Viniculture, history, unique events—the region around the Rhine and Moselle has much to offer in terms of culture! The numerous events are definitely worthwhile to both repeat and first-time visitors: wine and street festivals with delicious winemaker's cuisine and exquisite wines; markets with all kinds of craftwork and culinary delights; hiking and cycling trips; music and cultural events; art and literary festivals; and Christmas markets.

Pure joie de vivre! The convivial wine festivals on the Moselle promise this. The exquisite wines, which are best savoured with regional specialities, the live music and the crowning of a new wine queen all make the traditional festivals particularly enjoyable. The Wine Festival of the Middle Moselle in Bernkastel-Kues is a major attraction: a spectacular fireworks display, the magnificent wine festival parade, live music and an evening of wine tasting make any visit unforgettable. Taste the fine Riesling wines and sparkling wines at the Hometown and Wine Festival on Cochem's Moselle promenade and market square, which is brought to a glorious end with a parade and a brilliant fireworks display. Bacchus reigns supreme in Winningen, a municipality on the Moselle, captivating locals and guests alike for 10 days in August. The wine festival on the Lower Moselle is the oldest in Germany, a tradition that goes back four hundred years.

The Rhine in Flames, a series of fireworks displays illuminating castles, quaint villages and vineyards from May to September, has become as inextricably linked with the Middle Rhine Valley as its wines. Visitors to Bingen, the gateway to the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, enjoy seven fireworks displays, illuminated castles and the cheerful hustle and bustle on the banks of the Rhine on 6 July 2019. Europe's largest procession of ships, comprising more than 60 vessels, winds its way from Spay and Braubach to Koblenz, accompanied by fireworks displays, on the second Saturday of every August. A unique and magnificent fireworks display, which magically lights up Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and the Deutsches Eck, greets them in Koblenz. This evening is the conclusion to the three-day Koblenz summer festival held at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and on the banks of the Moselle around the Deutsches Eck. The excitement continues on 14 September 2019. Around 50 illuminated ships glide through the darkness from Sankt Goar to Oberwesel, where the passengers are greeted by a fireworks display synchronized to music. The Lorelei rock face is bathed in red light, which makes for a fascinating spectacle.

The Moselle music festival is an extraordinary music event with about 60 performances at 40 different venues along a 150-kilometre stretch of the Moselle, from Koblenz to Trier, from July to October. 'Bingen swingt' is the international jazz festival in Bingen from 28 to 30 June 2019. In these three days, the town is transformed into a jazz stronghold with six open-air stages and 30 bands welcoming midsummer. Be it the various exhibitions, the concerts or the floating gigs, this event is well worth jazz enthusiasts' while.

The end of the year is nigh when the Christmas markets open their doors, transforming Moselle villages into a winter wonderland, where the scents of caramelised almonds, roasting chestnuts and mulled wine permeate the air, creating a festive atmosphere. Christmas lights bathe the medieval timber-frame houses in a soft glow, enchanting young and old, while the Christmas market stalls display their seasonal wares, selling Advent decorations, handmade gifts and Christmas treats. You are bound to bump into Germany's only mulled wine queen at the Christmas market in Trier. Here, amidst the lovingly and festively decorated wooden stalls in front of the cathedral, visitors sip the deliciously warming mulled wine produced by winegrowers. Torch swimming, where more than 100 swimmers plunge into the Moselle with flaming torches and swim a stretch of one kilometre, isn't the only Bernkastel-Kues tradition. Another is the presumably largest Advent calendar in the region: a little door is opened every day from 1 to 24 December, accompanied by a Christmas performance. 'Vinotropolis' opens its doors at the Christmas market in Traben-Trarbach. The juice of the vine is the main attraction in the underground wine cellars and old vaults with their tranquil market. The Castle Christmas in the little Moselle town of Cochem never fails to impress: a nativity play performed by actors in period costume and live animals at the Imperial Castle is a wonder to behold, and invariably fills every last person with the spirit of Christmas.

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