Beilstein Germany is a tiny town sitting along the peaceful Moselle River (a.k.a. Mosel River in English). Beginning in France, the Moselle River enters Germany near Trier and meanders to Koblenz where it flows into the mighty Rhine River. While not nearly as popular as the Rhine Valley, the Moselle River Valley is a delightful place to visit as both sides of the river are dotted with castles, vineyards, and cute little villages.
We sadly only had two days to explore this area, and we chose to stay in Beilstein, known as the “Sleeping Beauty of the Moselle” because of its historic inaccessibility and beautiful setting. We’ll tell you about our explorations in Beilstein, share some tips on getting there, and give you some pros and cons of staying there versus the picturesque and popular Moselle town of Cochem. We’ll also provide a list of accommodation options in both Beilstein and Cochem.
Table of Contents:
Basic Information on Beilstein Germany
Beilstein is located along the Moselle River about 15 minutes driving distance from Cochem, 40 minutes from Burg Eltz, 40 minutes from Frankfurt Airport, 1 hour from Koblenz, and 1 hour and 15 minutes from Trier.
Getting there?
The best and most convenient way to get to Beilstein is by car, but it is also possible via local bus or Moselle river cruise (seasonal). You can also take a taxi. For bikers, it is possible to get here by bike but it is a long bike ride from most of the other Moselle towns so check distances and maps before setting out.
Car: There is both free and paid parking along the river. Please note there are several places named Beilstein in Germany so make sure you have the correct one along the Moselle River (postal code is 56814). The town is tiny and does not show up on all printed maps.
Bus: You can take a local bus from many of the nearby towns and get to Beilstein, such as Cochem, Koblenz, or Trier. You can check the bus schedule for times and stops.
River boat: River boats come and go along the Moselle from the dock at Beilstein, but these are seasonal so check the Kolb Brothers boat schedule. Note that boats move at a very leisurely pace on the Moselle because of all the locks in the river they must navigate.
Where Can I Find More Information about Visiting Beilstein Germany?
There is no official tourist information office in Beilstein that we are aware of, but there is a town website in German which lists some of the local guesthouses and inns, eateries, and local wineries under the Tourist Information section.
If staying in town I would recommend asking your innkeeper for some information and any local events. We found several pamphlets during our stay at Haus Lipmann. As far as guidebooks, we found Rick Steves Germany guidebook to be the most thorough resource on Beilstein which had a couple pages worth of information compared to most other guidebooks we checked which often only offered a paragraph or two.
Our Time in Beilstein Germany
After picking up a rental car in Düsseldorf and stopping for a few hours at the very impressive Köln Cathedral, we headed to Beilstein Germany for our first night’s stay in Germany. The drive was pleasant but we were super tired after a full day of flying and traveling and we were both happy to arrive in Beilstein.
We parked at a small gravel parking lot near the river, walked the short walk to our inn, and took our suitcases inside to our home for the night, Hotel Haus Lipmann. Built in 1714 and in the Lipmann’s family ownership since 1795, Haus Lipmann is one of those great historic places that Ethan and I love. After depositing our suitcases in our small but charming room, we headed downstairs to have dinner at the inn.
Since we knew we would be arriving in the evening, we had paid for the half-board option which includes dinner; however, you can certainly eat for less elsewhere in Beilstein if you are on a budget. For dinner, I had a bowl of the white asparagus soup (white asparagus was in season during our stay in Germany and France, heavenly!), shared the special of the evening which was venison steak and spätzle with Ethan, and tried a glass of the local white wine.
The meal was delicious and fairly priced and the service was very good. If you are in Beilstein during the evening, I would highly recommend dinner here even if not staying at the inn. If the weather is good you can sit outside with a river view or if not, the historic dining room is also a great place to dine.
Energized by the hearty German food, we set out on foot to explore a bit of the town before sunset. We walked along the pretty Moselle river and then decided to do the short, but fairly steep hike up to the ruined castle Burg Metternich. We walked up through the vineyards, which was perhaps not the easiest route.
The castle was closed at this time in the evening (there is a small fee to enter), but the views on the walk up were great and honestly there is not too much to see inside as only one of the original towers is still standing today.
