Piesport

Piesport is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The municipality lies surrounded by vineyards, meadows and woods in the Moselle valley between Bernkastel-Kues and Trier. It is the biggest winegrowing centre in the Mosel wine region. Piesport is found on the river’s right bank where the valley begins to broaden out into country marked by utterly flat riverbank slopes. On the other side of the river, steep slopes lead up to the Eifel. Piesport belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde of Bernkastel-Kues, whose seat is in the like-named town. Piesport’s Ortsteile are Piesport, Niederemmel (Emmel, Reinsport and Müstert) and Ferres. Yearly precipitation in Piesport amounts to 737 mm, falling into the middle third of the precipitation chart for all Germany. At 49% of the German Weather Service’s weather stations, lower figures are recorded. The driest month is February. The most rainfall comes in June. In that month, precipitation is twice what it is in February. Precipitation varies only minimally and is extremely evenly spread throughout the year. At only 3% of the weather stations are lower seasonal recorded. The region around Piesport was settled as early as Roman times by the Romans. “Like an amphitheatre’s rows”, wrote the poet Ausonius, the vineyards framed the place. Between the centres of Alt-Piesport and Ferres, the biggest Roman wine pressing facility north of the Alps was unearthed in 1985, and partly reconstructed. It is the focus of the yearly Römisches Kelterfest (“Roman Wine Press Festival”) held on the second weekend in October. Other Roman finds have led to the conclusion that the village was once an important port. It was dedicated to Bigontius, a local deity, whence the name Porto Pigonto was derived, which eventually mutated into “Piesport”. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, Piesport belonged to the Electorate of Trier. Beginning in 1794, Piesport lay under French rule.