Reichsburg Cochem
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With an impressive history dating back to the 1000 A.D, Reischburg Cochem was sold to the city of Cochem in 1332. It had an eventful journey and was eventually burned during the 30 Year War in 1689 by King Louis XIV's troops. In 1886 Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené purchased the Imperial castle ruins for 300 gold coins, or about €500. Quite a steal, but it was a costly reconstruction overseen by Ravené himself, but it was a beautiful ending with most of the original pieces of furniture still remaining in the castle today. The castle of Cochem overlooks the town of Cochem as well as an expansive view of the Mosel River. With a short hike up a very steep hill, you come across the castle entrance. Without a guided tour, unfortunately no access to the grounds is permitted, though you can explore the gift shop and café. The castle has various hours through the winter and spring, so check their website before visiting as no tours may be happening the day you visit. We visited on the last day of the Winter 2 hours so we were able to get tickets to the last English tour of the day, which was amazing because our tour guide spoke perfect English and was very detailed in the information she shared with our group of 12. Tickets for the tour are €7 for adults, €3,50 for children(6-12), groups of 12 or more are €6 per person, students over 18 are €6 and families(with at least 2 children under 18) are €18,50. Tours last approximately 45 minutes with a tour through the courtyard, and approximately 10 rooms! Make sure you rub the red tummy of the mermaid guardian for good luck as you pass to the Huntsman's room! Our guide said everyone who has made a wish has had it come true. There is also a chapel that people still use for weddings, which I love because the backdrop of the Mosel and vineyards would make for stunning photos. The rooms we toured were decorated in Neo-Gothic stylings, wood carved furnishings, antlers from hunted game and fine china. We learned that some of the doors were truck doors leading to nowhere, some leading under the castle and one that lead to Ravené's room which was a hidden door built into the wall! Every room was designed to be perfectly symmetrical so if one door opened into a room, the one on the other side would lead into a wall. Simply for decoration and to complete the look Ravené was going for. Many of the rooms have been painstakingly restored to their former glory after being painted over in white during the Nazi era of WWII. The only remaining original piece of the castle is the Witch's Tour, named because when fires ravaged the castle, it was the only one that didn't burn so locals said it was protected by magic and that a witch lived there, which I thought was interesting since of course, that's what people in that century would assume haha. Our guide encouraged us to take as many photos as we wanted but asked us not to lean on any of the furniture as it was all from the 1800's. The castle also hosts a Knight's Feast on Friday and Saturday evenings during the spring and summer. It's a 4 hour event, similar to Medieval Times, minus the knights jousting. It's a 4 course meal eaten with your hands, and costs about €60 a person. It is by reservation only and tickets book up quickly as it's quite limited. We plan on going back around March 17th, when the feast starts up again! So I'll update this when we attend that event. Definitely a castle worth visiting, the tour is interesting and informative, breathtaking views, a cute shopping area at the bottom of the hill and a lovely café to eat at before or after your tour and plenty of awesome souvenirs to take home a memory of your visit. I can't wait to come back, especially since it's only an hour drive from our house.
Wow! First castle tour and it was amazing! This was the reason for us heading to the lovely village of Cochem. We were lucky enough to arrive right before the last English tour of the day. If you are planning here, I'd recommend checking out tour times before making the haul up the hill. Otherwise, it might be a bummer to walk up and find out all tours are in German. We walked to the castle, which provide stunning views of the town and gave us time to get some fun photos! I've added some of our "fun" photos below, hope you enjoy the photos. As for the tour, our tour guide was amazing! Her English was very good and provided some humor throughout the tour. This tour was by far one of my favorite things we did while in Germany! I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area.
I had the pleasure of visiting Reichsburg Cochem on my latest trip to Germany and have to say that I was really impressed by this little Schloss on the Mosel. Cochem is a tiny little town on the Mosel River and Reichsburg Cochem is perched up high above it all with excellent views of the surrounding area, even on a bit of a grey day. The castle's roots go back to the middle ages, but it was most notably restored by a wealthy family with French roots in the 18th or 19th century (I can't remember). What sets Reichsburg Cochem apart from other castles is that it still feels like it's alive and being used and doesn't have that stiff museum-quality to it. Your visit is led by a guide. Ours spoke perfect English, and in the middle of winter our tour group consisted of just seven individuals. We were free to take pictures and even touch objects during our tour. That's pretty unheard of in the world of tourist castles, so I really did feel like this one was special. It is, sadly, out of the way of the typical tourist path. And it is also a bit on the small side. A guided tour - the only way you can see the castle - takes about 45 minutes. After that they spit you out in the gift shop and then you're on you're way. Still, for the very modest entrance price, you get a lot of bang for you buck as we Americans say.
