Location and municipal structure
Merzkirchen is a local municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district in Rhineland-Palatinate and belongs to the collective municipality of Saarburg-Kell. The municipality lies in the Saargau between the Saar and the Moselle near the border with Luxembourg. Merzkirchen is part of the Mosel region.
Landscape and geology
The Körrig district lies within the high Moselle plateaus, a broad highland that rises gradually from the Moselle’s edge elevations, with valleys that are comparatively weakly developed. In the documented planning area, valley alluvium and river terraces form the starting material; to the south, a transition to Muschelkalk and Keuper closes.
History and wine-growing area
The present municipality was formed in 1974 through the merger of the previously independent municipalities of the seven districts. The Mannebach valley in the Körrig district locally serves as a cold-air accumulation area and cold-air channel. Merzkirchen is also included under the municipality code 2724 in the geographically defined area of the protected geographical indication “Landwein der Mosel”.
