At the end of July we spent a weekend in Cochem on the Moselle river. From there we visited castles, took a boat along the river and walked through vinyards and forests. Cochem is a cute place with a castle presiding over the town and definitely worth a visit. Right after arriving an checking into our hotel, we walked up to take part in a guided tour. The walk up reminded me of our visit to Dartmouth last November, the vividly colored houses squished together along narrow streets.
We arrived at the castle just in time for the last tour of the day and were excited to learn about the history and see the rooms. The castle was built around the year 1000 and after changing hands several times and being almost completely destroyed, it was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century to what we see now. Since 1978, it belongs to the city of Cochem.
The next morning we took the train to Bullay from where we walked along the train line through the vinyards until we reached Reil where we stopped for lunch before getting on the boat which took us back to Cochem. It was a warm day and being able to be out on the water was wonderful.
The best thing about traveling in summer is being able to spend the evenings outside, enjoying a meal on the terrace and walking along the riverfront after dinner. When the lights come on at night, there is a magical feeling.
After a bit of an issue with a bus not arriving on time, we decided to walk up to the Burg Eltz instead. We were alone in the forest, but the quickly changed once the castle came into view! It was hard to get any photos without anyone in the them and unfortunately there was no photography allowed on the tour. The castle has been in the family for more than 800 years and was never destroyed. It’s amazing to visit, just be sure to not go during summer and on a weekend when the tour is like being at a sheep herding contest.
Afterwards we continued on our hike to the next castle we had planed on visiting, Burg Pyrmont. But due to the two we lost while waiting for the bus and then walking, we had to forgo that plan and ended up having a drink below the castle at the old mill. This time we were able to catch the bus back down to the river!
Our short stay was over too soon and we made our way back to the Rhein River, to Koblenz. There we spent the day before embarking on the long train ride home. In Koblenz we walked along the river before taking the gondola across the river to the Fort Ehrenbreitenstein where we could have easily spent the whole day. Not only is there plenty to see and learn about the fort and the city, it’s also quite easy to get lost!
Where to eat: