Jun 19 2015

Fun Cities Along Moselle River Trail

Metz, France Starts the Moselle River Trail

St. Etienne de Metz Cathedral in Metz, France

St. Etienne de Metz

With so many incredible towns and cities located in Moselle River Valley, it’s hard to decide where to start. Metz is a great place to start your trail adventure on the Moselle River, so let’s take a closer look at it. I already covered some of Metz in the blog post entitled Bike Paths in Metz, France. But it deserves a quick update. At one time, Metz was even more important than Paris in both Celtic, Roman & early medieval times. This becomes obvious when you look at the incredible St. Etienne de Metz Cathedral and other buildings in and around Metz. Metz has continued to grow and evolve into a modern city that thrives along the banks of the Moselle. It is also fantastic place to spend a few days before beginning your journey on the Moselle River trail, also known as the Veloroute Charles le Temeraire in these parts.

Neumagen-Dhron on the Old Roman Road

historic building in Neumagen, Germany

Neumagen, Germany

You will visit many wonderful towns as you make your way down the Chemin de la Moselle (Moselle Trail or Moselle Path) but one of my very favorite towns in all of Germany is Neumagen. This ancient Roman town on the Moselle has more ancient history on every corner than most places have in their entire town. It was a prominent town because it is located at the intersection of two important Roman roads, the Via Ausonia and the Via Mosella. In addition, it really has a lot of character with trailside/roadside cafes, bakeries & shops. Some of the tour companies have you bypass Neumagen by suggesting you bike on the other side of the river. But remember, in most places, there’s a bike path on both sides of the Moselle, and you definitely want to head over to the right-hand side when in the Neumagen area.

view of the Mosel River Trail from the imperial palace of cochem

view of Cochem from the Imperial Palace

Cochem is a Trailside Treat

On the left-hand side of the river, you’ll easily spot Cochem, Germany. It’s bustling waterfront, beautiful architecture and, oh yeah, towering castle, make it hard to miss. If you go on only one side-trip off the Mosel River Trail, (Now that we’re in Germany, it’s spelled Mosel rather than Mosselle, but I’ll use them interchangeably.) make it to the Imperial Castle of Cochem. It’s a surprisingly short walk and very worthwhile. The castle was originally built in the 11th Century (my fave) then destroyed by the French, then rebuilt in the 19th century. On the way up to the castle, you can stop along the waterfront for some snacks and liquid refreshments. Then, keep walking upstream until you see a small tower with numbered markings going up the side of it. These markings represent how high the Mosel flood waters got in particular years. The very highest marking is from 1993, a pretty recent catastrophe. At this flood tower, you start your march up the stairs and pathway to the Imperial Castle. Stop along the way to take pictures, but save time for even more pictures once you arrive. Not only is the castle itself beautiful but the view from up there is absolutely spectacular.

view of the Imperial Palace of Cochem from the Mosel River Trail

view of the Imperial Palace of Cochem from the Mosel River Trail

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/19/fun-cities-along-moselle-river-trail/

Jun 16 2015

European Trail Foods

German-schnitzelTrail Food in Europe

I love the bumper sticker that says, “I bike to eat!” I’m not sure if that’s why I bike, but I certainly enjoy both biking and eating. So one essential ingredient in the whole European biking experience is the opportunity to try lots of different foods. Both the types and presentations of food are different in Europe. Some common foods over here, that are much less readily available at home include:

  • fish & chips in England
  • fruit-standscrepes in France
  • Quiche Lorraine in France
  • Pizza Napolitaine in Italy & France
  • fruit stands in France
  • gelaterias once only in Italy but now ubiquitous in Europe
  • bakeries in France & Germany
  • schnitzel in Germany

Food Presentation in Europe

strawberry pastry

strawberry pastry

As you can see by the photos, the presentation of food is a big deal in Europe. I’m not just talking at the expensive restaurants. So far, it’s been at every restaurant I’ve visited from mom & pop restaurants, trailside restaurants, food stands & even museum restaurants. Each dish is an edible piece of art. And serving sizes/portions and cost is fairly similar to restaurants in the United States.