The castle is believed to date back to the 12th century and was destroyed by French troops in 1689 while under the ownership of the Metternich family. Following the destruction of their castle in Beilstein, the Lords of Metternich would later build what is now Haus Lipmann (our hotel) in 1714. Coming back to the inn, we followed a gravel path and then the road back down through town.
After reviewing some German phrases in our phrasebook (our German was woefully horrible throughout our trip), we went to sleep after a very full first day in Germany. Miraculously, we woke up early the next morning and headed down for breakfast at 8:00am.
The dinner the night before was great, and the breakfast buffet at Haus Lipmann was probably the best we had in Germany. First, it is served in the banquet room which was built in the 18th century and is full of antiques, feudal weapons, and other medieval decorations. The buffet contained tons of food choices, including cheeses, cold cut meats, eggs, yogurt, bacon, cereal, breads, etc.
They even offered wine and I had a mimosa along with my coffee for my first morning in Germany!
Fueled by our second fantastic German meal, we set out to do some more exploration of little Beilstein. The town is tiny but it is uphill with narrow lanes so it takes a bit of time to get around. We started with another short walk along the river and then proceeded to head uphill and meandered through the narrow lanes of hilly Beilstein.
The town is very well-preserved and an hour or so walk will allow you to see plenty of half-timbered houses from the 17th through 19th centuries, remnants of the town’s stone fortifications, a former tithe house, a former chapel, a former synagogue, and a Jewish cemetery.
One of the larger buildings in town, other than the castle, is that of the former Carmelite monastery and the Saint Joseph’s Catholic Parish Church (Pfarrkirche St. Joseph). The church contains a 12th century Black Madonna and is a pilgrimage site. There is a restaurant right in front of the church entrance which offers good views. We didn’t eat here but we took in the free views from the terrace. The chapel was open and it was pretty inside with a painted ceiling and walls.
After our little walking tour, we headed back to the inn to check out and say goodbye to Beilstein. We wished we could have spent a little more time enjoying our stay at Hotel Haus Lipmann, but we were very excited to check out Burg Eltz that afternoon.
On route to Burg Eltz, however, we made a 45 minute or so stop in the town of Cochem. Compared even to pretty Beilstein, Cochem is a real knock-out with medieval streets, cute colored old homes, and a majestic (and elaborately restored) castle overlooking it all. Cochem’s Imperial Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem, dates to the 12th century but was destroyed during the same war as Beilstein’s castle; however, this one was purchased by a Berlin businessman and restored in the Gothic Revival style.
Cochem is a long and skinny town and there are plenty of great paths for riverside strolling here. There are many historical buildings, wine tasting rooms, shops, and other places to see and visit although we didn’t have a lot of time to explore. You can even take a chairlift to a hilltop viewpoint (and restaurant). Would love to return with more time to explore Cochem.
Where to Stay the Night in along the Moselle River
If you are interested in exploring the Moselle River area we definitely would recommend spending a night or two in this area. Along the Moselle you have a number options and you’ll find lots of accommodation in the larger towns and cities like Trier and Koblenz. But we’d recommend choosing a smaller town like Beilstein or Cochem to spend the night to better enjoy this scenic area.
Cochem or Beilstein as a Place to Overnight?
Cochem and Beilstein are both very picturesque Moselle towns sitting alongside the river and are two popular contenders when thinking about a town to choose as a base to explore this area. Cochem is much larger than Beilstein (although still a small town), and is able to offer a lot more conveniences (tourist information office, grocery stores, banks), activities (sports center, castle tours, winery tours, chairlift), and has many more lodging and eating options than Beilstein.
If you are wanting to stay in a larger hotel or in a hostel, you’ll want to stay in Cochem as it offers a much wider range of options than Beilstein which offers small hotels, guesthouses, and bed-and-breakfasts. You can check out the Beilstein tourist information website and the Cochem town website for more information on services and businesses in both towns.
Cochem is also closer to the Rhine River Valley and is much easier to reach by public transportation than Beilstein and Cochem has its own train station. Cochem is also a more popular tourist stop and is more likley to be crowded, but both towns can be overrun by visitors during the day. Both towns become quieter at night and can be dead during off-season. Note that many restaurants and inns close during parts of the winter season in the area.
