The Romans, who first planted vineyards here, called the river the Modella.
Rising on the slopes of the Ballon d’Alsace in the Vosges Mountains, the Moselle flows through the Lorraine region of France, past Luxembourg and into Germany. A left tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz, the total length of the river is 339 miles.
Meandering between Trier and Koblenz, the Moselle travels along one of Germany’s most beautiful river valleys, a region that has been inspiring mankind since it was first cultivated by the Romans. Today, its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where world-famous Rieslings are grown, with hilltop castles standing sentinel over the charming wine villages and towns lining the riverbanks.
River cruisers have long been plying these historic waters, and all the major river cruise operators offer Moselle cruises, often in combination with the Rhine and other rivers. Leading cruise lines include Emerald Waterways, APT, Uniworld, Tauck, Avalon Waterways, Viking River Cruises, AmaWaterways, and CroisiEurope. Their river cruise ships ply the winding waters of the Moselle River every year – spring, summer and autumn.
