Lahnstein then Moselle, Neumagen-Dhron

Thursday, 19th September 2019

A first for this trip, fog!, only 7C at 08:00, but, the fog cleared and a pleasant 19C by lunch time.

An easy drive to Lahnstein, Camping Wolfsmuhle (N50 18'52" E07 37'40"), although, the last few miles, to the actual Campsite, seem rather convoluted, I don't recall this, from our last visit, although, it is nine years ago!

In the intervening nine years, the number of static caravans and Chalets seems to have increased, never a good sign IMHO. I somehow feel we will not be staying here long.

After a quick lunch, we set off, on bicycles, to explore the route to Koblenz. We follow a young lady, who appears to know where she is going, unfortunately, it is not where we want to go, and, we end up following a rather busy and complicated route, until we eventually find the cycle track heading for Koblenz, along the Rhine. On our return, we find the way we should have taken, along the banks of the River Lahn, to a Marina (with Beer Garden, stop for refreshment), then over a pedestrian footbridge, to emerge near the campsite. We clock up just over 13 miles. 

Friday, 20th September 2019

A very chilly 6C this morning, but, by the time we are set-up on the Moselle, it is a very pleasant 21C.

Although we have been to Camping Wolfsmuhle before, neither of us feel "comfortable" here, it has gone downhill.

I choose four potential Stellplatz or sites, along the Moselle, and off we go.

I had expected to drive along the Moselle, from Koblenz, but, the exit off the motorway was closed (roadworks), and, the Sat-Nav then routed on a good fast, but boring route of about 76miles.

My first choice was a Stellplatz at a Marina, Neumagen-Dhron, Marina Mittelmosel (N49.85257, E6.8927). 

It is right on the banks of the River Moselle, clean, tidy, well organised, clean and working Showers/Toilets, Motorhome service point, and, the real clincher, a Church five minutes walk away. It also has a pleasant village, within walking distance, and, the Moselle Cycle Route runs past the Marina.

It is pricey (IMHO) as Stellplatz go, at 17Euro/night, including EHU, but, it is nevertheless, clearly a very popular Stellplatz, we arrive at just on 12:00, and, there are only two places left. We, and the Dutch couple in the van behind us, nab them. They are adjacent, and the Dutch couple, now our neighbours, turn out to be very pleasant and friendly.

Booking in is a bit of a challenge, unusually, the Receptionist speaks no English, and, my few words of German are no help, but, we manage.

The Stellplatz is yet another "Cash only" place, so, usefully, there is a bank, and cash machines in the Village.

We check out the Church (Mass 09:30 on Sunday, so, Kathleen will have time to make my breakfast, before she goes to Church), and, have a little wander around the village.

Neumagen, is, according to Tourist Information signs in the village, the oldest Wine Making Village in Germany.

The rest of the day is spent reading our books, and,  lazing in the sun.








Saturday, 21st September 2019


A very pleasant 13C first thing this morning, then, 25C by lunch time.

We cycle along the Moselle, or, since we are in Germany, I suppose, I should say Mosel. 

Most of the way is dedicated cycle route, a little undulating as in places, the route goes through the Vineyards, rather than following the river bank.

We go ten miles before turning back.

There are lots and lots of people cycling, it seems like the thing to do on a sunny Saturday morning.

It being such a hot day, a stop at a Bier Garten is called for.













Some "shopping" is required after lunch. I think, perhaps, "the backpack" will be pressed into service. 

Wrong, I am despatched to find the Netto (about half a mile away, it turns out, isn't Google wonderful?).

In addition to the "essentials", I return with Chocolate (white for Kathleen), only to be complained at because Kathleen has not yet finished the last bar I bought for her (about a week ago!). So, while she is reading her book, I give her lessons in eating chocolate. I tell her, "it is easy, just sit then, read page, then, stuff some chocolate in your mouth, continue until it is all gone". It is not difficult is it?

