MOSEL (Fr. Moselle), a river of France and Germany, a left-bank tributary of the Rhine. It rises at an altitude of 2411 ft. on the west flank of the Vosges, close to the FrancoGerman frontier, and a little N. of the Ballon d'Alsace. It flows first N.W. through the French department of Vosges, bends towards N. through that of Meurthe-et-Moselle, forms the Franco-German frontier for a short distance below Pagny, and enters Lorraine. From Sierck to Wasserbillig it forms the frontier between the Rhine Province and Luxemburg, then, turning N.E., it follows a sinuous course and reaches the Rhine at Coblenz. The principal towns on the banks of the Mosel are, in France: Remiremont, Epinal, Toul and Ponta-Mousson; in Germany: Metz, Diedenhofen, Trier (Treves) and Coblenz. The Mosel receives the waters of the Moselotte, Meurthe, Seille and Saar (its principal tributary) on the right, and the Madon, Orne and Sauer on the left. Navigation for small vessels extends downwards from Fronard, a little below Nancy, the Mosel canal affording communication from a point above Metz to the frontier. In the lower part of the valley are the vineyards from which the well-known Mosel wines are produced. The valley of the Mosel, especially the part between Trier and Kochem, is noted both for picturesque scenery and for many sites of antiquarian interest. The length of the river is 314 m.

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