Location and landscape
Wellen is a municipality in the Verbandsgemeinde Konz and in the Trier-Saarburg district in Rhineland-Palatinate. It lies on the right bank of the Moselle opposite Grevenmacher in Luxembourg, between the Moselle towns of Temmels and Nittel. The municipal area covers 3.09 square kilometres and is situated at an elevation of about 150 metres. The landscape is shaped by the Moselle valley and the adjacent vineyard slopes.
Climate and geology
Wellen belongs to the Mosel wine-growing region. For the area, an average annual daytime temperature of 9.7 °C, an average temperature for the growing season of 14.1 °C and an average annual rainfall of 760 millimetres are given. Wellen lies in the area of Upper Moselle, whose geological subsoil is characterised by Muschelkalk. Muschelkalk and dolomite are extracted commercially in the municipality; according to the municipality, Muschelkalk has been mined underground there since 1874.
Winegrowing at Altenberg
The Altenberg is a registered single-vineyard site in Wellen, which belongs to the Upper Moselle area and the Großlage Gipfel. In the 2024 vineyard directory, 14.3 hectares of planted vineyard area are recorded for this site. Elbling is a characteristic grape variety of the Upper Moselle and is associated with the Muschelkalk soils prevailing there. In addition, Weißburgunder, Grauburgunder, Auxerrois and Chardonnay are important grape varieties on the limestone soils of the Upper Moselle; Spätburgunder is also grown in the region.
Historical development
According to the municipality, Wellen was first mentioned in 646 under the Frankish name Vualeheim. After about 1150, the place belonged to Luxembourg and later came under the administration of Burgundy as well as the Spanish and Austrian Netherlands. In 1815, Wellen became part of Prussia. In 1878, the municipality received a railway station.