Trailside Munching

Obviously I haven’t taken pictures at every place I’ve eaten. But I’ve certainly been impressed by every place I’ve eaten. The food

pizza Napolitaine

pizza Napolitaine

has been delicious, the service quite good and prices reasonable. Here on the Moselle River Trail, there is no lack of trailside food options. My only disappointment has been the hours the restaurants and food stores are open. It’s a little tough to get used to. All the hotels where I’m staying provide a fairly hearty breakfast, and I don’t start getting hungry until about 3

:00 (15:00). Well it seems that first, restaurants are often closed on Sundays and Mondays and … well they’re closed a lot. And the ones that are open on any given day are often open from around 11:00 to 2:00 then close until 7:00, then open up again. Even local stores keep similar crazy hours. The bottom line is, they’re often closed when I’m hungry. Maybe that’s why when they’re finally open, I enjoy their European trail foods so much.

gelataria

Does this panoramic photo make my butt look fat? No, but you may want to cut back on the apple strudel.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/16/european-trail-foods/

Jun 15 2015

Grand European Trail Tour

Purpose of the EuropeanTrail Tour

German Schnitzel Meal

German Schnitzel Meal

I love riding and hiking trails, and long distance trails are the ultimate. We have great long-distance trails in the United States, and I’ve enjoyed riding the following just to name a few:

And the list goes on. But some of the ultimate trails in the world, for history, for length, for scenery and for trail support are in Europe. So this trip is a way of crossing some of the world’s great trails off of my trail bucket list. And in the

process, I’d like to share some of my experiences on the various trails. Speaking of which…

City Plaza in Trier, Germany

City Plaza in Trier, Germany

European Bike Trails Included in the European Trail Tour

  • Moselle River Trail in Germany & France
  • Rhine River Trail in Germany
  • Bike Trail Around Lake Constance in Switzerland, Austria & Germany
  • Danube Cycleway in Germany, Czech Republic, Austria & Hungary
  • Bruges to Amsterdam Bike and Boat Tour in Brussels & the Netherlands

Information and Ramblings from the Trail

While on the Great European Trail Tour, I hope to learn oodles of information about the trails, European culture, customs from each country and maybe even a few words from each language. I’ll share information about the food, the people and of course the trails. For specific information about each segment of the European trails, feel free to use the “Trails” pull-down menu above and navigate to the various European countries and trails found within that country. Thanks for joining me on this trail trip of a lifetime.

BTW, I may have finally fixed the comments, so the first person to successfully leave a comment (below) on the Trailsnet trail blog gets a small European nation named after them. (All prizes based on availability.)

Swans on Saar River

Swans on Saar River

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/15/grand-european-trail-tour/

Jun 14 2015

Moselle River Trail: Metz to Perl

Autoreise frei means cars not allowed

You’ve heard of the Autobahn. I much prefer the Autos Banned. (-:

Chemin de la Moselle – The Moselle Trail or Moselle Path

I enjoyed yesterday’s bike ride on the Moselle River Path (It has many different names, and I’ll use them all. 🙂

First order of business is to announce that the bike path between Mez and Thionville has been completed and is open for business. Even many of the bike tour companies still have it listed as incomplete. But since I posted a blog about that section of the trail yesterday, I will mostly focus on the Thionville, France to Perl, Germany section of the trail in today’s post.

Moselle River Trail: Thionville to Perl

Trail Near Thionville

Trail Near Thionville

This portion of the veloroute has been completed for a number of years and has more of an old-world charm than the Metz to Richemont section. Trail travelers on this section will view centuries old churches, towering cathedrals & stunning riverside views. They’ll bike through vineyards, livestock pastures and scattered wildflower borders.

International Trail

One of the unique and memorable aspects about this section of the trail is the international flair. In one day, trail walkers and bike riders can explore three different countries: France, Germany & Luxembourg. The main route for the Thionville to Perl section of the Veloroute Moselle is in France and Germany. But a quick bridge-crossing

Beautiful trail landmarks

Beautiful trail landmarks

puts you in Luxembourg for a stroll along that side of the Moselle. You will find bike paths along both sides of the river throughout much of the Moselle (spelled both Moselle and Mosel, depending on which country you’re in.) corridor.

