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Mosel Valley Base - NOT Rhine Valley Base

Mosel Valley Base - NOT Rhine Valley Base

Old Aug 8th, 2014, 06:09 PM
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Mosel Valley Base - NOT Rhine Valley Base

This is replacing an earlier thread where I had my head somewhere else, and for some reason referred to the wrong town.

We’re mostly settled on our 16-day trip to Germany next month, but are still undecided on location/hotel for the middle 5 days in the Rhine Valley. We’ve narrowed it down to two finalists.
First option is Hotel Moselflair in Cochem.
Pros - Cochem seems characteristic of small-town Europe that we really enjoy. The fact that the hotel is right in town is a plus – we will have a car, but we don’t like having to drive somewhere to dinner every night, (we like our wine!) and there seem to be plenty of options within walking distance.
Cons – The hotel itself appears to be very plain, and comments on Trip Advisor call it comfortable but outdated. Other hotels we've contacted in Cochem have been either completely booked, or surprisingly unresponsive to questions about accommodations.

http://www.hotel-moselflair.de/cms/index.php/welcome

Second option is Blesius Garten Hotel in Trier.
Pros – Hotel itself looks a bit more elegant, and more suited to our general taste. Trier, though far from being a small town, seems very interesting, with lots to see and do, and lots of history.
Cons – The hotel is just outside of the city, but only about 3 km, or 2 miles, from Porta Nigra, which is kind of the center of town. The website mentions a bus that takes 7 minutes from hotel to town center. I wouldn’t want to drive and find parking in town, so we’d have to either take the bus, taxi, or walk the 2 miles, which isn’t a big deal for me but not everyone in our group of 4 may be up for that.

http://www.blesius-garten.de/english/index.php

Anyone familiar with either hotel? Prices are very close so not a factor. Or just weigh in on the merits of staying in either location. Thanks.
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Old Aug 8th, 2014, 06:22 PM
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One of the best spots we've ever stayed in…Beilstein...Rufusfirefly, wherever you are or went…thanks for this suggestion. Still gets rave reviews (we were there ten years ago). Busy tonight, but will send trip report with photos tomorrow. Every room faces the river!


http://www.hotel-haus-lipmann.de/

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Old Aug 8th, 2014, 07:02 PM
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Phillyboy - I am not familiar with your hotel, but --

Ahh, maitai beat me to it! Yes, Beilstein is a lovely place and the Hotel Haus Lipmann was one of my favorite small hotels ever. Friendly owners, beautiful rooms, good food - and a great setting. Beilstein is tiny, though, smaller than Cochem. I only stayed two nights so it wasn't a problem for me. Do you intend to base in Mosel for the entire 16 days? In that case, Beilstein might be too small unless you want to drive.

I believe I owe Rufus my thanks, as well. Danke schoen!
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Old Aug 8th, 2014, 09:25 PM
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Another vote here for Beilstein and Hotel Haus Lipmann...one of the highlights of our three month trip through Europe.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 01:40 AM
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Blesius Garten is a steal, the second best hotel in Olewig but far better value than the Becker Hotel up the hill. Becker does have some old rooms (newly decorated) but in the old building not the black and white thing next door and they are good value.

If you are in Olewig, then eat in the hotel (bar food is as good as the restaurant) also try and have a snack at Peter Terges's place and sample his sweet wines (another great value)

When you want to walk into Trier I suggest doing it through the vinyards and over the ridge into town, I'm sure Blesius can advise.

Lots of people like Cochem but for me it is too touristy, try say Traben-Trabach
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 05:37 AM
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Thanks for your replies. We did try Hotel Haus Lipmann in Beilstein, but they were fully booked for our dates. It's a very small place, only 5 rooms I think. And we weren't turned on by anything else in Beilstein.

soogies - These will be our only days in this area. We're starting with 5 days in Berlin, then picking up the car to get to Mosel/Rhine area, and then ending in Garmisch, flying out of Munich. We are set with lodging in the other areas.

bilboburger - Have you stayed at Blesius Garten?

Any other thoughts appreciated.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 05:38 AM
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Trier is good for one day only otherwise it is too far out of the action of the best of the Mosel, burg Eltz, the Rhine, etc.

Everyone loves Beilstein and the Haus Lippmann - and Beilstein is just upstream or upriver from Cochem at arguably teh most gorgeous part of the gorgeous Mosel Valley. Check it out!

http://www.hotel-haus-lipmann.de/

So so many folks here have praised the Lippmann - the proverbial family-run hotel in a tiny village - impossibly cute village.

