Ürzig Germany – Mosel Hidden Gem 2023

ürzig: The Pearl of the Middle Mosel River Valley

If you dream of off-the-beaten path half-timbered wine villages littered with cozy alleys so narrow you aren’t sure a compact car could get through, then a visit to Ürzig Germany is for you.

The tranquil village of Urzig is filled with tempting restaurants, stunning hikes, and tiny wine tasting rooms staffed by one of the 30 family-run wineries from the steep hillside vineyards.

Less popular than it’s neighbours Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues, Urzig offers space to soak up the local atmosphere without crowds. It offers some of the most dramatic Mosel hiking experiences along the 365 km long Moselsteig route.

You can keep it easy or try a tiny Klettersteig (or via ferrata) with metal ladders to traverse the 2000 year old vineyards between wine tastings.

📸 Check out my quick Insta stories to feel the vibe of Ürzig. Read until the end where you’ll find the best places to stay.

Urzig Wine and Hike

^TL;DR 1 Easy and 1 hard hiking loop from this half-timbered wine village with a downloadable & detailed wine tasting guide to find your favorite Riesling (and then have it shipped to your home).  The Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling is a strong contender for the best!

Urzig Germany – Wine Hikes, Harley Rides and Klettersteig

Detailed Ürzig Wine + Hiking Guide with GPS

Related reading:

• Top 17 Best Things to do in Cochem
• Best Things to do in Oberwesel on the Rhine
• Best Things to do in Beilstein on the Moselle

Only an hour from the KMC, Urzig is in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.  This dayhike is a section of the greater multi-day Moselsteig hiking path that wanders alongside the Mosel river from France in the West to it’s natural end in Koblenz, Germany.

This hike is for you if you want to feel the grape leaves brush your arms as you walk through ancient vineyards up and down gorgeous cliffs.

⛰️2nd Trail Guide: Ürzig Winery Loop Hike Non-Ladder Alternative : BLUE

GPS Urzig Hiking Guide

Free Google Maps Guide: Just follow the blue dot to never lose your Way.

​​How to use this map: Click on the image or link and it will go to google maps. Use your computer mouse or fingers to zoom in and out. Click on the icons to get more information. Click the arrow on the top left corner for the written index. Click the star next to the title of the map to add this map to your google maps account. To view the saved map on your smartphone or PC, open google maps, click the menu button, and go to “your places”/ “maps.”

Komoot App with GPS Tracking:  You get one free zone with this app to download offline.  Here’s a detailed guide on how to use Komoot.

https://www.komoot.com/tour/913376768?ref=wtd No Ladders Version

https://www.komoot.com/tour/928728724?ref=wtd With ladders 

🥾😓 Feeling Overwhelmed Planning a Hike? Use my custom-built online Hiking Time Calculator for Non-techie People.

Some of the links on my blog are affiliate links and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase. – Morgan

Who is This Guide NOT for and What are the Alternatives?  

Seeking an adventure isolated from people?  The ends of this trail can be crowded during the high season.  The mid sections will likely be fairly relaxed. I went on Father’s Day which is a national drinking/hiking holiday for German families and it wasn’t too bad.  I really only saw 2-3 other groups of hikers once I hiked out of the villages.

If you want something more wild, more naturally dramatic try hiking the Dolomites in Italy.  The Alta Via 1 trek offers delicious food but with a smidge (well, more than a smidge) more effort you can have your breath taken away at every bend in the trail.

This guide is also not for strollers.  There are sections that would be great for backpacking your kid with a comfortable Osprey Baby Carrying Pack.

An alternate German hike that includes dramatic cliffs and castles is the Stage 4: Castle Way Rheinsteig hike just 1 hour north of Kaiserslautern.

Want a real adrenaline rush?  Skydive tandemly over Frankfurt to get a real view!

Best Hotels in Urzig 

(so You can Enjoy that Wine Hiking)

Stay in a Historical or Castle Hotel Nearby

Check out the links here from Booking – I always use them for my city and multi-day hikes because they are trustworthy and helpful to keep organized.

German castle hotels dot the entire country making for a unique hotel experience.  Close to the Mosel River, the Rhine River has castles about every 2.5 km in the UNESCO Upper Middle Rhine Valley Gorge.  

Hop over to the Rhine after your hike and stay at one of the many luxurious Castle Hotels on the Rhine.

