Alken Germany Rhineland-Palatinate
13
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
CroisiEurope (13 Cruises)
MS Monet
11 Cruises
Frequently Asked Questions
At the foot of the village on the Moselle, between Koblenz and Cochem. Alken amounts to a few streets tucked between the river and the slope: everything after that is on foot, and no shuttle is needed.
A 12th-century fortress built partly on Roman foundations, raising its twin keeps among the vines just above the rooftops. It long belonged jointly to the archbishops of Cologne and Trier, who divided the building between them: each had his own tower, courtyard and entrance.
Allow about thirty minutes of steady effort from the quay, on a path winding between the rows of vines. The gradient is sustained and good shoes are recommended. From the ramparts, the eye takes in the whole bend of the Moselle and the slopes striped with vines.
A walk around the village and a stop in a wine cellar easily fill an hour, since everything is minutes from the quay. Otherwise, the riverbank path leads toward Löf or Brodenbach: allow an hour round trip on flat ground.
Yes, and it is the whole point of the village. Alken has lived from the vine for centuries: no cruise-passenger boutiques here, but cellars serving wine from the plot next door. Several growers open their doors to passers-by.
Riesling, like this whole stretch of the Moselle. The vineyards climb so high up the slopes that you wonder how the growers work them: on those steep terraces, almost everything is still done by hand.
Just one, Thurant Castle. The village's appeal has less to do with a list of sights than with a deliberate slowness: half-timbered houses pressed together along the main street, yards where harvest crates dry, a few cyclists on the path following the Moselle.
Bischofstein Castle, perched above Burgen, glimpsed between the trees. You do not visit it from Alken: you look at it from the bank or from the boat deck.
Yes, in a quiet register. The riverbank path is flat and safe, and the castle climb entertains children who walk well. There is, however, no significant playground or attraction: this is a wine village, not a family destination.
The euro, and yes, keep some cash. In a village this size, not every family cellar takes cards and there is no ATM at the quay. Many travellers head back aboard with a bottle in the bag.
