Euro-Adventure 2017: Bernkastel

Bernkastel is a small, wine growing town on the banks of the Moselle river, about 30 miles down the river from Trier.  The town is somewhat unique because it wasn't damaged during World War Two; there are original 16th century buildings still standing. You will find narrow, cobblestone  streets, with real, live grape vines strung over the alleyways. Across the river, you'll find the town of Kues, and the towns are often referred to singularly as 'Bernkastel-Kues'.

The highlight of Bernkastel is the wine, and of course, the vineyards. The wine is grown on steep slopes, with Reisling representing the bulk of wine produced there. According to our guide, the best and most popular brand is Bernkastelar Doktor from the Dr H Thanisch vineyard. Apparently, there was a town doctor that cured someone with his wine, so the name stuck. Directly behind the town, our guide led us to what she called the 'suburbs', literally a three minute walk from the town center. This was the road running directly below the sloped hills, covered in grape vine. Here you will find the heavy, metal (I think brass) doors to the cellars that go directly into the hillside.

The day we were in Bernkastel there was light drizzle to steady rain, so the Nikon stayed in my room and I took pictures with my cell phone. There was heavy fog, which gave our time in the town an interesting feel.

With a castle watching over the town, and fog gently rolling across the hilltops, we walked under the grapevine arches through narrow cobblestone alleys.

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