We have another amusing interlude with the Receptionist, who speaks no English. Kathleen wants to use the washing machine. We are puzzling over the instructions, in German of course, when the Receptionist walks by. She gives us verbal instructions, in German of course, which does not really clarify anything. Eventually, she pushes a few buttons on the machine, and asks for the money to put in the slot. I give her 4 Euro, she opens up the cash box, changes to 2 x 2 Euro coins into small value coins and gives me back some more coins. According to my counting, I came out ahead. 

June 25th 2010 - June 29th 2010

Tomtom has her voice back, the volume had “accidentally” been turned down by “someone”.

Difficult to get lost in any case, it is simply a case of following the Rhine, which is pretty difficult to miss.

Reference yesterdays blog, we still have not encountered a bridge across the Rhine!

Geisenheim – Geisenheim am Rhein – ASCI2010-471

We have an excellent spot here.

We have a view over the Rhine.

I can sit and watch the barges ploughing up and down, when I have finished my chores that is.

Kathleen has her own little sunbathing area.

After yesterdays 18 mile ride, Kathleen cannot me motivated to do much today. We cycle only as far as the village (1 mile), to check out church times (it is Friday, so Sunday is fast approaching).

We find the church, and think we have it organised, we leave with a leaflet giving service times, and choose ourselves a bar to have a cooling glass of Rose.

The bar is run by a Sikh couple, who, it turns out, speak English (they were probably born in Leeds). Kathleen decides to ask them to translate the German leaflet into English for her. Only she could think of asking a Sikh for information on a Catholic church, and not see the irony of it.

We have English neighbours, Dennis and Trixie, from Snodland in Kent. They are the classic sort of pair you meet, 74 and 73 years old respectively, and still roaming across Europe in a campervan, they are leaving for Luxembourg tomorrow.

Saturday, we visit Rudesheim, a more touristy place, but nice once you get away from the “front” street.

We find another Catholic Church, this one has mass on a Saturday evening, so that is this evening planned.

Kathleen is in “topping up tan” mode, so I pedal off along the Rhine by myself, towards Wiesbaden, and get my exercise in for the day.

Just as well Kathleen did not join me, the cycle track on most of this stretch is gravel, rather than the smooth tarmac she prefers.

Late in the afternoon, a large number of campervans and cars arrive, all with kayak type canoes on their roofs. The cars and campervans are driven by people at least as old as us. They unload all of the kayaks and put them on the green beside reception.

I ask one of them what is going on. After we have got over my little joke about them coming to watch their team be beaten tomorrow, he tells me there is some canoeing event going on tomorrow, cannot quite understand what it is all about, but a sort of “Race for Life” in canoes as far as I can tell.

In the evening, Kathleen goes to mass in Rudesheim, then we find a place to eat.

Having eaten, we retire to a wine bar in the market square. It is just a wooden kiosk, with tables and umbrella’s set around it. The wine is remarkably good, and cheap. The clientele overflow the available tables and onto the park benches in the square.

We meet a young English couple, he is in the Army (at Munchen Gladbach), and she is a Teacher.

They are cycling along the Rhine, with their 11 month old baby daughter in a little trailer towed behind one of their bicycles, and are staying in small hotels along the way.

One of the things they tell us, is that tomorrow the road along he Rhine from Rudesheim to Koblenz will be closed to all motor traffic, and will be open only to Bicycles, Roller Blades and Pedestrians.

After the English couple have left to put the baby to bed, we are joined, or perhaps invaded is a better word by a whole group of Germans.

We think they are a family group, celebrating some occasion. They soon have three or four tables joined together, and all of the available seats, the proprietor even produces some folding chairs from somewhere.

It is just like a McCafffery family bus trip, taking over the whole place.

We eventually cycle back to the van, Kathleen dangerously drunk in charge of a bicycle.

Sunday, another beautiful sunny day. We decide to cycle into Rudesheim to see if the road is indeed closed, as we had been told it was going to be.

