Mosel River, Castles & Wine Route
The Mosel ("Moselle") is a river flowing through Germany, Luxembourg and France. A small part of Belgium is also watered off by the Mosel through Our and Syre.
German cities along the Mosel include Trier, Bernkastel, Cochem and Koblenz.
The Moselle valley is famous for its "romantic" scenery and the wine that is being produced here. Riesling, Elbling, Müller-Thurgau, Kerner and Auxerrois are from here, which makes the area a great place for wine tastings. River cruises and castle visits are also fun. The "Wine Route" as such is a popular scenic route with tourists from abroad but also with Germans. If you're into wine and gastronomy in general, I can only recommend it, especially in late summer and autumn. Great food. 5 of the most-visited castles in this area include Burg Eltz, which should be a well-known sight for many as it is your typical "knight"-style castle. (http://www.burg-eltz.de/, more pics http://www.pbase.com/sandpiper/burg_eltz).
There are countless places to stay in quaint wine villages like this, many of them Inn-style or Bed & Breakfasts. Hikers will like the Moselhöhenweg, the Römische Weinstrasse (Roman Wine Route), and the Elbling routes that take you further away from the river to see both vineyards and historic sites along the way. It's not as touristy as other scenic routes in Germany so tends to be not as crowded even in high season. A trip down the Mosel Wine Route will give you plenty of South German culture, historic Roman culture, wines and quiet, romantic places to stay if that's your kind of thing.
Wine Route~ http://www.pfalzwein.de/en/index.php
Mosel Tourist info~ http://www.spotlightgermany.com/articles/mosel.htm
Wiki on The Wine~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosel_wine