Moselsteig Side Trail: Moseltalschanzen

Hiking trails & Routes

Moselsteig Side Trail: Moseltalschanzen

Hard

4.8

(172)

642

hikers

Moselsteig Side Trail: Moseltalschanzen

05:07

16.5km

630m

Hiking

The Moselsteig Side Trip to the Mosel Valley Schanzen trail runs between the Moselle towns of Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues and offers a variety of natural and cultural highlights. Stunning views, natural trails, picturesque side valleys, and the eponymous Graacher Schanzen await you on this circular tour.

The hike begins at the Moselle parking lot in Trarbach and leads you along narrow paths and steep climbs through the Kautenbach Valley, carved deep into the slate. Once at the top, the paths along the slope offer spectacular views of the Moselle Valley and the old town of Kues. You'll find numerous rest stops along the way. The Graacher Schanzen offer a historic highlight, as the fortifications were built in 1794 by the Prussian army to ward off the French Revolutionary armies.

The return route downhill to Traben-Trarbach shows you the scenic diversity of a typical Moselle side valley with forests, meadows, orchards and vineyards.

by MOSEL Faszination Urlaub

Last updated: September 17, 2025

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

2.12 km

Path Below the Vineyards

Highlight • Trail

Very nice path below the vineyards.

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5.20 km

Bischofsmütze Rock Formation

Highlight • Natural Monument

A striking rocky cliff with a great view and a bench.

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10.6 km

Maria Zill Shelter with a View of the Moselle and Bernkastel-Kues

Highlight • Mountain Hut

Magnificent panoramic views over the Moselle River from a plain with only some woodland at the edges. It would be an unfortunate spot to be caught in a storm—which is why this shelter is conveniently located here.

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11.3 km

Stone Path in the Moselle Valley Forest

Highlight • Trail

The trail is a welcome change for hikers of all ages.

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11.5 km

Traver Kupp Viewpoint

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Traver Kupp is a viewing point with seating below the Graacher Schanzen ski jumps. The view 🤩 down into the valley is worth the bike climb up here👍🏻. You'll lose some energy, just like your battery 🔋. Nothing comes from nothing.

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Tip by

16.0 km

Scenic view of Traben-Trarbach

Highlight • Viewpoint

Great view with a short break.

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Tip by

16.1 km

View of Grevenburg Castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

You also have a great view of the castle ruins from the tower in Traben-Trarbach.

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Tip by

16.5 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

10.9 km

4.16 km

623 m

547 m

214 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

6.53 km

4.34 km

3.47 km

1.21 km

481 m

349 m

121 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (430 m)

Lowest point (100 m)

Weather

Monday 19 October

9°C

4°C

35 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 20.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 24, 2026,Moselsteig Seitensprung: Moseltalschanzen (fast)

Getting an early start isn't our thing right now: After we had already set off late anyway, we wasted a relatively large amount of time looking for parking and then parked a bit off the actual trail.
So we didn't set off until around 12:30.

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July 5, 2024,🏞 Wanderung von Traben-Trarbach 🏞

My brother and I have now arrived in Traben-Trarbach on our MOSEL bike tour. Where our father took us on holiday 45 years ago. We remember that a glass of Federweisser cost 50 Pfennig (the equivalent of 25 cents) and that after 3 glasses 🍇🥂 we got our first drunk 🤪😃 (Federweisser is a product made from freshly pressed fermented …

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April 8, 2025,Moseltalschanze und Grevenburg

I started at the thermal baths in Traben Trabach. The route led past the Bischofsmütze and Maria Zill to Traben Trabach. A detour to Grevenburg Castle was a must. It was a fantastic route with many views, rustic paths, and gentle elevation gains. Spring is already in full bloom here, with the magnolias already showing their delicate green. Dandelions and …

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April 27, 2025,Seitensprung Moseltalschanzen

A very beautiful tour, but also strenuous, yet somewhat unspectacular. There are repeated long uphill sections over beautiful, narrow forest paths lined with chickweed (I googled it 😉). Highlights include the rest bench at the Bischofsmütze mountain and the "Maria Zill" lookout point. The Elf Trail for children, starting at Bad Wildstein, is also very cute. This trail follows our …

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May 5, 2024,Moseltalschanzen Wanderung

More about the route: xn--schne-aussicht-xpb.de/moseltalschanzen

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June 24, 2023,Moselsteig Seitensprung Moselschanzen

The Moselschanzen or Graacher Schanzen are the remains of an 18th century defense system.
Started by the Prussians in 1794 and then (because of superiority) left to the French without a fight, who continued to build them.
Even before completion, however, the work was abandoned again in 1796 due to an armistice ...

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September 20, 2025,Moselsteig Seitensprung: Moseltalschanzen

The start and finish is the parking lot on the banks of the Moselle in the Trarbach district of Traben-Trarbach. Due to the length and elevation gain (which are increased compared to the original due to a few small detours, such as the Wildstein), this is a somewhat strenuous tour.

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April 17, 2022,Seitensprung Moseltalschanzen

The tour is very varied. Goes from forest - and field paths, lonely single trails, on the still populated Moselsteig, as well as into Trabach. I found the tour itself to be a bit challenging/sporty. It feels like there is more up the mountain than down. The ski jumps flank the path for about a kilometer.

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June 21, 2024

The Moselsteig Side Trip to the Mosel Valley Schanzen trail runs between the Moselle towns of Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues and offers a variety of natural and cultural highlights. Stunning views, natural trails, picturesque side valleys, and the eponymous Graacher Schanzen await you on this circular

Translated by Google •