Moselle

Moselle is a river in Western Europe, a left-bank tributary of the Rhine. It runs about 545 kilometers from its source in the Vosges mountains of eastern France to its confluence with the Rhine at Koblenz, Germany. The river drains roughly 28,000 square kilometers and crosses three countries, flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. Its course begins in the Vosges and proceeds northeast through the Grand Est region, where Metz lies on its banks, continues into Luxembourg, and then enters Germany.

In Germany the Moselle passes Trier and widens into a valley famed for wine production as it approaches the Rhine. The river is navigable along substantial portions of its length and includes a system of locks and weirs to manage river traffic. The Moselle valley is particularly associated with Riesling and other white wines in the German Moselle wine region, where steep vineyards line the hillsides along the river.

The name Moselle also designates the Moselle department in the Grand Est region of France. The department has Metz as its prefecture and is part of the historic region of Lorraine. It borders Luxembourg and Germany and maintains a cross-border orientation with neighboring countries, especially through industry, logistics, and services. The department was created during the French Revolution in 1790 and has been shaped by the region’s complex border history in the modern era.