We’d definitely consider a stay in Cochem in the future and would love to spend more time exploring this pretty town. If you have a car, I’d consider either, but if you are traveling without a car, I’d choose Cochem. But basically both towns are lovely and it is for you to decide which best fits your travel needs.
Given all the perks of Cochem, we were still very happy in our choice of staying in Beilstein. Beilstein makes a lovely place to stay for those who want to stay in a tiny little town and are not looking for any real activities and just want a peaceful break in their itinerary to watch the swans in the river, hike to the ruined castle, and sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or local white wine from a riverside terrace.
A day visit can be a great way to get some good views of this pretty little town, but if you want to experience Beilstein at its best we’d recommend an overnight as we found the early morning after breakfast and evenings after dinner to be ideal times to explore after the day trippers leave.
Where to Stay in Beilstein Germany
- Altes Zollhaus Lipmann – This 6-room bed and breakfast is located in a former customs house dating back to 1643.
- Hotel Haus Lipmann (where we stayed) – The main building of this historic inn was built in 1726 for the Metterech family (the guest house was built in 1714) and has been owned by the Lipmann family since 1795.
- Hotel Burgfrieden – This 30-room family-run hotel is located only a 5-minute walk from Metternich Castle.
- Hotel Haus Burg Metternich – This 15-room hotel is next to the vineyards with a vine covered terrace and river views.
- Hotel Gute Quelle – This family-run old winery house has been converted into a 13-room guesthouse.
- Hotel Lipmann ‘Am Klosterberg’ – Another 25-room hotel owned and run by the Lipmann family that is located a 2 minute walk from the Moselle River. Peaceful with nice terrace and some rooms have balconies with views of the castle and village.
- Hotel Villa Beilstein – Small 6-room bed and breakfast, some rooms with river views.
Where to Stay in Cochem Germany
- Haus Andreas – Located in the old town, this 10-room guesthouse offers simple but clean rooms and breakfast. They also offer self-catering apartments as well. Note that the property is on a rather steep hill and only accepts cash.
- Hotel am Hafen – This 3-star 20-room hotel near river with terrace and some rooms have balconies with river views.
- Hotel Lohspeicher – A 3-star boutique hotel in a rustic historical building with 10 rooms and a gourmet restaurant located not far from the main square.
- Hotel Ravene – This 8-room hotel is in a renovated historical property and is conveniently located near the train station.
- Hotel Villa Vinum – A 12-room hotel with a stone and timber framed exterior located along the the River Moselle and not far from the train station and town center.
- Jungenherbage Cochem – The 148-bed hotel offers a family-friendly place for youth, adults, backpackers, groups, and families to stay on a budget.
- Moselromantik-Hotel THUL – This 3-star hotel offers 23 rooms and features a rooftop terrace, massage services, a restaurant, and a sauna.
- Parkhotel Cochem – This 22-room family-run 3-star hotel is located about a 10 minute walk from the Cochem town center and offers a peaceful atmosphere, a garden, and modern amenities.
- Villa Cuchema – This boutique guesthouse offers 12 rooms in a 1904 row house about 2 blocks from the Cochem train station along the Moselle River promenade. Formerly Pension Gundert.
- Weingut Gutsschänke Rademacher – This small 6-room guesthouse near the train station offers breakfast, free wine tasting sessions, and views of the vineyards.
- Weinhaus Gräfen – This 15-room guesthouse offers a buffet breakfast, modern furnishings, and is a peaceful 5 minute walk from the town center.
This is only a partial list, for a fuller list of lodging options in Cochem, check out this list of hotels in Cochem for even more choices.
So that’s our guide to visiting Beilstein Germany! Hopefully this will help you plan your own trip and give you some ideas of what you want to do in the area.
Planning a trip to the Moselle River Valley? PIN this article to Pinterest to read later:
Have you visited Beilstein or any of the towns along the Moselle River? As always, feel free to ask us any questions about our trip and we love hearing your thoughts and opinions. Just leave any questions or thoughts in the Comments section below.
