A metal sign reading “Zeller Schwarze Katz” with an arched back black cat logo, above vineyard terraces in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
I’m an unabashed cat lady. My go-to purse is cat-shaped, and I have a collection of cat themed T-shirts, earrings and other accessories.
During a red wine hike in Freinsheim that I took in January, some of the other participants recommended I check out the small German city of Zell due to its cat theme.
The Schwarze Katz, or Black Cat, is a cherished mascot in Zell, immortalized by a 1936 fountain on the market square, on wine labels throughout the region and on the trail that winds up from the city through the vineyards and back down in a 1.8-mile loop.
I was skeptical. I’m more akin to a house cat than an alley cat, as I prefer indoor spaces. But I also like Instagrammable views, being near water and any excuse to visit the Moselle wine region.
A decorative arch covered in greenery and spring ornaments frames a black cat sculpture in the town square in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
A directional sign in Zell, Germany, points toward the Zeller Schwarze Katz themed walking route, Moselsteig hiking trail along the Mosel River and the Collis-Steig steep path, April 23, 2026. The town's iconic black cat holds up a wine glass in the bottom right corner of the sign. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Benches sit in front of an informational display about the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail, with paw-shaped trail markers painted on the pavement, in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
So I grabbed a friend and her adorable dog, Augusta Belle, and off we went.
Zell is on a horseshoe-shaped bend in the Moselle River known as the Zeller Hamm. It’s roughly halfway between Koblenz and Trier and about an hour’s drive east of Spangdahlem Air Base.
As you approach by car, the town’s cat theme jumps out via the Zeller Schwarze Katz-Kreiselfigur: A 15-foot Zeller Black Cat sculpture is at the center of a roundabout, standing atop a wine barrel and raising a glass.
After parking along the Moselle riverfront for a relatively cheap 1 euro an hour, we set out to find the Zeller Schwarze Katz Brunnen, or Zell Black Cat Fountain, which the town’s tourism website lists as the trail’s starting point.
It’s hard to miss, right at the market’s center, with the cat’s back arched and claws out on top of a barrel. However, the first paw prints and placard marking the trail aren’t visible until you walk about 160 feet to the Town Hall.
There, a grinning black cartoon cat raising a glass of white wine appears in the corner of the info sign about the Zell Black Cat Cultural Trail.
A large trail map by the Heimat- und Verkehrsverein (Local History and Tourism Association) on the Mosel Promenade displays hiking routes around Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Riverside overlook featuring a black cat sculpture along the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail, with the Mosel River winding through Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
A wooden barrel viewing platform that reads, "Alles für dis Katz" or All for the Cat with a cartoon cat holding up a glass of wine, overlooking the Mosel River and the town of Zell, Germany, as seen from the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Trailhead sign for the Collis-Steig steep path in Zell, Germany, mounted beside a narrow dirt trail climbing through the forest on the Zeller Schwarze Katz route, April 23, 2026. The sign cautions visitors in English, German, French and Dutch that the trail is steep and for experienced hikers and that "sure-footedness is essential." (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
Vineyard overlook above Zell, Germany, with a tower, terraced hillsides and a sign referencing Zeller Schwarze Katz wine, along the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail, photographed April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
A bench sits near the "Viereckige Turm" (Square Tower) with terraced vineyards rising steeply behind it on the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
An information board mounted on a brick wall displays a map and historical background of the Zeller Schwarze Katz hiking trail in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
But why a black cat? According to the city’s website, in the early 1860s, wine merchants from Aachen came to Zell. After extensive wine tastings, they had narrowed their picks down to three barrels but still couldn’t decide which one to buy.
A placard at the Town Hall says help arrived in the form of Mori, the winemaker’s wife’s black cat, who jumped on one of the barrels and defended it “ferociously with extended claws.”
The merchants decided to take that barrel, and the wine from it was a hit. Zeller Schwarze Katz now represents the town’s finest vineyard region.
"Der Runde Turm" or Round Stone Tower rises among vineyard terraces on the outskirts of Zell, Germany, and along the Zeller Schwarze Katz trail, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
A wooden outdoor book exchange shaped like a wine barrel, labeled “Mini Bibliothek,” stands along a narrow passage in Zell, Germany, April 23, 2026. (Chrissy Yates/Stars and Stripes)
We only made it about 350 yards into our journey before we detoured at a sign that said “to the waterfall” in German. It was more river runoff than waterfall, but right next to it was a cute lending library shaped like a wine barrel.
It struck the fancy of the book lover in me even though all its offerings were in German.
We continued as the trail snaked up to the Viereckige Turm, or square tower. The trail continues through its arches and past a small cemetery.
We ventured off the path for a few feet as we got a closer look at the Runder Turm, or round tower. Both give a little peek into Zell’s past as a fortified medieval town.
It was overall an easy hike with a few sharp turns. At one point we were a little unsure whether we were on the right path, but the cat prints, which are painted in yellow and sometimes white, kept us on track.
Signs along the way tell the history of viticulture in the region. In one spot, you can see and read all about a Roman wine pressing stone. Another sign mentions that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a Zell Black Cat wine connoisseur.
At the end of the hike, we popped into a nearby restaurant for a quick bite before heading to one of the many wine shops near the town square. I sampled some Zeller Schwarze Katz wines and even grabbed a few bottles to take home.
We also passed the entrance to the more challenging Collis tower hike, which has signs in four languages warning that hikers need to be “sure-footed” to tread on that path.
I took one look at my friend’s Birkenstocks and another at my sneakers and knew that was not meant for us. No view is worth a sprained ankle or worse for me.
Unlike Zell’s favorite feline, I am more likely to land on my head than my feet.
