Traben-Trarbach



Traben-Trarbach is one of the most charming wine towns along the Mosel River, in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. In addition to its vineyards, it is famous for its castle ruins and fine Jugendstil architecture.

Understand
Traben and Trarbach used to be separate villages on opposite sides of the Mosel River connected by a bridge. In 1904, the cities merged to become Traben-Trarbach. In 1969, the city annexed Wolf, a village 4½ km north of downtown Traben-Trarbach, also located on a bend in the Mosel River.



By plane
Mosel Flugplatz is a tiny airstrip on Mont Royal that serves small private planes.

Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is  east of Traben-Trarbach. Ryanair and Wizzair operate passenger service to/from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport. From the airport, a bus to Bullay operates every 2 hours and trains run regularly from Bullay to Traben-Trarbach.

Luxembourg Airport is  southwest of Traben-Trarbach

Frankfurt Airport is  east of Traben-Trarbach. Trains connect the airport to Traben-Trarbach. Buses (€16, 90 minutes) operate from Frankfurt Airport to Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, which is 20 km east of Traben-Trarbach.

Cologne/Bonn Airport is  north of Traben-Trarbach.

Metz-Nancy-Lorraine Airport is  southwest of Traben-Trarbach and has a few seasonal flights.

By train
Traben-Trarbach is a stop on the Moselwein-Bahn train and a 20 minute ride from Bullay. From there, faster IC or RB trains will take you further to Koblenz (1 hour).

By car
from the directions of Trier or Koblenz, take the A1 to exit 125 Wittlich Mitte. From there, just follow the signs. Alternatively, take the more scenic B53 route along the Mosel River.

By bike
Mosel-Radweg (Mosel Bike Route) is a marked bike route that runs from Metz to Koblenz and passes through Traben-Trarbach. The route generally does not have slopes.

Get around
The dual town can easily be explored on foot. To get to the hill top ruins, or just to the hills above town to admire the view, it's quite a walk up though. The same goes if you want to head to Wolf. A bike or car can come in handy for that.

See
Both the Traben and Trarbach sides of town have a pleasant and typical old flair to it, with timbered houses and many Belle Epoque details all around. Although the origins of both places go back to the Middle Ages, mass fires destroyed most heritage from those days. In 1857, the last city fire left 1400 of all 1700 inhabitants of Trarbach without a roof over their heads. As the town (united since 1904) grew into a major wine trading city - at the turn of the century it was second in the world, after Bordeaux- it was splendidly rebuilt after the latest fashion. Many of the buildings were designed by the famous German architect Bruno Möhring, one of the most prominent Jugendstil architects in the country.



Do

 * Hiking and biking - The tourist office has some maps. Easier paths are in the valley, but the vineyard hilltops have great views.
 * Wine tasting
 * Hiking and biking - The tourist office has some maps. Easier paths are in the valley, but the vineyard hilltops have great views.
 * Wine tasting

Festivals and events

 * Mosel Wine Festival - annually on the second weekend of July

Buy
Even for those who are not typically wine enthusiasts, it will be difficult to leave Traben-Trarbach without a bottle or two. And why not; it's the obvious souvenir and if you don't plan on drinking it yourself, your friends will likely be grateful if you serve them your own import wine.

Eat
Restaurants are scattered all over town, with options varying from 5-course gourmet cuisine to traditional and filling schnitzel and fried potatoes for around €12.



Drink
This is wine country. Some of the river bank vineyards have the names of the "Weingut" (wine house) it belongs to indicated in huge white letters. In town, you can try samples at really every tiny restaurant or café, of which there are plenty. Look for signs indicating Weinprobe or Weinverkauf or anything of the kind. Prices differ, but you'll typically get about 6 samples for under €10. Several of the wine houses also have distilleries, producing brandy and sweet liquors.

Sleep
Traben-Trarbach has a broad scale of lodging options, from top end hotels to lovely cheap camping sites. There are also many bed & breakfast style "Gästezimmer" available. Booking in advance is advised; otherwise, look for signs that say "Zimmer Frei" (Room free).

Go next

 * Cochem
 * Bernkastel-Kues
 * Zell