Kathy Dalziel Post author
I love all of the photos and recommendations. I’ll be visiting Beilstein in September 2023 for a 2-3 day visit. I plan to research my ancestry while there (my grandfather left Beilstein with his family when he was 10 years old in 1892). Do you have any recommendations regarding who to contact in the Beilstein area to help me with my search? Thank you so much for the information you posted.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kathy,
Glad you enjoyed our article about our visit to Beilstein Germany. I am not sure about anyone in Beilstein itself as it is a pretty small town but contacting someone at the church would probably be your best best there as they may have the old church records from that time. In the area in general, you may have better luck finding resources in the larger towns/cities in their museums, libraries, or universities such as in Trier or Koblenz. I know Trier University has a collection of emigrant letters.
But in terms of a person to contact here is a website of a man who does genealogy research and leads heritage tours in the area and is from the Mosel region himself: https://www.genealogy-germany.de/professional_genealogist_contact.htm So I think if you contact him, he should be able to help you with the research or at least give you some options.
Hope that helps and wishing you a great visit to Beilstein! We are heading back to the Mosel Valley area in May ourselves.
Best,
Jessica
Kathy Dalziel Post author
Dear Jessica,
Thank you for your thorough and fast reply. Sometimes it takes just one little thread of information to set a person on his or her way and you have provided that thread for me. I will pursue the contacts you referenced above, especially Uwe Porten Professional Research. I look forward to visiting the Beilstein Area even more now. I also look forward learning more about your travels and I wish you the best of luck.
Regards,
Kathy Dalziel
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Kathy,
You’re very welcome, I hope that you find someone in the area who can help or point you to some relevant resources. And wishing you a wonderful trip to Germany!
Best,
Jessica
T&T Post author
I was just going through photos of our visit to Beilstein several years ago. I wanted to look something up and ended up on this page. What a great post about the area! And as a crazy cat lady, I love the name of your blog as well.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi T&T, Glad your found our website in looking up information on Beilstein, and hope you will keep coming back 😉 We have a monthly newsletter (free) that you can sign up for to stay up to date with our websites. Best, Jessica
Richard Marks Post author
Not far from Belstein and Cochem (and less full of tourists) are the twin villages of Ediger-Eller. Ediger is an old walled town/village with many half-timbered houses. Eller is quieter (and nearer the train station) and also has many old houses. When in Eller do visit Weingut Freiherr von Landenberg to see the historic building and cellars and sit in the beautiful rose garden. From here you can see the Calmont, which has the steepest vineyards in Europe. For the adventurous there is a walk through the Calmont vineyards (Calmont Klettersteig) which provides magnificent views along the River Mosel.
If you have time you can also visit the Rock Chapel above Ediger and St. Petersberg Chapel above Neef. Both are peaceful places which encourage contemplation.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Richard, Thanks for this recommendations for other places to visit along the Mosel River. I think people can easily spend a few days or more exploring this region! Best, Jessica
Joseph Palatinus Post author
Spent a wonderful time in Vallendar (WHU Otto Beisheim school of management) where our son studied for a semester. We did visit the larger city of Koblenz south-west of Vallendar. We only had 10 days to explore but we are sure to return and have also put on our list the town of Beilstein to explore. Thank you for sharing your experiences in Beilstein!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Joseph, Yes, there are lot of wonderful towns and villages in that area of Germany and I am sure you’ll enjoy Beilstein and Cochem. Best, Jessica
Bill Van Auken Post author
Thanks for your travel news. My wife and I (70+ years) will have an afternoon and evening in Cochem and are looking to bike along the river to Beilstein and back (we are in good bike riding shape) and are looking for a good shop from which to rent bikes. Do you have a recommendation? Thanks. Bill
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Bill, That would be a lovely bike ride along the river from Cochem to Beilstein. I think there are a couple of places that will rent bikes for the day so you should not have any trouble finding one (especially if you are traveling in the Spring or Summer). One place to try that has a website is Schaltwerk which currently rents most bikes for about 10 euros per day so you can check their store hours and prices online. Some hotels may also have them for rent or to borrow so I’d check there first if you are spending the night in Cochem.
