Calmont (hill)

The Calmont, also called the Calmond, is a very steep hill located between Bremm and Ediger-Eller in the county of Cochem-Zell in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Rising to a height of 380.6 m above sea level (NHN), it stands above the beautiful Moselle river.

This hill is very special because it is part of the famous Moselle wine region. On its extremely steep slopes, there are vineyards known as Bremmer Calmont and Ellerer Calmont. These vineyards are some of the steepest in the entire world, with slopes tilting at angles of over 65 degrees! This makes farming such a place very challenging but also very interesting.

Name

The name Calmont might come from two different places. It could be from Latin words meaning "warm hill," or from Celtic words meaning "rock hill." Both ideas help explain why the hill has this name.

Geography

The Calmont is a hill located between the towns of Bremm and Ediger-Eller in Germany. It rises above the Moselle River and reaches a height of 380.6 meters. The hill is part of the beautiful Moselle wine region.

The area around the Calmont includes streams and other natural features, making it a interesting place in the landscape of the Moselle Valley.

Conservation

The Calmont is located inside several important protected areas. It is part of the protected area of the Moselle Region from Schweich to Koblenz. It is also within a Special Area of Conservation for the hillsides and side valleys of the lower Moselle, and a bird reserve for the woods between Wittlich and Cochem. Neither of these last two protected areas reaches all the way to the Moselle river.

Gallo-Roman Ambulatory Temple

At the top of the Calmont hill, there was a special place for worship used by Romans between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. In 2005, people started digging there to learn more, and they kept digging in 2008. After that, they built a copy of the old temple, and it opened to the public on May 16, 2009.

Viniculture

In the late 20th century, only part of the original vineyards were still being used. The biggest area is the Bremmer Calmont, which covers 33 hectares. On its steep slate hillsides, a special type of Riesling wine grows. The vintners must work by hand because the vineyards are so steep. After many years of less wine being made on the Calmont area, some vintners started planting vines again in 2005. They believe that by making the place more well-known, they can sell their wines better. One wine estate now offers to rent out vines for growing.

Monument and viewing plateau

About 665 metres west-southwest from the top of the Calmont hill, there is a special cross called the Monument to the Wartime Generation. It is 12 metres tall and was put up around 1970. You can see it from far away.

Next to a small building that is open from Easter until October, there is a viewing area. From there, you can see beautiful views, especially of a big bend in the Moselle river, which is 285 metres below. You can also see the old ruins of Stuben Abbey and the nearby villages of Neef, Bremm, and Ediger-Eller.

Transport and Hiking

The B 49 federal highway runs along the southern foot of the Calmont between the Moselle villages of Bremm and Ediger-Eller. Nearby, the Kaiser Wilhelm Tunnel carries the Moselle railway from Cochem to Ediger-Eller.

The Calmont Klettersteig runs up the hill. It was created by the German Alpine Club and opened on May 4, 2002. Hikers can learn about the hill’s plants and animals along this path.

Paragliding

Near the Monument to the Wartime Generation, there is a special place where people can start paragliding. They can fly over the beautiful Moselle valley when the wind is just right. The Calmont hill acts like a big round mirror, helping create rising air currents that make paragliding easy and fun.