River Moselle
| Moselle | |
|---|---|
Typical landscape of Moselle vineyards near Schweich
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| Native name | La Moselle |
| Country | France, Germany, Luxembourg |
| Basin features | |
| Main source |
Vosges mountains 715 m (2,346 ft) |
| River mouth |
Rhine 50°21′58″N 7°36′25″E / 50.36611°N 7.60694°ECoordinates: 50°21′58″N 7°36′25″E / 50.36611°N 7.60694°E |
| Basin size | 28,286 km2 (10,921 sq mi) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Length | 545 km (339 mi) |
| Discharge |
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The Moselle (French: la Moselle, IPA: [mɔzɛl]; German: Mosel; Luxembourgish: Musel) is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Moselle through the Sauer and the Our.
The Moselle "twists and turns its way between Trier and Koblenz along one of Germany's most beautiful river valleys." It flows through a region that has been influenced by mankind since it was first cultivated by the Romans. Today, its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where "some of the best Rieslings grow", and numerous ruined castles dominate the hilltops above wine villages and towns that line the riverbanks. Traben-Trarbach with its art nouveau architecture and Bernkastel-Kues with its traditional market square are two of the many popular tourist attractions on the Moselle river.
The name Moselle is derived from the Celtic name form, Moseal, via the Latin Mosella, a diminutive form of Mosa, the Latin description of the Meuse, which used to flow parallel to the Moselle. So the Mosella was the "Little Meuse".
The Moselle is first recorded by Tacitus in Book 13 of his Annals and in Book 4 of his Histories.
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Wikipedia