Must do Mosel....at last, we've made a start!

Our two day stop-over in Colmar meant we now had just three more nights of our summer holiday to go........the clock was ticking down, but we were determined to see just a little bit more of continental Europe before we headed home.

Ordinarily, I've passed-by Colmar many times on the final day of our holidays, heading for Calais in one drive (a distance of 400+ miles) making for Strasbourg, picking up the A4 toll route to Metz, then going toll free through Luxembourg, Belgium and finally making for Cite Europe ready for the Euro Shuttle the next day.

For many, I'm sure the distance involved is too much of a chore, however, I enjoy the drive (Belgium roads apart) and if you can get away early morning Cite Europe is easily reachable by late afternoon / early evening and certainly within sufficient time to conduct a last shop in Carrefour and use up those excess euro's!

However, on this occasion time was on our side and so I thought it best we make a slight detour to somewhere I've wanted to get to previously (on numerous occasions), but just never quite made it.

The Mosel in Germany has long been on our 'to-do-list', but for one reason or another it is still for us to explore. We have managed to take in Trier (the Christmas market is excellent) at the southerly end of the Moselle Valley and also enjoyed a stay at Deutsches Eck at the northern end where the Mosel meets the Rhine river; regrettably, all points in between, are still for us to discover!

Considering the time we had left of our holiday (and sensible driving distances) I elected to pay a visit to one of the more popular destinations along the Mosel River - Bernkastel Kues; situated in the middle part of the Mosel. Less than 200 miles from Colmar and not too much of a diversion for us to make for Calais, it was the ideal introduction for us to enjoy the delights the Mosel has to offer.

Unbeknown to us, we arrived just in time for the start of the annual wine festival (generally first week of September) and things were getting a bit hectic, with road closures in place and plenty of people getting ready for the upcoming festivities.

A view of Bernkastel Old Town from the Bridge. The famous Doctor vineyard in the background.

Regrettably, as we discovered later, our brief visit would not permit us to stop for the Saturday evening fireworks which light up the middle Mosel with a spectacular display over the river. This is something I'd definitely plan for next time!

The region is motorhome heaven with many stellplatz located along the riverside and at Bernkastel there was one in particular that caught my eye (in the vineyards of the iconic wine producer Prüm); however, the motorhome pitch sizes available did not fit with the size of our van. So, Plan B was to see if space was available at the SunPark stellplatz at Graach, approximately 2km from the town of Bernkastel.

Our Route to the Sun-Park Stellplatz, Graach

We arrived at Sun-Park pleasantly surprised to find that there was still a number of prime spaces available, but these were filling up fast as motorhomes were arriving in preparation for the wine festival.

The stellplatz is well laid out across four rows. Our observation of the layout suggests that the second row is probably the best option for parking - far enough away from the road noise, and near enough to the river (for a view) but not too near. Whilst admittedly the front row does have a nice river view, it is also alongside the cycle path, which has a steady stream of cyclists peering across at your van.........not the most private of pitches!

A street view bike tour of the Sun-Park Stellplatz

The stellplatz is within easy walking distance of Bernkastel (approximately 1.5 miles) and a footpath leads directly from the site straight into town along the riverbank. However, it is the 'bike' which rules supreme here (evident by the shear numbers) and is obviously the must have accessory for those travelling with a motorhome in the region.

Cyclists are certainly well catered for in the region and the cycle network is excellent at providing numerous opportunities to explore the locale and beyond. We unloaded our bikes and made for town, her ladyship grateful that we had managed to resolve her tyre issue in Colmar the day before!

The electric bikes really came into their own as we ventured off into the vineyards behind the old town, in particular the famous Dr Vineyard. Once at the top we were afforded spectacular views of the town and river below.

The Sun-Park stellplatz is in a great location and would provide a handy staging post for those who wish to explore some of the villages further afield by bike without having to move the motorhome.

Up in the vineyards you have a great view down the river valley

A view across to Bernkastel Kues and the bridge that connects the old town on the left.

The famous Doctor Vineyard which rises high above the old town

After a tour of the vineyards we returned back down to the old-town for some further exploration. The town provides a wonderful collection of medieval architecture, shops, cafe and ice cream bars to explore.

If you venture across the bridge to the opposite side of the river the town appears much more modern looking and commercial; clearly a step away from the more tourist driven 'old-town'. Here you will find a couple of supermarkets (Aldi being one), the wine museum, bus station and hospital amongst others.

Medieval architecture and cobbled streets add to the charm of the old town

A tempting open door!

An extremely thin house to be found in the old town

Our brief stop-over at Bernkastel-Kues was an excellent end to our summer vacation and we will certainly return here again.....hopefully, with more time to explore more.