Moselle River Trail Questions & Answers

  • How busy is the trail? Surprisingly tranquil in early June. There is a steady flow of traffic with the majority, at this point, being locals out for a stroll or bike ride. Much like the United States, the serious bicycle speed demons stick to the road, so most of the bike riders are riding at a leisurely pace. As the summer progresses, trail traffic will pick up with more tourists enjoying the trail.
    Moselle Trail Charm

    Moselle Trail Charm

  • Can I buy food & drinks along the trail? At this point, stores, cafes & fruit stands are few and far-between, and their hours are pretty sporadic, so make sure you have a few snacks and plenty of water. However, you will come across occasional refreshment options near the trail. Sometimes you may need to leave the trail to find supplies.
  • Is there wildlife on the trail? Yes, but mostly ducks, swans & rabbits.
  • Do I need to know French and/or German to communicate on the trail? It would definitely help, but you can get by w/ the ubiquitous greetings of hello, goodbye, please & thank you. Surprisingly, you will come to many establishments where very little English is spoken or understood.
  • What type of bike is best on the trail? Comfortable is the short answer. You can
    side trail

    side trail

    Tranquil Trail Biking

    Tranquil Trail Biking

    ride any kind of bike, but a comfortable seat and handlebars are recommended over the  typical road bike or mountain bike style of bike. A bike with at least seven speeds is a good idea.

  • Are there campgrounds along the trail? Yes. They do not have any facilities such as water or even a bathroom, but they often have picnic tables and are mowed. For a map of this trail and more trail photos, please visit the Trailsnet Moselle River Trail: Metz to Perl page.
    Moselle River Trail panoramic photo

    Moselle River Trail panoramic photo

Continue reading

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/14/moselle-river-trail-metz-to-perl/

Jun 12 2015

Moselle River Trail: Metz to Thionville

Veloroute Charles le Temerarire

trail sign to help people on trail tours.

This way to great trail tours.

This portion of the Moselle River Trail is known locally as the Veloroute Charles le Temerarire or the Charles Temaraire Bicycle Path. It is named after Duke Charles the Bold. I studied the history of Charles le Temeraire in hopes that he was some glorious French leader worthy of having a bike trail named after him. I was disappointed. He was quite a scoundrel. But I’ll let you form your own opinion about this dastardly duke. So let’s start our journey down the Moselle River Bike Path in the beautiful & historic French City of Metz.

History of Metz France

Of course you can bike this trail in any direction, but the vast majority of bicyclists will

bike riders on Moselle trail

bike riders on Moselle trail

start their Moselle River Trail in the absolutely gorgeous and historic French town of Metz. Metz is located in northeastern France in the state of Lorraine. It has been an important town for over 3,000 years. Here’s an abbreviated history of Metz by era:

  • Celtic times – Metz was the capital of Celtic Mediotrius nearly 3,000 years ago.
  • Roman times – The Romans renamed the city Divodorum Mediomatricorum. Eventually the name evolved into modern-day Metz. During this period, Metz was a more important city than Paris.
  • Medieval years/middle ages – Metz was home to one of the most important Bishoprics in the Catholic church. This is why so many churches/cathedrals were built here.
    mirage numida is a water skiing lizard on the Veloute Charles le Temeraire trail

    Moselle Water Skiing Lizard

  • Reformation – … and then… The majority of the Metz population converted to protestantism. (out of the friar pan and into the fire)
  • 19th & 20th centuries – Germany occupied Metz twice until American military forces liberated Metz in 1944 and return the Lorraine region to French dominion.

You may be only in Metz for the Moselle River Path (trail), but if you only see one thing in Metz, you should visit the Cathedral St. Etienne. It is gorgeous and has the largest expanse of stained glass in any one building in the world. Oh, what the heck, also visit the Museum La Cour d’Or, and the Center Pompidou-Metz and the Basilica of Saint-Pierre-aux-Nonnains and the Chapelle des Templers and bike the local bike paths in Metz and… Maybe you should just plan a few days in Metz before you start your trail

bridge on the veloroute charles le temeraire

Bike Riders on Veloroute

excursion.

Bike Path from Metz to Thionville

This portion of the bike trail is known as the Veloroute de Charles de Temeraire. (from Metz to Aspach) As of 2015, this bicycle path is complete from Metz to Thionville. Therefore, you can now pedal all the way from Metz, France to the Rhine River in Germany. (and then ride some more on the Rhine River bike trails) The Charles le Temeraire Bike Pathi is very well signposted and, in general, quite easy to follow. However there is currently a very small section of the river trail that is closed. This section of trail is in Metz and may well be open by the time you begin your journey.

cold beer by French trail

trailside refreshments

That’s the good news. The bad news is that trail detours are not as well marked as the actual trail. So if there are signs, follow them. But if not, just stay as close to the trail as possible and get back to it as soon as you can. It’s not too difficult. If there’s a detour, it will take you away from the river. So your goal is to head back toward the river as soon as possible. The current closed section of the trail is less than a quarter of a mile, so it isn’t a major setback, and you won’t miss much trail. Another tip for staying on the trail is to follow signs that either point toward Thionville or La Maxe. In fact, I assumed La Maxe meant “The Trail” or “The Way” or “The Route.” I was wrong. It’s just pointing toward a trailside town named La Maxe. Easy Peasy.

