Bernkastel Wine Tasting

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Avalon Waterways 

River Cruise

Provided Front-Row

View to Wine Country

A short 15 minute walk over the bridge from where our ship was docked and we were at a local Vinothek for a complimentary wine tasting event.   This wasn't your typical wine tasting with just a few varieties.

VinoThek

Upon entering the VinoThek, we were given a German Pretzel (bretzel), handed an empty wine glass, and directed to the wine cellar downstairs.

Bernkastel and the surrounding Moselle River valley is most noted for Riesling wines, so those were predominantly the wines we tasted.  There were a few red varieties for those that prefer red wine.

As you can see in the picture, the wines were displayed in bins with descriptive signs overhead.   Each variety was numbered and a chilled barrel contained one bottle for each variety.

You could pour as little or as much wine into your glass for tasting.   It was best to cleanse the pallet between tastings by taking a bite of your pretzel.   We quickly lost track of how many wines we tasted.   I think there were more than twenty that we sampled.   Someone would ask if we tried number 25, and we'd have to try that of course.

Finally, we narrowed down our search to two different bottles.   We opted for the high-residual sugar varieties which were very sweet.   Not being able to make up our minds, we bought both bottles.   Avalon allows you to bring them back on board and consume them in your cabin without charge or you can bring them to the dining room and pay a corkage fee.

We almost skipped this complimentary event because we had a long day and thought about relaxing before dinner.   Do not miss this wine tasting event - it was one of the cruise highlights.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page

Bernkastel - Wine Tasting

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Good Morning Bernkastel

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Arriving in Bernkastel, Germany

Artistry II arrived in Bernkastel around 8 AM giving us the opportunity to capture some images as we first saw this beautiful region.

Walking Tour 

A local guide would meet us at 9 AM for a walk around the small but pretty village.   Because the other guides were running late, we were divided into two groups.  The other guides would join us during the tour in progress.

 Market Place

The entire Moselle Valley is famous for its beautiful and tranquil scenery, and in the middle of this region is the charming wine village of Bernkastel with its well-preserved half-timbered houses that have stood since the Middle Ages. We enjoy a guided walk from our ship that included the beautiful marketplace with its renaissance-style Town Hall and the “pointed house,” built in 1416.

Rathaus (City Hall)

Today's City Hall facade is a magnificent work of the late German Renaissance of the Trier sculptor RH Hoffmann (built 1608).

St. Michael's Fountain

The heart of the market place dates back to 1606, and is dedicated to the archangel Michael, who, standing with one foot on a dragon, holds a sword and scales in his hands. St. Michael is the patron saint of the town.

During our free time in Bernkastel, we had some unexpected entertainment. First there was a couple playing Alphorns and then a Yodeling Group performed in the Market Place. We take you to Bernkastel market place live in this video:

   

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

 
Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Bernkastel - Walking Tour

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Visit to Landshut Castle

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Optional Touring:
Cycling Along the Moselle

Avalon offered an optional cycling tour after lunch, but we opted to see the Moselle River from high ground instead. Those that went on the bike ride enjoyed themselves, so if that is of interest to you, we'd suggest including it in your plans.

Moselle River On Our Own

The ruins of Landshut Castle loom over Bernkastel. If you pay visit to the castle, which dates all the way back to the 9th Century, you will be rewarded with a captivating view of the awe-inspiring Moselle valley and the vast expanse.

Getting to Landshut Castle

The easiest way to get to the castle is by the Burg Landshut Express. You can reach the castle ruins in just under 20 minutes for a cost of 7 Euro round-trip per person. The Burg Landshut Express buses were designed specifically for making this round trip, making them truly unique. The shuttle bus service runs daily from April to October. Buses depart every hour from the starting point across from the Doctorbrunnen, Bernkastel Doctor fountain.

The return or downhill journey takes you past the youth hostel and though the Tiefenbach valley back to the starting point in the Moselle car park.

View from Castle

Once the shuttle drops you off at the foot of the castle hill, you'll want to make your way to the top which involves climbing stairs and a ramp.
It is well worth the effort, if you are able to do so.  You'll notice that I used my walking stick to get up to the top and was rewarded by these views.

You have about 20 minutes on top before the shuttle returns.   You can optionally wait for the next shuttle bus, but that will be an hour later.

This is the heart of wine country - vineyards were everywhere.

Watch this short video to see the view from the walkway leading up to Landshut Castle ruins.

   

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

 
Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Landshut Castle

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Castles Villages & Vineyards Oh My

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Sailing The Romantic

 Rhine Gorge 

Downstream from Rüdesheim is the dramatic RHINE GORGE, the most beautiful stretch of river. Here, ancient castles stand sentry on lofty cliffs rising 400 feet above the waters.

Our afternoon was spent cruising past castles, villages, and vineyards.  One highlight included sailing past the legendary rock of the Lorelei, where echoes of enchanted siren song lured unwitting sailors to their doom. We enjoyed the afternoon relaxing on board on the Sky Deck as Mark, our Cruise Director, provided narrative.

 

Rhine & Moselle

Confluence

The confluence of the Moselle and Rhine is at Koblenz and here we entered the Moselle River, some 312-miles long, which rises in the Vosges Mountains of northeastern France and enters Germany at Trier.


Watch this video for an example of the scenery along the Rhine River.  The highlight of this video is Pfalzgrafenstein (the Pfalz), a mid-river toll castle near Kaub, erected in 1328. We have lots more video footage to process. We'll be posting additional videos to our YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe to that as well.

   

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Romantic Rhine Cruising

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Cable Car in Rüdesheim

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Seilbahn  Rüdesheim 

A highlight of any visit to Rüdesheim is the ride in a cable car up to the Germania (Niederwald) Monument. The awe-inspiring panoramic views over Rüdesheim's oldtown and the shimmering waters of the Rhine dotted with green isles make the smooth glide over the vineyards a very special experience.

Experience what the ride is like in this short video segment:




The entire visit took about an hour - 15 minutes each way by cable car and 30 minutes on top to go to the monument and take photos of the surrounding area.   The cost was not included in our excursion, it was 7,00 euro round-trip per person.

Niederwald Monument


The monument was constructed to commemorate the foundation of the German Empire (Unification of Germany) after the end of the Franco-Prussian War. It overlooks the valley of the Rhine and was built in the 1870/80s.

The central figure is the 10.5 metres (34 ft) tall Germania figure. In the sculptured impression, Germania holds the recovered crown of the emperor in the right hand and in the left the Imperial Sword.

Rhine & Moselle River Cruise (Play all videos)

Video Diary of Avalon Rhine & Moselle River Cruise on Artistry II. This was a 13 day river cruise that started in Zurich, Switzerland and concluded in Amsterdam, Netherlands. 

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Rüdesheim - Cable Car

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