Veldenz

The winegrowing town of Veldenz is located in a discreet valley with a decorative fortress ruin.

350,000 years ago the Mosel itself flowed through the very spot where this handsome village of roughly 1000 inhabitants now lies.  

Veldenz was once the seat of an important principality, a county that stretched well into the Vosges Mountains and spanned across over 120 villages and cities.

All that remains of that former glory is Schloss Veldenz. Yet that ruin is enough to give an impression of just how imposing the fortress once was, the largest of its ilk on the Middle Mosel during the 12th century. The castle’s current owner regularly offers tours of the grounds and the lovely Knights Hall.

The Romans also left their traces on this site. A Roman bathhouse called the Villa Romana was uncovered during restoration of the historical half-timbered house and is now also available for public viewing. Yet the oldest witness to that age is probably the Heidenmauer, a Celtic protective wall from around 400 B.C. that runs along the “Graf Georg Johannes Weg”, just steps away from the banks of the Mosel.

For those interested in enjoying nature more directly, Veldenz also offers wonderful hiking opportunities.