I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

The above line from Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken” could easily have been written about the Moselle River. A winding tributary of the Rhine that was essentially unnavigable until 1964, the Moselle has long been outshined by Europe’s more distinguished waterways. And, certainly, at only 339 miles (in comparison to the Volga River, Europe’s longest at 2,193) it is far from the largest.

However, what the Moselle lacks in mileage it makes up for in beauty, arguably boasting some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. Fringed with sloping green hills, quaint villages, striking white chapels and more than a dozen castles dating as far back as the 11th century, the Moselle is so much more than simply a mode of transport. It is a destination in itself.

Straight out of a Fairytale

With half-timbered storybook homes dotting unspoiled landscapes swathed in lush vineyards, the romantic Moselle Valley is the stuff of fairytales. In fact, the Brothers Grimm used the Moselle River as the setting of their final scene in “The Seven Swabians,“ and likely had its environs in mind when penning such tales as “Snow White” and “Rumpelstiltskin.”

It is nearly impossible to capture a photograph undeserving of a postcard while gliding along these tranquil waters, particularly between the cities of Koblenz and Trier where the river cuts through the earth in its most dramatic bends.