Traben-Trarbach Travel Guide

Introduction

60km (37 miles) NE of Trier, 103km (64 miles) W of Mainz, 18km (11 miles) SW of Zell

Thanks to their central location on the Mosel, halfway between Koblenz and Trier, the twin towns of Traben and Trarbach have become the wine capitals of the Mosel Valley. Their gardenlike promenades are viewpoints for annual international speedboat and water-skiing competitions. The July wine festival attracts visitors from all over Europe to the old wine cellars and taverns of the towns.

Above Trarbach, on the east bank of the river, are the remains of the 14th-century Grevenburg Castle, the scene of hard-fought battles to gain control of its strategic position. On the opposite bank, above Traben, are the ruins of Mont Royal, a late-17th-century fortress built by the invading Louis XIV. You can wander about these testimonials to faded grandeur at any time, without charge. Another attraction is the spa resort, Bad Wildstein, with its thermal springs.