2018-06-30 Alsace Wine Route Pont-a-Moussan to Trier

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Alsace Wine Route Pont-a-Moussan to Trier

Alsace Wine Route by Motorhome

Sometimes one is surprised by the behaviour of other motorhomers, like the people next to us here; they have not been out of their motorhome and have spent the whole time watching television. We know that because they are clearly visible through the window. Why come here and watch TV, they could do that at home. Of course they would think we were equally strange because we do not have a TV in our Hymer motorhome, or in our house. I guess most people will think that’s bizarre. 

Next morning we wake around 8.00am to the sound of another camper rumbling by, it is leaving Pont-a-Moussan, and we have slept in. We sit in bed and drink coffee, it is already very hot again.

We shower in the camper and decide on a route north over breakfast, we decide towards Trier along the Moselle valley and Route de Vins. We service the camper, emptying and filling what we need to (the water is empty and the toilet cassette full!) and get on our way:

D120 to the A31 to Metz and Thionville. South of Thionville we take the D654 to Sierch les Bains where we find a camping-car park and stop for lunch. At Sierch les Bains there is an old walled Cité with Chateau on the hill. We walk up to look, it is very hot, about 33°C, but do not go into the Cité as there is an entrance charge; we decide we will not have the time to walk around and look at the chateau. Back on the D654, we pass seamlessly from France into Germany at Schengan the Trois de Frontiers (where France, Germany and Luxemburg meet).

We continue on the 406 towards Trier, the countryside is quite different here, large rural areas without dividing hedges or trees and acres of cereal crops: wheat, barley and some oats. We decide to detour back to the Moselle river valley as we are not on the wine route. Cutting across country to 419 we continue north but get distracted by a campsite next to the Moselle river at Praizem. Here we take seriously narrow road, up with 90° bend over the railway and another 90° bend down onto the other side of the river. We follow along this very narrow track by the side of a fabulous campsite all the way along the river bank, but not for motor homes.

We wonder if we might need to turn around and go back over the narrow bridge, but find that the road joins the 419 again, so onto Wormeldange, we cross the Moselle into Luxemburg. The E44 takes us back into Germany where we pick up the Moselle river valley again. Not much evidence of wineries or wine tasting along this section, but the vines extend almost vertically up the hillside in places, just like the photographs! Taking route 51 to Trier, we find it is a moderate sized (university) town with some lovely old Roman ruins. We drive through the town to a small campsite on a winery owned by Von Nell, but there are only twelve places, all are already taken.

Back into Trier, we find the larger campsite at Treviris next to and overlooking the Konad Ardenauer Bridge. This is a large site for 100 motor homes, and at first seemed a little off-putting, but the site is spacious, with trees for shade and, although there are many campers here (maybe 60) they are all quiet and so spread out it does not feel crowded at all. We find a spot next to and overlooking the river and park up. We are next to the hedge dividing the cycle path from the river, so it is both private, quiet and with good views over the river and towards the town.

We settle in, open Fritz Crémant and are not surprised that this is the worst Crémant we have purchased! It is OK to drink but nothing special and, considering it is supposedly Domaine wine from the winery is not as good as cheap supermarket Crémant. It re-enforces again, that not all Domaine wineries are good! It is very hot again, about 33°C, so we have salad for tea with lovely French cheese and spend the evening outside, on the large camping mat under the trees.

Our trek through the Alsace tasting wine

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Summary of motorhome journey