Matilda on Tour - Moselle and the Rhine Valleys - A Whistle Stop Tour
A few days exploring the Moselle and Rhine valleys — riverside rides, vineyard villages, busy tourist towns and plenty of changing scenery as Matilda slowly heads north again 🇩🇪🚴
Monday 18 May — Boppard
Day 79 — Leaving the Romantic Road behind
Rhine Valley, Germany 🇩🇪
Deciding to take a bigger step north today, we left the Romantic Road behind and headed towards the Rhine.
Thankfully the roads were fairly quiet for most of the journey, apart from a slow stretch around Frankfurt.
By late afternoon we were settled into a stellplatz tucked into a little valley on the edge of Boppard, enjoying the warm sunshine after a long day on the road.
An early evening walk along the river was exactly what I needed after the journe, fresh air, warm sunshine, and lots to see.
A lovely end to a long travelling day 😊
Tuesday 19 May — Rhine Valley to Cochem
Day 80 — Exploring the Rhine Valley
Moselle Valley, Germany 🇩🇪
Our priority today was simple — get the bikes out and explore the Rhine Valley ✅
A headwind on the way out slowed us down a little, but the scenery more than made up for it.
Our planned coffee stop quickly turned into brunch at a little imbiss on the promenade. Bratwurst for me, currywurst for Richard 😄
We nearly turned around afterwards, but thankfully carried on as the next town was brilliant.
A castle high on the hill, towers from the old town walls and magnificent churches dominating the skyline. We cycled up through the town and eventually scrambled onto part of the old walls for superb views across the Rhine.
The whole ride was a real treat — castles overlooking the river, endless barges and pleasure boats, geese with their chicks, and even a red squirrel, something that feels surprisingly rare back home now.
After coffee and delicious cake in the square at Boppard, it was back to the van and time to hit the road again.
Tonight we’re in Cochem beside the Moselle, making the most of these final weeks on the road 😊
Wednesday 20 May 2026 — Cochem
Day 81 — Following the Moselle
Moselle Valley, Germany 🇩🇪
A quieter sort of day today. The weather could not quite make its mind up this morning, so we took things slowly waiting for the promised brighter skies before setting out on the bikes.
After yesterday’s dramatic scenery, perhaps our expectations for the Moselle had crept a little high. The cycle route itself rather disappointing and less spectacular than we had imagined, but that is often the reality of travel — not every place hits you instantly, and not every day needs to.
Still, the ride gave us what it always does: fresh air, movement and another chance to explore somewhere new at our own pace 🚴
We followed the river from Cochem, detouring into a couple of small villages along the way. A few steep climbs up towards old churches certainly woke the legs up, but they rewarded us with lovely views back across the rooftops and vineyards.
Later we wandered around the centre of Cochem itself. Pretty in places, busy in others, and very much geared towards tourism at this time of year. Cafés and souvenir shops spilled into every corner of the riverside.
Wine on demand - 24/7!!
By the afternoon we both admitted we had probably seen enough. It was one of those days that was perfectly okay rather than unforgettable — and that is part of long-term travel too. Not every stop becomes a favourite, but every stop becomes part of the story.
The campsite has been fine for a couple of nights, though a little packed in for our liking, so tomorrow we point Matilda towards Belgium and the next chapter of the journey 🇧🇪
A whistle-stop tour of the Moselle and Rhine valleys. Beautiful in parts, busy in others, and good to experience — but not somewhere we felt the need to linger for long before moving on towards Belgium 🇧🇪
