NOVEMBER 2023
From the pictures I expected Bernkastel-Kues to be the cutest town in the Mosel area and I was not disappointed when we visited this past summer. Move over Cochem, I have got a new favorite! Bernkastel is full with cute fachwerk houses, pretty fountains and is surrounded by vineyards. We had the best time in Bernkastel-Kues and in this blogpost I will tell you all about it.
Practical information
Bernkastel-Kues is a little town at the Mosel river. It consists of two parts as Bernkastel and Kues used to be two separate towns, now they are connected via bridge. Don’t let the name Bernkastel put you off. I know it also is cheap supermarket wine, but this area has delicious wines on offer (Riesling being one of my favorites). The Mosel is an area famous with campers, so most accomodation is on campsites. The weekend that we went in September the weather predictions were very good, so all campsites were full. We ended up in a free parking lot just above the town (not specifically recommended because of the intense cycling to get to our campervan). Make sure to book a camping spot timely, or show up early during the day during high season.
Bernkastel-Kues
I love to visit a town as early as possible to be able to enjoy it without crowds. We arrived to Bernkastel-Kues at 8.30AM and it stayed really quiet until about 10.30AM. By then the market square filled up with tourists. Some tourists visit by boat and these boats do not arrive really early. In the early evening Bernkastel-Kues becomes more quiet again, definitely a good time to take pictures. We loved exploring the oldtown and I was able to take some pictures with Weinstube Spitzhäuschen (the red crooked building). I loved the quieter side streets of Bernkastel, the houses were higgledy-piggledy and often overgrown with plants. At the edge of the altstad you will find the vineyards. I tried to climb one to get a bird-eye view over Bernkastel-Kues but this was quite difficult as the vineyards are so steep.
I loved the gastronomy of Bernkastel-Kues. We had a very good evening meal at Hotel Doctor Weinstube in a lovely courtyard. In the winter months the restaurant inside is open too and it is very atmospheric. If I ever revisit Bernkastel-Kues I would stay at this hotel.
We had lunch at Alter Moselbahnhof which was cozy and where we had a delicious flammkuchen & Riesling. One of the most famous spots for tasting is Rieslingweingut Erben Karl Dillinger, but it didn’t open for lunchtime yet so we didn’t get to visit.
Kloster Machern
The Mosel doesn’t just have good wine, but it has good beer as well. We visited nearby Kloster Machern for a traditional meal. Kloster Machern is very well known in the region, it is an old monastery with a brewery, it still features a little church. It is located overlooking the Mosel with a big terrace and a large beerhall type restaurant. We brought home a big carton filled with their beer specialities. It is about 30 minutes cycling from Bernkastel-Kues.
Interesting sights nearby
In the Mosel area you can find many interesting sights, I would recommend to also visit these:
Trier: I loved Trier! Trier is such a hidden gem, it is filled with Roman history and it doesn’t get the visitors it deserves. Making it a very fun visit!
Cochem: Another pearl at the Mosel, colorful Cochem. Cochem has a beautiful castle overlooking the altstad, creating perfect pictures.
Burg Eltz: One of my favorite German castles, a true fairytale castle that arises out of the forests.
Mullerthal: In Luxemburg, just over the border, you will find the Mullerthal, which is a very interesting region with rock formations and very good for hiking.
Hello twirling traveler!
My husband and I will celebrate our 40th anniversary in the Mosel Valley in October. We so appreciate your endorsement of Bernkastle Kues. We fly into Frankfurt. Will be doing genealogy in Trier. Thinking we will get a car, as we want to head over to Luxembourg for a few days as well.
Would Bernkastle Kues be a good town to stay in, and be able to take day trips for hiking, boat excursion, wine/beer tastings?
thanks for you advice,
Candace Ryan
Hi Candace. Bernkastel-Kues is an excellent location, right in the middle of lots of sights. Nature in Luxembourg is really beautiful, especially the Mullerthal region, which is within 1,5 hour of driving. Cochem is a really beautiful location as well, though a bit crowded. October should be a good time of year as the vineyards will have beautiful colors. Burg Eltz is one of the prettiest castles in the Mosel region, definitely worth a visit and stunning nature too. If you visit before the leafs fall than the Treetop Walk in Saarschleife is also a very good visit, is 1,5 hours of driving from Bernkastel-Kues. If you are staying in the weekend I would recommend to do dinner reservations in a wine restaurant. I wrote blogs about all these recommendations. You are going to have the best time on your anniversary!