Schliessen
Schliessen

The vineyards are calling!

Take a round trip on the Moselle – hike included – with the “Augusta” of KD’s partner shipping company Gilles.
The Moselle is Germany’s second most important shipping route after the Rhine. It is one of the busiest waterways in Europe. Those seeking rest and relaxation can benefit from this, too, for instance by taking a Moselle round trip. From the water, unique views open up of the extremely charming Moselle landscape with its steep vineyards, imposing castles and picturesque villages. Combined with a tour of a town, a hike through the vineyards and a refreshing stop in a seasonal wine tavern, wine shop or restaurant, a river boat cruise on the Moselle can become a day’s holi­day on your own doorstep. All you need is a good mood, a sun hat, sturdy shoes and boat tickets.

Dream job: Inland skipper

Today we’re heading onto a boat and into the vineyards. Our small travel group boards the “Augusta” full of anticipation. The boat owned by Gilles, a partner shipping company of Köln-Düsseldorfer, takes us on a two-hour Moselle round trip. We set off from Koblenz at 10.30 am. “Welcome aboard. Have fun!” – We’ve come to the right place. We’ve just been admiring the young woman who skilfully moored the large passenger ship at the jetty. Now she’s back on board in a flash, welcoming the passengers. Sophie Hess wants to be an inland skipper. The 17-year-old is in the second year of her apprenticeship. “It was clear to me from a very young age that that’s what I wanted to do. My father is a skipper, I practically grew up on the water.” She is only the second budding inland skipper to be trained by the shipping company Gilles. “Luca was the first. He took his exams last year. And came top of his class,” Dennis Gilles says, proudly. The company is all about tradition and modernity.

"Gilles has been a family business for five generations."

“Augusta” offers space for almost 600 guests

Gilles has been a family-run business for five generations. Friedrich Gilles started out with two boats over 100 years ago. The fleet has since grown. The 50-metre-long and almost eleven-metre-wide “Augusta” is the company’s most recent addition. It is designed for a maximum of 580 passengers, making it Gilles’ largest boat. The senior (built in 1931) and winner when it comes to nostalgia is the “Cäcilia”. The old dame is content with just 32 guests. Before the new panoramic boat found its home on the Moselle, it operated on the Main-Danube Canal. There it went by the name of “Altmühlperle”. But “Augusta” has a much more personal feel.

Campers enjoy boat trips

“We’re delighted to be operating again after last year’s shutdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Day-to-day business is going very well. We benefit from the fact that there are a large number of campsites around Koblenz. This brings us quite a lot of day guests who combine a river boat cruise with sightseeing or a hike on land,” says Dennis Gilles. A great idea. That’s what we’re doing. We break up our journey towards Winningen and alight in Moselweiß-Güls. We checked the hiking trail through the vineyards to Winningen on the map beforehand. From the jetty, we first cross over the railway bridge to Güls. We use the signs for the “Moselsteig” and “Rheinburgenweg” hiking trails to get our bearings. At the beginning of the trail, we follow the “Zuweg Moselsteig” markings. This access path leads a short distance through a residential area and then continues along a fine gravel path, past meadow orchards and crop fields. Finally, the trail heads slightly uphill to the vineyard “Winninger Bruchstück”. From now on, the steep vineyards and the Moselle flowing leisurely below us are our companions. Great views in both directions.

Fascinating dry stone walls on the steep slopes

A themed trail provides information on viticulture, so you leave the mountain wiser than when you started climbing. Another impressive feature are the artfully built dry stone walls that have secured the steep slopes of the vineyards for centuries and provide a habitat for animals deserving of protection like the common wall lizard or Apollo butterfly. We don’t spot either of the wall dwellers, but the family of swans we meet on a pond is also quite cute. The fairly easy hike – there are only a few steep sections – takes just under two hours. In Winningen, there is enough time to rest a little and get some refreshments. At 2.40 pm we stand at the jetty in Winningen and are greeted on board the “Augusta” by Sophie Hess like old acquaintances.

One-hour panoramic round trips in Koblenz

In addition to the two-hour Moselle round trip, which includes a lock, the one-hour panoramic round trips in Koblenz are highly recommended. The shipping company Gilles offers the Castles and Palaces Cruise, which passes, among other places, the Electoral Palace, Lahneck Castle, the mouth of the Lahn with Johanneskloster Monastery, and Deutsches Eck. The tourist magnet Deutsches Eck, where the Rhine and Moselle meet, is also part of the Old Rhine Cruise. Other sights include Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, Koblenz old town and Niederwerth Island.

NEW! EVENT CRUISES
Weekend trips
with KD Moment
[NETWORK NAME]

Klicken Sie auf "einverstanden", verlassen Sie unserer Seite und werden auf eine externe Seite weitergeleitet. Wir weisen darauf hin, dass wir keine Kenntnis vom Inhalt der übermittelten Daten sowie deren Nutzung durch [NETWORK NAME] erhalten.

Wenn Sie nicht wünschen, dass [NETWORK NAME] Daten über den "Empfehlen-Button" erhebt, klicken Sie auf "nicht einverstanden". Damit ist die [NETWORK NAME]-Funktion für Sie nicht nutzbar und Sie werden nicht auf eine externe Seite verlinkt, d.h. Sie bleiben auf unserer Seite.