Make your way to Cochem where the boat is waiting for you. Embarkation and check-in is at 2 p.m. Settle into your cabin and then meet your fellow travellers, crew and bike guides for a welcome meeting where you will learn more about the coming week. Cochem is a beautiful old town overlooked by an impressive castle and after the welcome meeting your guides will invite you to join them for a guided stroll around this picturesque little place. The boat remains at her mooring in Cochem overnight.

After a hearty breakfast we mount up for our first ride of the holiday. We follow a lovely riverside cycle path to Beilstein, one of the best-preserved medieval villages on the Moselle. Castle Metternich stands guard above the village and the view from the ramparts is definitely worth the climb.

We then carry on beside the river, passing steep slopes covered with vineyards that seem to cascade down to the water’s edge. Our goal today is the pretty wine village of Zell an der Moselle where the boat is waiting for us. The town is surrounded by vineyards and this is an ideal place to sample some excellent local Moselle wines. The boat remains moored in Zell overnight.

Today’s ride follows the meanders of the river passed a succession of small charming wine villages each surrounded by regimented terraces of seemingly endless vineyards. Around lunchtime we arrive in the village of Traben-Trarbach which is known for its Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) architecture. From here, some more, very pleasant riverside cycling delivers us to our overnight stop, the very pretty medieval village of Bernkastel-Kuese. The village square, surrounded by pretty half-timbered houses, dates back to the middle ages and is absolutely delightful. The boat remains moored in Bernkastel-Kues for the night.

From Bernkastel-Kues the Moselle valley becomes broader, enabling it to accommodate even more vineyards. On today’s ride we will pass some of the most famous wine villages on the whole river such as Brauneberg, Piesport and Trittenheim. The latter of these sits on a particularly pretty bend in the river and keen photographers may be tempted to climb the opposite bank for a wonderful panoramic view of this perfect setting. A few more kilometers of idyllic riverside cycling delivers us to the village of Schewich where the boat is waiting for us. We then enjoy an early evening cruise to Trier. the oldest city in Germany founded in 15BC by Caesar Augustus. The boat moors in Trier for the night.

There is time this morning to explore the intriguing city of Trier a little more before we set off on the bikes along the riverbank once more. After a short distance we bid the Moselle river ‘auf wiedersehen’ and start to follow the smaller but no less beautiful Saar river southwards. Our destination is the charming and picturesque old town of Saarburg. In the centre of this splendidly quaint town we can admire the 20 meter waterfall and ancient water-mill. The boat remains moored in Saarburg overnight but the galley is closed this evening allowing you to make your own meal arrangements in one of the town’s many fine restaurants.

Today we have a a choice between a longer but easier ride following the Saar and Moselle rivers to Remich or a shorter option that cuts the corner by traversing some quite hilly terrain. Either way we will eventually cross the Moselle into the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg where we will visit a winery specialising in ‘Cremant’ sparkling wines. Just before finishing the ride in Remich we stop to admire the remains of a palatial Roman villa. We rejoin the boat at her mooring in the peaceful little town of Remich where she remains for the night.

A breakfast cruise delivers us to the small unassuming village of Schengen. The name will probably sound familiar as it was here in 1985 that the Schengen Agreement was signed. This agreement meant that citizens of member countries could travel freely within the Schengen zone without the need for passport or border control. Not long after starting our ride in Schengen we cross from Luxembourg into France. Delightful riverside villages punctuate our progress along the french Moselle as it meanders its way westwards. In the ancient city of Thionville we admire the medieval ramparts and quaint old streets before reboarding the boat for an early evening cruise to the ancient city of Metz. Stunning architecture, including a breathtaking cathedral, and quaint twisting cobbled streets make this a fitting place to end our exploration of the Moselle river.

After breakfast it is time to disembark and head for home or your next adventure.