Best Overall Hotel for Authentic Experience: Schloss Lieser

💖💖💖 Schloss Lieser Castle Hotel  If you want to go for the real deal and enjoy a luxury stay, go to the exquisite Schloss Lieser a few minutes down the river.  This PALACE hotel includes ALL the luxuries, sauna, 24 hour service, hotel, pool, bar, and even air conditioning – rare for Germany. 

Best Riverside Hotel and Restaurant

💖 Zur Traube hotel and restaurant overlooks the sweet Mosel river and offers a location that cannot be beat.  Perfect for sipping cappuccinos in the late morning and watching bike riders mosy on by. It’s family run and moderately priced. 

Best for Families

💖 Hotel Zehnthof sits next to the river with clean and comfy rooms and a delicious breakfast service in the morning. 

Best for Budget Hikers

💲Going budget and have an SUV?  It’s completely legal to sleep in your car (but only one night in each place) in Germany in a parking lot.  Make it comfortable with a comfy SUV air mattress.

Top 8 Things to Do in Urzig Germany

Go to a Local Winery in Würzgarten

Located in between it’s famous neighbor wine villages of Traben-Trarbach and Bernkastel-Kues, Urzig offers an off the beaten path alternative for a more authentic Mosel winery experience.   And it’s super steep vineyards will continually make you ask, “How did they harvest these grapes without dying??” Urzig top attractions include it’s world famous wineries, hikes and restaurants.

Comprehensive List of Wineries (Weingüter) in Ürzig

Comprehensive list of Urzig wineries in plain English. Take out the guesswork with this FREE comprehensive list of the wineries and wine hotels with clickable links of locations, websites and offerings in Urzig. Download for free.

Guided Wine Tasting in English

For the FULL Middle Mosel Wine Tasting experience, this Full Day Wine Tour of the Mosel Wineries will leave you with a great appreciation and knowledge of the Mosel Wine Scene.  The guide will pick you up and your hotel and escort you for 6-10 hours to taste and meet local family-owned and operated wineries.

For a shorter tour, only 45 minutes up the road is the Weingut Basten with a half day guided wine tasting tour with small plates. Learn about the wineries and taste the results of the vines you just climbed through. 

Wine Fest with Harleys : Sturgis meets Riesling

South Dakota and wine fans rejoice!  Imagine riding your Harley-Davidson hog around a winding, perfectly paved German riverside road with cliffs of autumnal colors and vertical vineyards for miles and miles. Yes, Urzig hosts an annual Harley wine fest each mid-August. For more info: https://www.uerzig.de/wein-tourismus/

Urzig Travel and Wine Village Attractions

These cliffs have been cultivated for wine for literally thousands of years!  Visit an ancient Roman Wine Press at the base of the ladders from 2000 years ago or check out the village Sundial next to the village garden alongside the river.

Bike the Mosel River – Radfahren

The path along the Mosel is serene and smooth and 100% riverside through this gorgeous river gorge. I had b&b reservations every 15km or so and a plan that was canceled due to covid, but it’s still on my outdoor travel wish list.  

The Euro Velo app provides incredibly detailed long distance bikepacking and cycling tours around Europe.  It’s a free and super useful planning app.

If you want something done for you, this guided Mosel Bike tour with lunch and a boat ride included is in nearby Cochem.

Go to a Flea Market – Urzig Flohmarkt

Like antiquing in New England. Live your best cultured life leaf-peeping and going to dusty antique flea markets lined along the Mosel on a sunny Sunday morning.

City Break to Trier or Bernkastel Kues

Labor day weekend usually hosts the famous Bernkastel-Kues wine fest with an amazing fireworks display on the last night.  It’s a highlight of the region. Trier is the oldest Roman city in Germany is the northernmost Roman city with the Porta Nigra gate guarding the magnificent old town. 

It’s a great city to soak up culture and food, there are so many things to do in Trier you should stay for a long weekend.

Go Canoeing

Wind up the gorgeous riverside road to Cochem 25 minutes drive or train for a guided canoe tour with plenty of stops at wineries and lunch included. 

BONUS UNIQUELY GERMANY HIKING EXPERIENCE:  

Find a Wilderness Chapel

Looking for a little spiritual inspiration as an outdoorsy girl?  Or need a place to ponder meaning or just have a good cry? Located all over the forests and hills and mountains of Germany are Waldkapellen.  Or wild churches like this one nearby.