2 years ago
Stunning. Nearly unbelievable that it's real! Beautiful medieval castle overlooking Cochem and the Moselle River. The scenery is extraordinary. The castle tour is well worth it as is the drive to it. There is a small cafe/restaurant there. We had some excellent soups and some nice beers. Prices were reasonable considering the incredible view and historic setting. Pro Tip on Parking: Just keep driving up. The parking is all the way up by the castle and there are several areas. Many people park down the road and walk up. Don't do this... unless you want the cardio. Pro Tip on Photos: There are several excellent photo stops while on the drive down into Cochem before driving up to the castle as in my photos. Pro Tip on Cochem: Very cool town. Tourist restaurants are on the castle side of the river but there are a couple great places on the other side of the river that offer higher quality fare and a great view of the castle. read more
It's a relatively small castle, but what makes it outstanding is the view it offers of Mosel river and valley. Totally worth it just for that alone, and there are some interesting things to see inside as well. Highly recommend taking the bus from downtown (terminal is right next to the tourist office) to save the walk, unless you enjoy hiking up the steep hill. Most tours are in German, and when we arrived, we spent too much time snapping pictures in front of the castle (should have done that AFTER the tour), so we missed the English tour by a few minutes. Not wanting to wait a while for the next one, we joined the German tour. We were given a page of info in English (there are many languages available), although we definitely missed out on the jokes as the Germans chuckled once in a while. On the return trip, we got off at the old town instead of the bus terminal, where we get to see the shops and eateries. Makes for a great day trip when staying in the area. read more
7 years ago
Sold to the city of Cochem in 1978, Reichsburg Cochem Castle has a history dating back to 1,000 AD. Much of the furnishings and artifacts date back only to 1868 when the Ravene family bought and reconstructed the castle in the Neo-Gothic style. Tickets are acquired at the gift shop. There are seasonal hours so check before you walk up the steep hill. Tickets costs are Adults 6 Euro, 6-17 years 3 Euro, students 5 Euro and family 2 Adults and children 16 Euro. The castle offers only guided tours mostly in German but some in English. Tours in English when available start at 10:30 am. If the tour is in German a transcript is provided in multiple languages. Tours are 40 minutes long and encompass 10 interior rooms. Photos are allowed inside the castle. No strollers but children can walk or be carried. Well behaved dogs are allowed and credit cards are accepted for the tour, food and souvenir shop. They have a restaurant which is reasonably priced and provides an opportunity to eat in a castle. I found it to be a wonderful experience. They offer coffee, sandwiches, Schnitzel, salads, brats and more. Parking is available at the base of the hill. Free parking is also available on non-busy days on the street. A seasonal shuttle bus will drive you up the steep hill usually between May and November 1. Car rentals in Germany are generally reasonable and start at $25 a day. Cochem Castle is 1 hr. 45 minutes from Cologne (75 miles) and 2 hrs. from Frankfort (95 miles). read more
7 years ago
With an impressive history dating back to the 1000 A.D, Reischburg Cochem was sold to the city of Cochem in 1332. It had an eventful journey and was eventually burned during the 30 Year War in 1689 by King Louis XIV's troops. In 1886 Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené purchased the Imperial castle ruins for 300 gold coins, or about €500. Quite a steal, but it was a costly reconstruction overseen by Ravené himself, but it was a beautiful ending with most of the original pieces of furniture still remaining in the castle today. The castle of Cochem overlooks the town of Cochem as well as an expansive view of the Mosel River. With a short hike up a very steep hill, you come across the castle entrance. Without a guided tour, unfortunately no access to the grounds is permitted, though you can explore the gift shop and café. The castle has various hours through the winter and spring, so check their website before visiting as no tours may be happening the day you visit. We visited on the last day of the Winter 2 hours so we were able to get tickets to the last English tour of the day, which was amazing because our tour guide spoke perfect English and was very detailed in the information she shared with our group of 12. Tickets for the tour are €7 for adults, €3,50 for children(6-12), groups of 12 or more are €6 per person, students