Best,
Jessica
Tak Kurtz Post author
I stayed there for a few weeks, went by train as the station is right there. The town used to be a jewish town, but had cleared out before war ever started. In 1300 the king had brought jewish populations into Germany to help the economy. I stayed in what used to be a jewish temple, and took a hike up to the cable ruins where the old jewish cemetery was, and it is the resting place there of Levi Strauss, yep that one…LEVI’S!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Tak, Thanks for sharing your experience but I think you are describing another town as there is no train station in Beilstein Germany. But not sure what town you may be describing as Levi Strauss was born in Germany but in Buttenheim (not Beilstein), and Levi Strauss died and is buried in a cemetery in California. So there is no grave to Strauss in Germany, but there is a house museum in Buttenheim at the place of his birth and family home before they emigrated to the United States. Best, Jessica
Cindi S. Post author
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for your recommendation of Beilstein and Cochem!! We loved it. It was so cozy, quiet and amazing to be right on the Mosel river. We stayed at the Hotel Burg and really liked it.
Regards,
Cindi
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Cindi, You are very welcome, glad I could help in your planning your trip to Germany and I am glad you found a hotel that you liked. So happy that you enjoyed Beilstein and Cochem along the Mosel River, they are wonderful little towns to visit! Best, Jessica
Sofie Post author
Wow! good for you! You travel a lot and Beilstein looks like a great little town in Germany. It’s always been my dream to travel like a lot haha. Anyways, thank you for sharing this article it looks really fun and you enjoyed it!. Hopefully, 2017 is a new year new journey. Cheers!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Sofie, Yes, we are very lucky to travel a lot! Do let us know if you have any questions about planning your own upcoming travels. Best, Jessica
Bob Post author
omg! i love the pictures!! thanks for sharing this, this is so informative! kudos to you! I especially love that you gave so many great lodging and hotel options for Beilstein and Cochem.
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Thanks Bob, hopefully you were able to find a great place to stay in either Beilstein or Cochem. The Mosel is such a lovely part of Germany and those towns are both very much worth a visit. We enjoyed the Hotel Haus Lipmann but there are loads of cozy little B&B’s, hotels, and guest houses in both towns, and we recommend trying the local wine and seasonal produce while in the area. Burg Eltz was my favorite attraction. Jessica
Terri Post author
Wow what a lovely pics of Beilstein Germany! thank you for sharing!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Terri, Thanks, glad you enjoyed our post and photos of Beilstein. Would love to return to the pretty village to take photos with our nicer cameras as just had a compact camera on that trip! Best, Jessica
Heather Post author
The small towns located in Germany truly bring you back to a different time, and I’m sure the native cuisine was wonderfully made. I would love to visit Beilstein someday, so thanks for the recommendations!
Jessica & Laurence Norah Post author
Hi Heather, Glad you enjoyed the post and I hope you get a chance to visit Beilstein, Germany some day. There are a lot of charming small towns and villages in Germany that can certainly make you think you are living in a past time (at least for a while!) 😉 Best, Jessica
Tina Porod Post author
Hello. My husband and I will be spending two weeks in the Moselle River Valley in June. Our home base will be Pommern. Our German is very limited.
Will we have any trouble getting around? We are flying in to Frankfurt and renting a car. Thanks for any words of wisdom!
Tina
travelcats Post author
Hi Tina, You should not have much trouble at all as most Germans, particularly younger Germans and those working in tourism, speak quite good English. I think you’ll just want to make sure you have the basics down (greetings/pleasantries, where is the bathroom, some basic ordering words) and you should be fine. We did of course meet a few people who spoke little or no English, but we were always able to get around and be understood even if it involved a bit of pointing and gesturing:) We found people in Germany to be quite easy to communicate with and I doubt you’ll have many issues. Have a great time in the Moselle River area, it is a very beautiful area and 2 weeks is a great amount of time to really explore and savor it! Jessica
Maria Ryan Post author
Hi Travelcats, glad that you enjoyed the little town of Beilstein and your brief experience of the moselle valley … but hey why didn’t you visit us? You could see our house and village from the castle, we are only over the river from Beilstein using the little walk on ferry 🙂 Next time come over and share a glass of wine with us and we will introduce you to the real moselle. Maria & Mike
travelcats Post author
Hi Maria! We thought the Moselle Valley was lovely and would love to return and have a glass of wine with you. We will likely be in Europe again next year if you want to contact us directly:)
Illia and Nastia Post author
Oh what a cute town! Nature could easily be French, but this architecture, cuisine and overall feel is 100% German. Thanks for a nice story!
travelcats Post author
It is not too far from the French border. Later in the same trip we explored the Alsace which truly is a German-French mix!