Ürzig Restaurants

Visit English Garden at Brauhaus Kloster Machern

Just outside the village is the Kloster Machern.  At a former Cicertian monastery, sip some homebrewed German beer, meander with a gelato through an immaculate English garden, taste some authentic regional food specialties or even a succulent burger.  This gorgeous and spacious location sits next to the river and has amazing views of the Urzig bridge and you can even host special events like weddings, dinners or retirement celebrations. 

Hidden Urzig Alley Wine Bars

One of the best experiences in these idyllic and quiet German wine villages is to walk to a hidden alleyway “winestube” or wine tasting bar and get snacks and drinks. Just wander, I don’t want to ruin the exploration for you.  You can’t go wrong here. 

Serbian Schnitzel Place

I’m generally not a huge fan of Serbia, but this restaurant is yummy!  The schnitzel is amazing and so is the view as it’s perched above town a bit with big glass windows. Call ahead for dinner and get a reservation next to the window for sunset. They do close the grill down early so if you want steaks don’t go right before closing. 

Moselsteig: Germany’s Premiere Long Distance Hike

This hike hops on and off the delightful Moselsteig.  This 365 km long path follows alongside the Mosel river for 365 km with plenty of options for short day hikes or a 24 stage multi-day hike.  There are ample guest houses, bnbs, and hotels that make this an accessible adventure perfect for almost any kind of hiker from parents packing kids in packs, retirees, or hiking junkies. 

To read more about Section 7 Moselsteig check out this article from my winter experience. The best part of this trail is that it is truly 4 seasons with a set of microspikes in case of ice.

Here is Section 6 from Schweich to Mehring on the Moselsteig.

And my personal favorite section is the Calmont Klettersteig loop.  The views, mini via ferrata and wine automats, yes, wine vending machines along the trail truly make it magical. 

Tips for Hiking in Germany: Safety & Gear Urzig 

Best Time to Hike in Urzig is April through November

The absolute best is Labor Day.  Wine fest season is in full swing! However the trails are accessible year round. 

If planning this as a winter (or late fall, early Spring) hike, carefully consider your daylight hours.  There are signs of wild hogs or “boar” and they can get fussy with their territory or babies and potentially charge your shins at dusk or in the evening. 

If you’ve got to do the night hike thing, take a serious Headlamp, it’s got 900 lumens to scare them away.  

Weather Urzig Germany (Ürzig wetter)

It’s pretty mild here in the Mosel River Valley in Germany.  This valley gorge can get filled with fog and rain, so take appropriate rain gear and footwear for traction if the weather calls for rain.  It lies at the intersection of the Hunsrück and Palatinate forests and usually is much more mild in temperature and snowfall.

The other consideration to take seriously are floods and mudslides.  These gorges are steep, so If the weather report has 4-5 days of rain in a row after a month of not having much rain at all, ditch your plans, it’s not worth it.  

The steep hills might not absorb water and trees will be at risk of falling branches on the trails and your head, and the stony paths and metal rungs will be slippery.

Parking Urzig Klettersteig

Free Parking is abundant alongside the river.  If you don’t want to park by the river, drive up the hill toward “Ürzig höhe” and you can park alongside the side of the road.

Gear to Hike Around Urzig Mosel Region

These paths are slightly technical.  While they aren’t demanding like the Alps, there are some slippery places demanding good balance. A decent trail running shoe would work, here’s my favorite women’s shoe and the men’s version as well.  Boots would work as well, but please avoid wearing non technical sandals or slippery bottomed shoes.

You DO NOT NEED any ferrata gear.

🚠 SUMMER CHAIRLIFTS 🚡 🚠
An easy & relaxing Way to experience the 🇩🇪 German OUTDOORS 🚠

It doesn’t have to be HARD to explore & connect to Nature 🌎.

1️⃣ On the Upper Middle Romantic Rhine UNESCO site:
the Boppard Chairlift and Assmannshausen chairlift offer stunning views of the Rhine River. The Rüdesheim cable car offers wheelchair accessibility.

2️⃣ Flying over the Moselle River:
the Cochem chairlift takes you over vineyards and slate blue craggy mini-mountains.

Just like an e-bike, a bit of technology can make exploring nature more accessible to everyone. ❤️ ♿️

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