Have you heard about “Sleeping Beauty” on the Mosel? That’s also the nickname of the small fairy-tale village of Beilstein an der Mosel nestled among the vineyards of Rhineland-Palatinate.
It has just over 140 inhabitants, but it is definitely worth a visit. The ruins of Metternich Castle tower above the village, the village is bursting with flower-decorated houses and is interspersed with narrow winding streets. It is also a place of pilgrimage, and peace can be found under the statue of the Spanish-born “Black Madonna” in the Carmelite Church of St. Joseph. The village’s most notable sights include a marketplace carved into the hillside, a medieval wine cellar or seasonal winery. What could be more romantic?
The state of Rhineland-Palatinate, with its capital Mainz, lies in south-western Germany, bordered by North Rhine-Westphalia to the north, Hesse to the east, Baden-Württemberg to the south-east and Saarland to the south-west. It borders Belgium and Luxembourg to the west and France to the south.
The largest lake and the destination of many tourists in this country is Lake Laach, which was formed in the caldera of the Laach volcano after its last eruption some 13,000 years ago.