Sure enough, we find the roads, running along the river, on both sides of the Rhine, for a distance of 64km (40 miles) are closed to everything except bicycles, roller blades and walkers.

This we understand is an annual event, and judging from the huge number of people present, it is a very successful one.

Caught up in the excitement of it, we join the crowd and set off in the direction of Koblenz.

We do just over 7 miles (11km), before turning around and heading back for lunch, making 15 miles in total.

Kathleen is so convinced she could make it to Koblenz, if we had set off earlier in the day, the gauntlet has been thrown down, the plan is to return next year, on the same day and do the whole distance.

There are hundreds of people taking part, all shapes and sizes, and all ages from children to pensioners (like us I suppose!).






Every few kilometres along the way, they have set up seats and umbrella for shade, with stalls selling beer, bratwurst etc etc.






Everyone, young and old are having a wonderful time,

At one stage we pass the canoeists I mentioned earlier.

They have set off from the campsite where we are staying, just past Rudesheim, and are paddling their way down the Rhine to Koblenz.

Unfortunately for them, the river traffic has not stopped, and they have to compete with barges as you can see.

I did ponder just glossing over this part.

In the early evening I watched the England v Germany game in the World Cup. How humiliating to be beaten 4-1, while in a bar full of Germans who were enjoying their victory to the full.

Monday, we head west, towards the Moselle.

Bernkastel-Kues – Stelplatz

We find the Stelplatz easily, with the aid of the Tomtom.

It is associated with a Winery, and, is located at the end of a long tarmac track on the banks of the River Moselle, overlooking vineyards all around.

The chap who runs the Stelplatz is a card, he is very elderly (80 we are told), and he insisted on telling Kathleen, how exactly to open the box for the electric hook up.

He also emphasised, by telling her three times, that the box and the handle were plastic.

I can only assume they have met before and he is fully aware of her legendary patience when confronted with anything which does not work the way she wants it to first try.

There are spaces for about 45 vans, (all with electric hook up), but only seven occupied, including ourselves.

The nearest van is occupied by a very pleasant German couple, who even volunteer to bring shopping from the supermarket for us, on their motor scooter.

We get ourselves parked, it is a beautiful spot, overlooking the river, and just beyond the end of the stelplatz there is a cycle track into Bernkastle-Kues (about 2 miles along the river).

Naturally we cycle to Bernkastel-Kues and spend our time browsing around the quaint small town. It is so hot we are forced to have drinks and ice cream.

The place has several fountains and is full of half timbered buildings, still in amazing condition, and in everyday use as houses, shops and businesses

At one point we encounter a chap playing a violin in the street, the music is very good, so we decide to sit on the terrace bar of the hotel across the street and have a glass of wine, while we listen to the music.

Kathleen is feeling particularly generous and offers to pay for the drinks.

We must have chosen the most expensive hotel in town, two glasses of wine cost 9 Euro!, this plus the 1 Euro I had put in the violinists hat made it 10 Euro for two glasses of wine.

We decided the violinist must be a plant, put there by the hotel, to tempt people to sit at their very expensive terrace bar.

I continue my quest to try various items of German food, and Kathleen manages (in her best German) to buy various items from a small shop.

We emerge with Kartoffel Salad, Wurst Salad and a thing which looks like a cold beef burger, but is (we are told) called a Frikadel and is made of pork.

It turns out, the wurst salad is like poloney in mayonaise, the Frikadel is very nice, the Kartoffel salad is quite nice.

In the evening, as I wash the dishes, Kathleen begins playing her guitar, within a short time, she has attracted a German chap (Helmut), who also has a guitar, and says he is very much a beginner at playing it.

Things soon follow a familiar pattern, and Kathleen and Helmut are soon playing and singing together, Inger (Helmut’s wife) and myself, are allowed to join them (with wine of course) when we have finished our chores.

Despite our initial protests that we do not want to drink too much, nor stay out too late, we are there until midnight, with mosquito cream supplied by Inger, and three bottles of wine are consumed.

