Hugging a hairpin bend of the Moselle River, Zell an der Mosel is a picture-perfect town in Rhineland-Palatinate. It’s clustered with beautifully preserved historic buildings and serves as the starting point for several hiking trails with spectacular views across the valley.
Things to do in Zell
Stroll through Zell an der Mosel to admire its impressive examples of Romanesque, Baroque and Gothic Revival architectural styles. Explore the 18th-century Church of St. Peter and Paul before visiting the six-floor Bachturm. Occupying the old town hall is a local history museum where you can learn about the traditional crafts and wine-growing history of Zell an der Mosel.
Offering panoramic views across Zell an der Mosel is the Collis-Turm, a red-brick tower perched atop a nearby hill. Constructed in 1906, the eight-metre-high structure can be accessed along a hiking trail that leads through the vineyards surrounding Zell an der Mosel. If you’re visiting on the weekend, there’s a small kiosk at the top that sells drinks and snacks.
Incredible views are also on offer from the Marienburg, a former Augustinian monastery built atop the Petersberg in the 12th century. It’s framed by two stretches of the Moselle River and offers a bird’s eye view of the historic Doppelstockbrücke Bullay. Connecting the towns of Alf and Bullay, this 314-metre-long bridge dates back to the 1870s and was a target of Allied bombings during World War II.
Getting around Zell
Zell an der Mosel is just under two hours’ drive from the centre of Frankfurt and 1.5 hours from Frankfurt Airport. The smaller Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is just 30 minutes away. Regular trains connect to the Bullay railway station, which is a 10-minute drive from Zell an der Mosel.