Megan C. Stroup Post author
That is a charming inn! Thanks for linking up again!
travelcats Post author
We’d love to go back and stay at Hotel Haus Lipmann again!
Kelly Post author
Oh my goodness, it looks and sounds beautiful!
xx Kelly
travelcats Post author
It really is Kelly!
heidi Post author
That castle looks like a neat place to visit. I bet the view from there is really great.
travelcats Post author
Views are wonderful from both castles!
Meredith Post author
I so enjoy reading these reviews, especially of the small towns along the way. I generally gravitate towards small rather than large whenever possible in trip planning. It’s beginning to sound like Germany may be my next big destination, so I’ve found these posts particularly helpful. Always nice to read about an area from a source other than a guide book 🙂
travelcats Post author
We are both similar, we love some of the big cities a lot (e.g., Paris, Munich, San Francisco, Boston) but we really fall in love with the charming little towns we visit.
Julie @ Girl on the Move Post author
Stopping my from the SITS sharefest and your pictures are beautiful! Adding this to my Pinterest travel board because it looks like a great place to visit!
travelcats Post author
Welcome Julie, thanks for stopping by! Thanks, Beilstein and really the Mosel and Rhine Valley are really enchanting places!
Jen Post author
I love, love, love your blog posts. You make me miss Germany with every beat of my heart! Burg Eltz is by far my favorite castle…..I love how secluded it is, and how many rooms they take you in when you visit. I also miss those German breakfasts!! They don’t have things like that here in the states….cheeses and little sausage slices and fruit and NOM NOM NOM. So in love with your pictures – it really takes me back. Thank you so much for sharing! Can’t wait to see your pics from the best castle EVER!
travelcats Post author
I love both big American and German breakfasts! We spent about 2 weeks or so in Germany last Spring and are way behind in posts about our trip so expect many more in the months to come! Burg Eltz will be the next one about Germany!
Positively Alene Post author
Oh how you make me miss my days of living in Germany. Such a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing!
travelcats Post author
Lucky you to have lived there for a while. We look forward to returning and spending some more time in the area!
Rachel G Post author
The pictures you took are gorgeous!!
travelcats Post author
Thanks Rachel! It is such a gorgeous place, even my poor camera skills produced so many great photos:)
AwesomelyOZ Post author
Wow Cochem looks SOOO beautiful – I love the castles, did you get a chance to visit them? Both places are beautiful though. What was your favorite part of the trip?
travelcats Post author
We walked up to the Beilstein Castle but we did not tour the Cochem Castle. I think only German language tours were offered while we were there, but we did tour Burg Eltz and a few of the castles along the Rhine. Stay tuned for more info about our Germany trip!
Meghan Post author
I love hearing about sleepy little European towns! Thanks for sharing! I’ve never been in the Mosel River region, but I have explored towns along the Rhine. If I recall correctly, so have you. Which region did you prefer, if you only had time to visit one on your next trip?
travelcats Post author
Hi Meghan! Yes, we spent 2 days along the Moselle and a few along the Rhine. I think both regions are definitely worth a visit if you have the time, but if I had to choose between them for a first time visit I would choose the Rhine. There are more activities, more castles, and the Rhine River cruise is wonderful. But if you’ve already visited the Rhine or have more than just a few days to spend in the area, I would definitely add in a day or two to the Moselle! We’d definitely like to return to both places in the future.
Meghan Post author
Awesome, thanks for your opinion. Since I have visited the Rhine, I’ll make the Mosel River towns a priority next time I’m in Germany. Thanks for all your helpful information!
travelcats Post author
If you liked the Rhine, I am sure you’d also love the Mosel:)
bevchen Post author
I was going to go to Cochem last year to meet my grandparents, but their trip to Germany ended up being cancelled due to lack of interest (it was a coach tour so they need a certain number of people). It’s only about 2 hours from me though, so maybe I’ll still make it some time. Both Cochem and Beilstein look gorgeous!
travelcats Post author
Cochem and Beilstein are definitely both worth a visit if you like cute little villages! Trier and Burg Eltz are also worthy of visits along the Moselle.