Tuesday, we say our goodbyes, exchange Email addresses etc, and head further South along the Moselle, toward Trier, which is likely to be our last stop before Luxembourg.

Schweich – Zum Fahrturm – ACSI2010-575

Goodness knows how you pronounce that!

The site is by the river, and we have a riverside pitch, so interesting views, but not the best site we have had in Germany.

The weather continues to be absolutely roasting hot. At home I would expect such weather to end in a thunderstorm, and I have the same expectation here, but when will it break?

I have another puncture!, this is my third puncture this trip, but I suppose, if you accept that I have cycled roughly 400 miles in the past three months, then three punctures is not really a bad average.

We venture out to check out the riverside cycle route, we plan to cycle to Trier tomorrow, but for today, we are content to cycle to Longuich and Roil, a total of about 10 miles.

In the course of our exploring we find a good stelplazt (Weinkultturgut Longen-Schloder p389 of Stelplatz book) which looks a better bet than the site we are on, and it is cheaper, so we may move there tomorrow or the next day.

June 23rd 2010 - June 24th 2010

Today we, head for Koblenz and the Rhine.

It is motorway almost all of the way.

It is so German, the traffic is so disciplined, with only the occasional sonic boom from a Mercedes, BMW or Porsche, breaking the sound barrier in the outside lane. The speeds are impressive, the odd stretchs of road works we encounter have speed limits, 120kph (75mph), and the contra flows are really slowed down at 110kph (70mph), the rest is unrestricted.

The Tomtom has lost its voice.

This means I have to keep looking at the screen to watch for instructions. Not too bad on the motorway, when instructions happen only every twenty or thirty miles, but a bit difficult in town, when instructions sometimes come thick and fast, plus you have to watch traffic, lights, pedestrians and cyclists.

Kathleen resorts to reading out the instructions in the style of a Tomtom "voice".

I suspect her of deliberately turning off the voice, so there is only one female giving orders in the cab. She denies this of course.

Lahnstein - Wolfsmuhle - ASCI2010-512

The site is full, but the helpful owner squeezes ourselves, a dutch campervan and five dutch caravans onto a bit of hardstanding beside reception!

He cobles together electric hookup for us all, and we even have free wifi at the van.

The site is by the River Lahn, (which I hoped this shot would show, but it is hidden by the trees on the left!) it is very pleasant.

Weather is sunny and very hot!

We cycle the 2 miles or so into town to check out the cycle route to Koblenz for tomorrow.

I note a small track running toward the river, which I assume is a short cut, or at least a traffic free route.

Kathleen will not take the risk on it being a dead end.

To be fair, she has been caught out by my "short cuts" before.

We find a way into town, and determine that it is 9km (just over 5 miles) along the river to Koblenz, so that is our outing for tomorrow.

On our return from town, undeterred by Kathleen's lack of faith in my navigation skills, I set off by myself to determine if my "short cut" is valid.

Sure enough, it is fine, there is about 20 metres of gravel track, then a footbridge over the river.

There is a marina on the other side, a pleasant bar and pleasure cruisers and house boats moored by the river bank.

A smooth, level tarmac cycle track runs all of the way to Lahnstein, and then on to Koblenz in one direction, and in the other direction to Bad Ems.

I know Kathleen will not take my word for it, so, I collect photographic evidence for her, as I go, that it is in fact a traffic free route, and that it is a "proper" cycle track.





There is world cup fever here.

They have flags everywhere. Germany are playing this evening and dozens of them are in the bar watching the game. Like England (who I learn have qualified for the next round), they have not covered themselves in glory so far. Everyone is hoping for better things.

Who says Germans do not have a sense of humour?

About half way through the second half, when they are ahead 1-0, and the crowd in the bar are willing them to seal it with another goal or two, one of the watchers (an elderly lady, dressed in Germany colours) decides she cannot wait any longer and must go to the toilet.

Everyone of course knows where she is going as she walks from the bar.

