Have you ever wondered what it’s like to stay in an authentic German wine town? Well, we had just that experience in Reil Germany on the Mosel! Over one month, we lived and worked out of a tiny village on the Moselle River. Here’s what to know about the simple life in Reil, all about the local wine and wineries, and what to expect on your Germany visit.
How We Ended Up in Reil Germany
First off, you might be wondering how we ended up in Reil to begin with. It all started when we decided to take a trip with Boat Bike Tours through the Moselle region.
Our one week cycling adventure would take us through France, Luxembourg, and Germany, before ending in the popular town of Cochem. During the planning stages, we knew we would need a quiet place to unwind and work afterwards.
Funny enough, we would actually pass through Reil quickly during our bike tour! The Moselle is an area of Germany we’d never been before, so we were so excited to see it. This led us to hopping on Airbnb to find the best options.
To be honest, there weren’t a ton of long-term accommodations available along the Moselle River. However, we found a spot with a view that was right next to a local winery.
It looked like the perfect place for us. So on a whim, we booked an apartment in Reil Germany, and headed off on our biking trip.
Staying in a Small Moselle Wine Town
Honestly, we had no idea what we were in for. We’d never heard of Reil Germany before or spent any time traveling in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.
Our apartment rental (this is the one) was through a super friendly family that also runs the Arns Winery. They specialize in Riesling, which is the primary type of wine in Reil Germany and the Moselle Valley.
They’ve been making wine for several generations and the son recently took over the business. He couldn’t of been nicer, and gave us so many great tips about places to visit during our stay.
Now, we should tell you a little bit about the actual town. To be honest, Reil Germany is more like one big neighborhood on the Moselle River!
There is no grocery store or even a local bakery to speak of, which is quite rare for Europe. However, there were big grocery stores just a 10 minute drive away in both directions.
We would make many visits to Zell and Traben-Trarbach anyway over the course of a month, so it wasn’t a big deal. It ended up being an amazing long-term apartment for us for more reasons than one.
One fun thing about the summer was the bakery truck that passed by every morning. It would drive through the campground on the water around 9am selling bread and pastry treats.
The highlight of our one bedroom apartment was the definitely the balcony. From there, we had scenic views of the Moselle River and endless hillside vineyards. We spent many hours working here, drinking wine, and watching the boats go by.
The Amazing Reil Mosel Wine
While Reil Germany didn’t have any grocery stores to speak of, there was no shortage of great wine! Really, that’s putting it lightly.
In between the traditional houses and beautiful flowers, there were dozens upon dozens of local weinguts (wineries in German) to enjoy. We were a little spoiled as we were literally staying at the apartment of a vineyard owner.
One of our favorite days was when he took us for a tasting a couple doors down the street. We were able to try 6 different wines from grapes grown all around us in the Reil Germany hills. What an awesome experience!
Over the month, we would stop into many of the local wineries to taste their delicious Riesling. It comes in dry, semi-dry, sweet, or sparkling.
Some of the Reil Germany wineries even have small restaurants attached to them where they serve traditional specialties. Some of our favorite spots to eat and drink were Saloon Reil, Ferienweingut-Strausswirtschaft Kurt Schuh-Sausen, and a pop up restaurant on the water.
We especially frequented the Alexandra Müller weingut often which is right on the Moselle River. They have a gorgeous garden where you can sit and enjoy a glass (try wine #16 on the menu!)
Sometimes, we would even take a bottle home with us to enjoy on the balcony. It’s usually 2 to 3 Euros cheaper to get it takeaway instead of having it at the winery.
Reil Germany Wine Festivals
Oh, you thought we were done with the wine portion of this article?
One of the best parts about visiting the Moselle Valley in the summertime is the abundance of events going on. Just about every weekend, there was a different wine festival somewhere around us.
Some of these were parties put on by the town, and a chance for the wineries to showcase the different blends to the public. There are typically multiple kiosks where you can taste the wine from each vineyard and plenty of food stands as well.
They are all very family friendly, so it’s not just for adults. There were also weekends where the parties were held at specific wineries with live music.
Needless to say, when we discovered what was going on every weekend, we made sure to get our work done during the week! We were always excited to see what the next big wine festival would hold. There were even some on the river in Reil which made it an easy decision for us to attend.
Usually, we would see what was going on from posters that were placed around town. The official Visit Mosel website is a great place to look, too.
More to See Around Reil Germany
As you can tell, we truly enjoyed our stay in the small town of Reil Mosel! Additionally, it made for a great base to explore more of the area.
We were traveling with our own car here which made it easy to get around. If you’re visiting on vacation though, you’ll want to check out the prices for car rentals.
Some days we would hop on the wine train that goes from Bullay to Traben-Trarbach. It makes a stop right in Reil so we could go in either direction. There is even a bus that picked up right across the bridge from our apartment.
Zell is where the famous Black Cat wine comes from, and a place we went often on our free days. Some of our other favorite towns along the Moselle River were Bernkastel-Kues, Beilstein, and Cochem.
We took an amazing hike in Bremm above the Calmont Vineyard, which is the steepest in all of Europe. If you have time, you should also make a stop in Saarburg and the ancient city of Trier Germany.
Is Reil Germany Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! While most travelers will only make a quick trip here on a longer Moselle itinerary, it’s so worth a visit.
If you’re looking for the quintessential small German wine town, Reil Germany could be for you! Just be aware that the best time to visit is during the summer or fall during harvest season.
Outside of that, you’ll find the restaurants and Reil Germany wineries to be closed. For us, it was such a memorable stay in the Moselle. Be sure to visit here, even if it’s just for a glass of Riesling!
Have any questions on this article or want to share your own experience in Reil Germany? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