Trier could be a base for exploring the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg but otherwise a long way from things of most interest.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 06:59 AM
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Too bad about Hotel Haus Lippman. We loved it.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 07:28 AM
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Stayed and eaten at both hotels on Oelwig strasse. Been to the wine festival there, been on a wine walk there, walked over the hills from there to the next river where there are more vinyards and the Trier University buildings, not very foreign touristy but very much the German place to stay.

Staying in Piesport this September for the Minheim festival. depending on dates you could drive over to the Pfalz and attend the Bad Durkheim festival (world's biggest wine festival) in mid Sept.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 07:55 AM
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Thanks bilboburger. We'll be arriving at either Cochem or Trier on 22 September, the last day of the festival, and the location appears to be another 1 1/2 hrs from either of our two potential bases, so looks like we'll just miss it. Rats! We love wine festivals.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 08:46 AM
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You will it you drive along the Mosel to Cochem and be sure to take the riverside roads and not the boring freeway - take the river road that literally hugs the river the whole way passing numerable wine towns and villages and the ubiquitous wine festivals - sure to hit one - and even if just for a few hours.

Bernkastle makes a nice short town - one of the cutest of the Mosel wine towns and one of the most famous for its Bernkastler wines - a commercial wine center for the region. You can drive along the river via Beilstein to Cochem.
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 09:22 AM
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Bernkastel has a wine library over the river, you go in and 2 hours later you come out drunk - E10 and 140 wines, take care
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 09:31 AM
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Zell is another cute famous wine town - renown once at least for Zeller Schwarze Katz or Black Cat wine that years ago was a hit in the U.S. as a cheap imported wine - kind of ruined its reputation but in Zell and the Mosel you have the real Black Cat wine, not some cheap swill designed as sweet wine for the then ignorant of wine American folks.

http://kimgiancaterino.squidoo.com/b...-schwarze-katz
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Old Aug 9th, 2014, 09:37 AM
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Zell is a very nice little town. We spent the better part of a day just roaming around up and down the streets. There are some beautiful hand carved front doors and gates throughout the town.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 09:04 AM
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A number of wineries along the Mosel have guesthouses in really pretty settings. We spent three nights at the S.A. Pruem winery , http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...alatinate.html , at Bernkastel, which I would recommend.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 09:45 AM
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sunrcr...the winery looks like a wonderful place for a stay...will definitely have to check it out next time we visit Germany.
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Old Aug 10th, 2014, 06:59 PM
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I love Roman stuff and Trier has much to see. I have stayed at the Romischer Kaiser and the Altstadt (same company, I believe). Both put you basically right across the street from the Porta Nigra.

I think Trier does a fine job anchoring the SW Mosel River valley. On the opposite end, Koblenz dominates at Deutsches Eck. Trier provides a nice jumping off station for a visit to the Hermit's Cell near Kastel, and as PalenQ mentioned, exploration into Luxembourg (Gen. Patton is among the many Americans buried in the American Cemetery there). The drive alongside the Mosel, as PalenQ suggests, is greatly preferred over the expressway and, in my opinion, usually more enjoyable than the Rhine due to the lower traffic volume.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 03:39 PM
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some of the restaurants along the river have a few rooms... we will be staying in weingut fries in kattanes again next spring... basic, but very comfortable. great restaurant and their own wines... 60E in may
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 08:53 AM
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Places like rhkmk mentions are neat stays - and one similar place would the the Haus Lipmann in a bucolic wine village - numerous rave reviews on Fodor's about it over the years.

http://www.hotel-haus-lipmann.de/
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 10:53 AM
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Thanks for all the replies. We decided on Cochem for this leg of the trip. So the basic, bare bones outline for the trip is to arrive in Berlin on Sept. 17, spending 5 nights at Palacina Berlin.

http://www.palacina.com/berlin/

We then pick up a car and head to Cochem for 5 nights.

http://www.hotel-moselflair.de/cms/index.php/welcome

Then on to Garmisch-Partenkirchen for 4 nights. Heard great things about this hotel.

http://www.hoteledelweiss.de/english/garmisch.html

We then spend a final day in Munich (been there before) maybe at Oktoberfest, and stay at the Hilton in the city on October 1 before flying back home the next day.

Less than 4 weeks to go, and ready to leave now!
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