After an afternoon sail along the green banks of the Moselle/Mosel River we arrived in Bernkastel around 7 PM. The Ramblers spent the afternoon on the top deck enjoying the scenery while the River Queen’s pastry chef orchestrated a demonstration of apple strudel making. Since I have made more than one myself, the scenery had more appeal. They do a good job though, stretching out the dough rather than cheating and using puff pastry. We could have strolled around in Bernkastel after dinner but instead spent a leisurely evening in conversation in the lounge.
The next morning the river was very still and reflected the quaint houses on the other side of the bank. It looked to be another warm and sunny day. We were scheduled to take a stroll through the picturesque village of Bernkastel and then visit the famous winery, Dr. Pauley Bergweiler. The winery tasting room was an easy walking distance from our dock in town. The Gentle Walker’s guide this morning was a personable Australian Ex-pat who obviously enjoyed her job. We set out a a modest pace which the Ramblers appreciated. Yes there were cobblestones but not particularly lumpy ones. As it was fairly early, Bernkastel was not crowded with groups from other boats. This sometimes happens, and smaller villages like Bernkastel are often congested as the medieval streets are fairly narrow. However tourists must share the pavement with delivery vans in the morning. Fortunately we had no problems navigating Bernkastel which is joined with the village of Kues on the other bank of the Mosel. Kues was the birthplace of Nikolaus von Kues (Cusanus) a medieval philosopher and mystic, cardinal and scholar. His heart is buried in the chapel of St. Nikolaus-Hospital which he founded in the 15th century as a hospital and care center for the sick and aged. The hospital library contains an excellent collection of rare and ancient books and amazingly still functions as a retirement home after over 500 years. Wish we could have visited the hospital, not only because nearby is a wine museum and tasting room,(the Weinkulturelles Zentrum) which offers 150 varieties of wine to taste, hopefully not at one time!
As we walked along the narrow main street of Bernkastel, we passed many gabled timber-frame homes dating to the 1600s, as well as the oldest, the narrow house called the Spitzhauschen or Pointed House which was built in 1416. Similar homes also surrounded the market place which was of course paved with cobblestones and slowly angled upward. The road would eventually turn into a steep 1/2 mile path which ends at the ruins of Landshut Castle. The castle was built in the 9th century and served for a long time as the summer residence of the Archbishops of Trier but was destroyed by fire in 1692.. Today it is an interesting ruin with a great view of the river and the vineyards surrounding the Mosel. Not fancying a steep 1/2 mile uphill climb, the Ramblers did not visit Landshut. Later we learned that there was a little bus that took visitors to the top, and even a beer garden to visit next to the castle.
Instead the Gentle Walkers followed our guide through the ancient Graasch Gate of Bernkastel and onto the main plaza and fountain. The coat of arms of the town is visible above the gate entrance; of course they feature a black bear although there are no black bears in Europe. We especially like the fountain on which several bear cubs playfully gambol which is in the center of the Platz am Barenbrunnen or the Square at the Bear’s Fountain.
We then headed towards the the famous wine cellar of Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler for a wine tasting. The winery is surrounded bu a high fence and entered through a beautiful pair of bronzed gates. The current owner of the wine estate, Dr. Peter Pauly, has a PhD in agricultural science and is descended from two families who have been making wine since the 12th century. He took over from his grandfather Zacharias Bergweiler while still a student, This was not an easy task as his grandfather had been one of the most respected vintners on the Mosel. However Dr. Pauly has been up to the task, as their Riesling wines in particular, are known world wide. These grapes are grown on steep, difficult to cultivate river valley hillsides.
After walking through the reception area, we headed to the cellar where the Dr. Pauly expert awaited us to lead us through our tasting. Although the Rambler is not much for drinking wine at 10 AM, the tasting was interesting as we learned not only about the varieties of grapes used but also the history of this very famous winery. Its vines line the steep slopes leading down to the Mosel.
Afterward we had some time to wander around Bernkastel on our own and eventually found our way to outdoor seating of a small restaurant on the bank of the river. There we enjoyed a tasty apple cake with a substantial dollop of whipped cream and a strong American style coffee. Our morning in this delightful town offered all the best of river cruising, an interesting tour as well as time to enjoy the small town on our own. On the way back to the boat, we noticed an American style three wheel motorcycle, a perfect photo op for me with the Senior Rambler
Fortunately we made it on board with plenty of time as the River Queen would soon be on the way to our next stop, Boppard.
