river
webcam.cochem.c
German-Luxembourgish-French Mosel Agency
(in German/French)

(in German) {{Authority control Rivers of Luxembourg Rivers of Rhineland-Palatinate Rivers of Saarland Rivers of France Grevenmacher Remich Germany–Luxembourg border International rivers of Europe Federal waterways in Germany Rivers of Grand Est Rivers of Vosges (department) Rivers of Meurthe-et-Moselle Rivers of Moselle (department) Rivers of Germany Border rivers