over 18 are €6 and families(with at least 2 children under 18) are €18,50. Tours last approximately 45 minutes with a tour through the courtyard, and approximately 10 rooms! Make sure you rub the red tummy of the mermaid guardian for good luck as you pass to the Huntsman's room! Our guide said everyone who has made a wish has had it come true. There is also a chapel that people still use for weddings, which I love because the backdrop of the Mosel and vineyards would make for stunning photos. The rooms we toured were decorated in Neo-Gothic stylings, wood carved furnishings, antlers from hunted game and fine china. We learned that some of the doors were truck doors leading to nowhere, some leading under the castle and one that lead to Ravené's room which was a hidden door built into the wall! Every room was designed to be perfectly symmetrical so if one door opened into a room, the one on the other side would lead into a wall. Simply for decoration and to complete the look Ravené was going for. Many of the rooms have been painstakingly restored to their former glory after being painted over in white during the Nazi era of WWII. The only remaining original piece of the castle is the Witch's Tour, named because when fires ravaged the castle, it was the only one that didn't burn so locals said it was protected by magic and that a witch lived there, which I thought was interesting since of course, that's what people in that century would assume haha. Our guide encouraged us to take as many photos as we wanted but asked us not to lean on any of the furniture as it was all from the 1800's. The castle also hosts a Knight's Feast on Friday and Saturday evenings during the spring and summer. It's a 4 hour event, similar to Medieval Times, minus the knights jousting. It's a 4 course meal eaten with your hands, and costs about €60 a person. It is by reservation only and tickets book up quickly as it's quite limited. We plan on going back around March 17th, when the feast starts up again! So I'll update this when we attend that event. Definitely a castle worth visiting, the tour is interesting and informative, breathtaking views, a cute shopping area at the bottom of the hill and a lovely café to eat at before or after your tour and plenty of awesome souvenirs to take home a memory of your visit. I can't wait to come back, especially since it's only an hour drive from our house. read more
8 years ago
Wow! First castle tour and it was amazing! This was the reason for us heading to the lovely village of Cochem. We were lucky enough to arrive right before the last English tour of the day. If you are planning here, I'd recommend checking out tour times before making the haul up the hill. Otherwise, it might be a bummer to walk up and find out all tours are in German. We walked to the castle, which provide stunning views of the town and gave us time to get some fun photos! I've added some of our "fun" photos below, hope you enjoy the photos. As for the tour, our tour guide was amazing! Her English was very good and provided some humor throughout the tour. This tour was by far one of my favorite things we did while in Germany! I would highly recommend it to anyone in the area. read more
5 years ago
12 years ago
I had the pleasure of visiting Reichsburg Cochem on my latest trip to Germany and have to say that I was really impressed by this little Schloss on the Mosel. Cochem is a tiny little town on the Mosel River and Reichsburg Cochem is perched up high above it all with excellent views of the surrounding area, even on a bit of a grey day. The castle's roots go back to the middle ages, but it was most notably restored by a wealthy family with French roots in the 18th or 19th century (I can't remember). What sets Reichsburg Cochem apart from other castles is that it still feels like it's alive and being used and doesn't have that stiff museum-quality to it. Your visit is led by a guide. Ours spoke perfect English, and in the middle of winter our tour group consisted of just seven individuals. We were free to take pictures and even touch objects during our tour. That's pretty unheard of in the world of tourist castles, so I really did feel like this one was special. It is, sadly, out of the way of the typical tourist path. And it is also a bit on the small side. A guided tour - the only way you can see the castle - takes about 45 minutes. After that they spit you out in the gift shop and then you're on you're way. Still, for the very modest entrance price, you get a lot of bang for you buck as we Americans say. read more
9 years ago
More info about Reichsburg Cochem
Schloßstr. 36
56812 Cochem
Germany
Directions
02671 255
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http://www.reichsburg-cochem.de
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