Three fun days in Oberhausen an der Nahe near the German Mosel

In a few years, we hope to travel through Europe with our family for a while. And I have the idyllic idea of ​​doing that with a campervan. All the freedom in the world while having the same sleeping place for the children every day, seems ideal to me. But is that true? We will try to find the answer to that question on this holiday by traveling through Europe for 3 weeks by camper.

We both have the necessary camping experience, but we have never traveled with a large camper and child. So we are going to experience it. I am writing this blog on day three (lying on our bed in a dark camper because Floris is sleeping while the rain is tapping against the windows outside), and so far it has been a success! Even with the rain.

After we have picked up the camper and loaded it completely in the evening (we have never taken so much along on vacation, but the camper is big enough anyway), we drive towards Germany. Our goal is to go to the Dolomites in Italy. But to get used to this new way of traveling, we only want to drive a short distance today and then stay in one place for a few days. I search along the route and end up at a campsite in the sleepy area of ​​Oberhausen an der Nahe which is close to the German Mosel.

And so, four hours later we are parking our camper on a small campsite, in the middle of a valley. From one side of the campsite, we look out over hills full of vineyards, from the other side we see rugged rocks and dark green forests. Yes, that sounds just as idyllic as it is and Ries is positively surprised. He didn’t feel like stopping in Germany, because his prejudices about the Mosel were that it was mainly old people and bratwurst. And yes, the concentration of both is high here, but it is also just gorgeous! There are countless well-marked hiking trails and cycle paths where you can enjoy yourself.

We are in the middle of a good wine region and coincidentally this village has several award-winning wineries. And then the river where our campsite is located also meanders past small, quaint villages, all of which have excellent playgrounds, perfect with a toddler!

Hiking in the Mosel

In order to get rid of all our energy after sitting still for hours on the road, we all decide to take a hike in the afternoon toward a “Biergarten”. A short walk according to Google Maps, with a small steep part, according to the campsite owner. Well, neither Google Maps nor the campsite owner has ever walked this “part” with a stubborn toddler who skipped his afternoon nap on their backs. It is a tough walk with a steep zigzag path uphill. Okay, admittedly, we could have also taken the quieter walk uphill, but that is 2.5 km longer, and with the ticking time bomb on Ries’ back, we think it would be smart to eat something quickly.

Completely out of breath, we arrive at Waldgasthaus Lemberghütte, where we are fortunately treated to a hearty German meal. That is to say, a huge potato with salad for me, and schnitzel for Ries (and fish sticks for our little man). Satisfied we start the walk down, this time a different route on the advice of the owner of Waldgasthaus Lemberghütte. When I asked again to be sure whether we really had to go that way (the arrows were all pointing in different directions), she said that I didn’t have to worry because all roads lead to Oberhausen an der Nahe.

The next day the sun is shining brightly and we decide to take a bike ride along the Nahe river in the morning. Through small villages and past forests and high rocks, we cycle to the village of Bad Münster. Time for coffee and cake and of course a playground for Floris. Bad Münster is located right on the water and is known for its medicinal baths. We don’t see these baths, but we do pass a large wall where the medicinal water seeps over, and people sit on benches to breathe in the air.

The village itself is mainly cozy with some beautiful old houses, but the most impressive are the rock massifs that shoot up right next to the river. You can cross the water with a small boat to climb the ruins of an old castle on a large rock.

If you have the time, definitely consider cycling to the neighboring town of Bad Kreuznach. This place is also known for its medicinal baths, but it also seems to have built beautiful houses on the bank and the bridge.

There are many more beautiful cycling routes and mountain bike routes in the area. If you want to cycle a lot here, an electric bike can be nice because of the differences in height.

With all those vineyards in the area, we can’t resist visiting a few wineries. Even though I can’t enjoy the wine myself, because I’m pregnant with our daughter. But that doesn’t spoil the fun, so Ries tastes the wine in Oberhausen an der Nahe for two.

Weingut Staab

The first winery, Weingut Staab, is located in the middle of the village. This was recommended to us by my mother-in-law and it is run by the former wine queen Katharina Staab. In Germany, there are wine queen elections, a kind of beauty pageant, and the owner of this winery won it in 2017. We recognize her when we walk in (there are several signs in the village with the photos from 2017), and she is very friendly and fortunately also knows a lot about wines! Ries does a tasting and can choose as many wines as he wants to drink. First, he goes for some sparkling wines, but surprisingly enough he especially likes the rosé (normally we mainly drink rosé from the South of France).

It is busy in the tasting room, but there is still enough time to get a good explanation of each wine. I mainly smell some of the wines and decide that a bottle of Riesling smells so good that I would like to take it with me for after the pregnancy. The tasting at Weingut Staab is free, and there is a lot of attention for you, booking in advance is not necessary. Click here for the location of this winery in Oberhausen an der Nahe.

Weingut Hermanssberg

The luxury winery “Hermanssberg” is located just outside the village on the hill overlooking the river Nahe. It is worth a visit for the view alone, because gosh, it is beautiful. After a long driveway, we arrive at a stately wine farm in the old style but with modern outbuildings. It immediately gives us flashbacks to South Africa.

On the terrace, we enjoy the view and look at the menu. You can do extensive tastings of 10-12 wines here, but you have to book these in advance, and we didn’t do that. There is also the option to do a small tasting of 3-4 wines, but Ries decides to have a glass of sparkling wine, and that turns out to be a good choice! The wine is perfectly seasoned, and with the cheese platter that we order next to it, we enjoy the last rays of the afternoon sun. Next time (and perhaps without children), we would like to go for the extensive wine tasting here because it seems to be fantastic. Or, if we want to do it luxuriously, do a wine tasting with dinner.

They also offer a picnic service for €30, but you have to book it a day in advance. Enough reasons to go back again! Making a reservation for a tasting is recommended. Click here for the location of this luxury winery in Oberhausen an der Nahe.

Weingut & restaurant Christmann Faller

Finally, we visited a winery that was recommended to us by the campsite owners. Namely Christmann Faller. This time, not necessarily to taste wine, but mainly to have a bite to eat. You can do that very well here for a reasonable price. We have an extensive lunch, and all three enjoy it after the intensive walk we did on the morning of day 3. Unfortunately, we cannot say anything about the wines, but the food here is good. Reservations are recommended, especially because this is the only real restaurant in the center of Oberhausen an der Nahe. Click here for the location of this winery and restaurant in Oberhausen an der Nahe.

This region, the Moselle is an area named after the river Moselle (also called Mosel, Musel, and Moselle) that extends across France, Germany, and Luxembourg. The area in Germany starts approximately at Trier, from where the river flows towards the Rhine through a rolling and hilly landscape. This is called the Moselle, the Moselle Valley, or the Moselle Valley. On the map, you can roughly see this as the area that runs from Trier to Koblenz along the Moselle, right through the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

The best-known places in the Mosel Valley are the cities of Trier, Cochem, and Koblenz, but you will also find highlights along the water and further inland, as we have done now. The Moselle Valley is known for its beautiful castles/fortresses (such as Burg Eltz and the Reichsburg), the hikes, and of course, the wine. Because yes, a lot of wine comes from this fertile area!

The area we visited now is a very quiet part of the Mosel and is on the route when driving towards Austria or Italy. Next time we would like to see more of the central part of the Mosel Valley.

Below you will find several nice accommodations in Bad Münster and Oberhausen an der Nahe. For more hotels in the area of ​​Bad Kreuznach, click here.

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