They wait until she is in the toilet, and then, even although there is no exciting action on the pitch, they raise an enormous shout, as if they have scored, she of course comes rushing out from the toilet.

Another cheer goes up.

Thursday, we set off along the route I checked out yesterday. It takes us along the River Lahn, which soon flows into the Rhine, so we end up cycling along the right bank of the Rhine, as we head for Koblenz. This bit of information is relevant later!

We reach Koblenz no problem, it is dedicated cycle route just about all of the way.

Koblenz is a major city, with an extensive  pedestrianised centre, with lots of shops, but I am able to steer us away from that pretty quickly, thank goodness. 

There are some beautiful park like areas by the river at Koblenz, but they are busy renovating them, so it is a bit like a building site, so I should really say, it will be beautiful when it is finished.

We cycle further along the left bank of the Rhine (ie the opposite bank to which we cycled along to get here, this is relevant), in the direction of Lahnstein, and stop for refreshments, then cycle a little further and stop for our picnic lunch.

We are able to sit in the sun, eat our lunch, and watch the barges and pleasure craft sailing past on the Rhine.

I have always been fascinated by the barges which ply rivers such as the Rhine.

I am told that some of them are owned and operated by a family, who live on board, and in fact a couple of barges do pass us loaded with cargo, and play pens set up on the rear deck for the children.

Lunch finished, I suggest to Kathleen, "why don't we just continue on this side of the river back to Lahnstein, rather than turn around, go back to Koblenz and retrace our route".

This is agreed.

The cycle track passes through smart residential areas, then into open countryside alongside the river.

The dot in the distance is Kathleen pedalling for England.

We scoot along, and in what seems like no time we can see landmarks on the other side of the river, which we recognise as being near Lahnstein.

The penny drops.

We cycled first along the River Lahn, which joined the Rhine. We are more or less back where we started, but on the other side of the River Rhine, which at this point is about a quarter of a mile wide, or so it looks!

Possibly the most sensible suggestion at this point was to cycle back to Koblenz, cross the river and cycle down the other side.

But I never like turning around and going back.

So I suggest cycling on along the river. My logic being "there must be a bridge soon".

When we eventually get back to the campsite, and we are able to consult a map (no of course we did not have a map with us, how can you get lost just following a river?), I find that the next bridge is at Weisbaden, about 60 miles further on!

We have noticed some, what appear to be, ferry landings.

Kathleen reasons there may be a ferry, and that she is definately NOT just cycling on blindly hoping for a bridge to appear.

We choose a ferry landing which looks the most significant, from among the three of four possibles, and sit oursleves on a park bench.

The ferry landing has a sign suggesting there is a ferry due in ten minutes.

Another cyclist stops, reads the notices (in German of course), and cycles on.

We begin to have an uneasy feeling about this.

Then Kathleen spots what she thinks is a small ferry leaving the opposite bank and heading across to our side of the river. It looks like success.

We watch as it slowly makes its way across the river, but then realise it is not heading for "our" ferry landing, but to another one further up the River, where we can see the lone cyclist who paused at "our" ferry landing is waiting.

We quickly jump on our bikes and peddle like fury to the next landing stage, arriving just as the other two passengers are boarding the ferry, we quickly get ourselves and our bikes onboard.

The ferry appears to be operated by just one man.

He begins by asking all four of us where we want to go.

It appears we have a choice.

All four of us reply "Lahnstein".

Quite what would have happened if it had not been a unanimous verdict I am not sure.

He does not seem overjoyed to be going straight back to Lahnstein, perhaps he had been hoping for a more exciting destination from us.

He casts off, once we are underway, he leaves what appears to be the wheel house and begins talking on his mobile phone, this causes Kathleen great consternation, she wants to know who is steering the boat!

But she soon settles down to be as happy as Kathleen can be, in a small boat, on a big river, happy in the knowledge she does not have to peddle to the mythical "next bridge".

Fortunately, the ferry landing at the Lahnstein side, is at a bar, so we disembark, and settle at a table for a beer.