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Bernkastel-Kues claims the title of ‘Pearl of the
Moselle’ - with complete justification. It is a mecca
both for those who want to enjoy the quiet charms of the
region and for wine-lovers seeking out some of the
finest wines produced in Germany.
The town straddles the river and is enclosed by
dramatically-steep hillsides out of whose stony,
inhospitable soil the sunshine and soft climate of the
Moselle tempt the Riesling grape (the aristocrat of
German vines) to produce wines that are a connoisseur’s
delight, fruity, intense, and lingering long on the
palate. The local growers naturally offer the visitor
ample opportunity to taste their product!
At the heart of Bernkastel is the Marktplatz (market
square), an almost unbelievably romantic composition of
half-timbered, colour-washed houses with steep roofs and
gables, perfectly preserved and a refreshing sight to
20th-century eyes tired of the brutalities of modern
architecture. The square becomes a seething mass of
revellers at the town’s main wine festival in early
September.
And high above it all, guarding town, river, woods and
vineyards, stands the Landshut, the ruins of a
13th-century castle, which can be reached by a
not-too-taxing walk through leafy vines. |