Skip the Bike Train and Take the Bike Trail

Up until recently, bicyclists were advised to skip the Metz to Thionville section of the trail and just take the regional train (Bikes aren’t allowed on this TGV route.) to Thionville. This made sense since no one wants to ride their bike on roads. (Sorry road bikers.) Plus, the train from Metz to Thionville is ridiculously inexpensive, somewhere in the $5 range. But now that the trail is done, the train is so 2014s. It’s a pretty decent slog from Metz to Perl, but with a great trail like the

Veloroute Charles le Temeraire, you’ll enjoy the ride.

French soldiers march on the Moselle River Trail in France.

troops on the trail

Tips for Biking the Veloroute Charles le Temerarire

The bike path on this section of the Moselle River Trail is very nice, but often not very wide. You may need to use your bike bell when approaching groups of walkers or leisurely cyclists or … military platoons. That’s right… I said military platoons. This area is heavily used by the French military for field training, so you are likely to share the trail with a troop of dedicated but weary soldiers. You can’t help but feel sorry for these young recruits as they march in full uniform with absolutely huge packs and a rifle held, at the ready, in front of them. They are probably hot, tired and sweaty but, on the bright side, you are probably on the safest trail in the world. No thugs will be bothering you. It’s like you have your own private army to protect you. But make sure you alert these brave soldiers when passing them. All it takes is a little tinkle of your bike bell or a quick warning of “velo” to let them know a bicyclist is approaching them. Even though they are probably dog-tired, they will likely smile and greet you with a friendly French “bon jour.”

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/12/moselle-river-trail-metz-to-thionville/

Jun 10 2015

Bike Paths in Metz, France

velomet rental bike in Metz, France

Velomet rental bike

Metz Bike Rental Program

If you are visiting Metz, France, there’s a good chance you don’t have a bicycle. Well you’re in luck. There’s a bikeshare program in Metz called VeloMet that allows you to rent a bicycle for the extremely reasonable rate of €3 per day or €8 per week. The VeloMet “office” is locate right near the Metz Cathedral near the city center. This area is hard to miss because:

  1. The cathedral is massive and gorgeous and contains the largest expanse of stained glass in the world.
  2. There are signs all over town pointing toward the Couer de Ville. (heart of the town)

The address for the Cathedral VeloMet station is: VELOMET’ CATHEDRALE, Rue d’Estrées, Proche Cathédrale, 57000

St. Etienne de Metz Cathedral in Metz, France

St. Etienne de Metz

METZ. Although the price for the VeloMet rental bikes is quite reasonable, be forewarned; they want a €200 deposit and (this is the crazy part) they want it in CASH. They do not accept credit cards. So go prepared to pay the €200 plus the rental cost of €3 or €8. So now you have a bicycle to tour the bike paths of Metz, France.

Metz Bike Trails

You will find bike lanes all over Metz. Some of them are protected lanes and others are not. But the best part of biking in Metz, France is the bike trails.There are scads of them, and they’re awesome. Most of the bike paths follow along some sort of water route such as a canal or riv.er. Finding a name for these trails is nearly impossible. They

canal trail in Metz, france

swans in canal by trail

are not well signed and most of the locals don’t even know the names for the various bike paths. Some of the names for these bike paths may be:

Or not. These are logical guesses based upon the few signs along the trail.

But it doesn’t matter what they’re called, they’re beautiful and peaceful (on weekdays anyway). As you stroll or bike along the trail, you will likely see swans, flowers, houseboats, canal barges and castle/rampart walls. It’s like biking through medieval Europe with an occasional road crossing.

circuit des ramparts path

Circuit des Ramparts

Metz also has a more prominent and lengthy bike path known as the Veloroute de Charles Temeraire. It is fairly new and, once again, it’s extremely hard to get information about it from the locals. So I’ll be riding part or all of it tomorrow and writing a post about it right here on Trailsnet.com.

Permanent link to this article: https://trailsnet.com/2015/06/10/bike-paths-in-metz-france/