Biker-Friendly Places to Stay in Mosel Valley

Landhotel Karrenberg is a country hotel near Kirchberg, on the Hunsrueck plateau between the Mosel and the Nahe. The plateau roads are open and fast, and the descents to the Mosel at Traben-Trarbach or Zell are full of bends, so you get two kinds of riding in one day. Our Mosel guide is within easy reach to the north. The hotel offers a garage, a covered parking area, somewhere to dry kit, wifi and suggestions for the day's ride. The hotel is outside town, so expect a quiet night.

This hotel is in Ruedesheim am Rhein, on the Rhine in the Rheingau, east of the Mosel. It is not on the Mosel: the Mosel guide's route starts in Koblenz, about an hour north along the Rhine gorge. The roads here follow the Rhine gorge, a UNESCO World Heritage area, with ferries across to Bingen and the Hunsrueck side. Bikes stand under cover, there is a place to dry waterproofs, and wifi and route ideas are available. Ruedesheim gets very busy with day visitors in summer, so ride early and enjoy the town in the evening.

Ringelsteiner Muehle is a country hotel in an old mill in the Elz valley near Moselkern, on the lower Mosel. The walk up to Eltz castle starts in this valley, and the B49 along the river, covered in our Mosel guide, is a few minutes away. You get a roof over the bike, a drying spot for kit, wifi, and the hosts' route suggestions. The Elz valley is narrow and wooded, so it is cool and quiet in the evening, and the climb up into the Eifel towards the Nurburgring starts nearby.

Opal Hotel is in Idar-Oberstein, the gemstone town in the Nahe valley at the southern edge of the Hunsrueck. The Nahe valley roads and the climbs up into the Hunsrueck and the Saar-Hunsrueck nature park are close, and the Mosel at Bernkastel-Kues is about 45 minutes north. The hotel has covered bike parking, wifi and suggestions for local rides. Idar-Oberstein has a church built into the rock face above the town and a gemstone museum, both worth an evening walk. A good base for exploring the hills south of the Mosel.

This grand hotel and spa is in Bad Ems, the old spa town on the Lahn east of Koblenz. It is off the Mosel itself: the river's mouth at Koblenz is about 15 km away, where our Mosel guide starts. The Lahn valley roads towards Nassau and Limburg, and the Rhine gorge, are close. The bikes get a covered space, and the hotel adds a drying area, wifi and route advice. The spa is a treat after a long day; book ahead, as Bad Ems is popular for short breaks.

Hegenbarth's Hotel is in Cochem, the castle town on the lower Mosel, right on the route of our Mosel guide. From here the B49 runs along the river towards Koblenz and Trier, and the climbs north into the Eifel bring the Nurburgring within about 26 km in a straight line. The owner rides a motorcycle and offers route tips. There is no garage listed, so ask about where the bikes are parked overnight when you book. Cochem is busy with visitors in summer, so ride out early and enjoy the town in the evening.

This hotel is in the old town of Ruedesheim am Rhein, a few steps from the Drosselgasse, in the Rheingau. It is on the Rhine rather than the Mosel: Koblenz, where our Mosel guide starts, is about an hour north through the Rhine gorge. The gorge roads on both banks, linked by ferries, make a fine ride on their own. A covered space for the bike, somewhere to dry kit, wifi and tips on roads are part of the offer. Ruedesheim is crowded in summer, so ride out early and walk the town at night.

This hotel and restaurant is in Gemuenden, a small town in the Hunsrueck at the edge of the Soonwald forest, between the Mosel and the Nahe. The forest roads through the Soonwald and down to the Nahe valley are close, and the Mosel is about half an hour north. Parking for bikes is covered, wifi is available and the hosts pass on route tips. The in-house restaurant means the bike can stay parked once you arrive. The Hunsrueck is quieter than the Mosel valley on summer weekends.

This small town hotel is in the centre of Schweich, on the Mosel just downstream of Trier. Our Mosel guide runs between Koblenz and Trier, so Schweich is a natural place to start or finish it, and the motorway is close for the ride home. There is covered parking for bikes, a drying area, wifi and local route help. Schweich is known as the gateway to the middle Mosel, with wine villages strung along the river to the east. The hotel has its own tavern, so dinner is easy.

Hotel Lellmann is in Loef, on the lower Mosel between Koblenz and Cochem, with the boat landing right in front. Our Mosel guide follows the B49 along this stretch, where the river bends below steep terraced vineyards. Bikes go in a garage or under cover, wet gear is dried overnight, and the hosts offer wifi and route tips. The side roads up to the Eifel to the north and the Hunsrueck to the south start close by, so you can mix river riding with hill bends. Eltz castle is a short ride away.

Winkelwerkstatt is a small hotel with a cafe in Kroev, a wine village on the middle Mosel near Traben-Trarbach. Our Mosel guide follows the B49 and B53 along the river, and this stretch is one of its most scenic, with steep vineyards on both banks. The name means corner workshop, and it fits: there are tools for small repairs, covered parking, a drying area, wifi and route advice. The cafe is handy for a coffee stop at the end of the day, and the climbs up to the Eifel and Hunsrueck heights start nearby.

Meisenheimer Hof is in Meisenheim, a small medieval town on the Glan in the North Palatinate uplands, south of the Nahe. It is well south of the Mosel, which is more than an hour north. The uplands here have quiet, twisty roads through farmland and forest, and the Nahe valley and Bad Kreuznach are close. Expect covered bike parking, a place for wet kit, wifi and help planning routes. Meisenheim's old centre is compact, so you can walk to dinner.

Ferienweingut Hugo Friederich & Sohn is a family wine estate with rooms in Briedern, a small wine village on the Mosel between Cochem and Zell, near Beilstein. Our Mosel guide follows the river here, with the B49 on one bank and quiet lanes climbing through the vineyards. Bikes can be garaged or kept under cover, there is wifi, and the family can suggest routes. Staying on a wine estate means you can try the local wine once the bike is parked for the night. Cochem, with its castle, is a short ride downstream.