Life with the Lokeys

Ultimate Guide to the Fairytale Town of Cochem (Germany)

Ever since we moved to Germany, everyone told us that we must visit the Moselle Valley region. Also known as the oldest wine region in Germany, the Moselle Valley is home to the largest Riesling crop area in the world. Surrounded by rolling hills and vineyards everywhere you look, Cochem was the first place I wanted to visit in this area. Cochem, Germany is a gorgeous town located along the Moselle River with its beautiful castle towering above the city. Here is my ultimate travel guide and a list of my top 5 things to do in the charming fairytale town of Cochem.

1. Visit Cochem Castle

Cochem Castle also know as Reichsburg Castle is what I was looking forward to the most. I highly recommend that you take a tour of the castle. You can reach the castle by foot or you can take the shuttle up. It’s a beautiful walk up to the castle and not that difficult so if you feel you can make it I would definitely walk. Guided tours are offered Monday-Sunday every 15 minutes from 10:00-5:00. They are only offered in German. There is also a castle tavern that serves delicious meals that you can enjoy after your visit. See a full guide to the castle right here.

2. Cochem Bridge

Take a stroll across the beautiful Cochem Bridge. The bridge overlooks the town of Cochem and its beautiful castle above. This was my favorite place to take pictures of this fairytale town. If you cross the bridge to the other side of the river, you can get even better views of Cochem and its cute colorful buildings and castle. On the other side, there are large grassy areas that are perfect for a picnic along the river. Colt had so much fun playing with the ducks, and running along the river.

3. Cruise along the Mosel River

One of the top things to do in Cochem is to take a cruise down the Mosel River. There are several places in town where you can buy tickets. There are so many different tours available to see this beautiful region and its picturesque fairytale villages along the way. If you are staying for a couple of days, I highly recommend taking a romantic boat ride down the Mosel River.

4. Wander the streets of Cochem

My favorite thing to do when exploring new places is just wandering the streets of fairytale villages like Cochem. The winding cobblestone streets and cute shops and cafes make you feel like you stepped back in time. We had the best time eating at one of the charming cafes with its gorgeous views of the river. We also shopped at all the cute shops and stopped in one of the bakeries for the best apple pie. There are also several wine stores that sell wines from the Cochem Region.

5. Visit Cochem’s old medieval city gates

The largest of Cochem’s city gates was built in 1332. The gate served as a landmark for travelers for hundreds of years and protected the town from enemies. Legend has it that when the city was being attacked, the townspeople stacked all their empty wine barrels against the gate and when the enemy stormed the gate they were barreled over with the wine barrels.

I hope you enjoyed my ultimate travel guide and list of the top 5 things to do in Cochem. I am so thankful that we finally made it to this charming fairytale village!

Read more:

DAY TRIP TO BURG ELTZ: GERMANY’S FAIRYTALE CASTLE

TOP THINGS TO DO IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY

THE MOST MAGICAL FAIRY TALE VILLAGE IN GERMANY: ROTHENBURG OB DER TAUBER

Day Trip to Burg Eltz: Germany’s Fairytale Castle

As I walked through the doors to Eltz Castle, I felt like I was stepping into a Disney movie. It reminded me of the castle in Sleeping Beauty and also Hogwarts from Harry Potter. I would love to have thrown on a ballgown and taken a picture in front of this castle…maybe next time!

Burg Eltz is definitely one of the most magical castles in all of Germany. It is also one of the best preserved castles in the world. It’s hidden deep in the forest, and you can even take a magical walk through the forest to reach the castle. The castle is over 850 years old and has been in the Eltz family for more than 30 generations.

The prime period of castle construction was from the 11th to the 13th century. It was constructed in a strategically important position along the most important trade route in the German Empire. Burg Eltz was also never destroyed or overtaken. You can read all about the castle’s history here!

Burg Eltz: What to Know Before You Go

The castle is only open from April 1-November 1. You can visit the castle any time of the year, but it is only open for tours during these months. I would love to come back in the winter. It is open for tours from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., seven days a week. I suggest getting there early before the tours start to have the castle all to yourself. There are German and English tours every 10-15 minutes and they last about 40 minutes as they take you through this magical castle.

The castle is hidden deep in the forest, and from the parking area you can either take a shuttle bus up to the castle or hike through the forest. There is also a small hike that goes along the same route as the shuttle bus, and I suggest that route on the way up to get some beautiful pictures along the way. I would then take the hike though the forest on the way back. The parking cost 2 euros and the shuttle bus also costs 2 euros each way.

Once you reach the castle, there is an admission fee to enter the castle and take the tour. Adults are 11 euro, children 7 euro, and the family card(2 adults and 2 or more children) 30 euro.

Exploring Burg Eltz

Once you enter the castle doors, you are ready to experience one of the most enchanting castles in Europe. You will take a walk around the castle to begin your tour. There are amazing views from the castle walls. You will then enter the inside walls of the castle as you wait for your tour to begin. The tour takes about 40 minutes. You are not allowed to take pictures inside the castle, but my favorite was the bed that was built in 1520. I also loved the beautiful windows and seating areas that opened up to the gorgeous views of the surrounding forest.

At the end of the tour, you can also explore the Burg Eltz Castle Treasury. Here you will find so many neat artifacts and antiques from the castle over the years. After exploring the castle, you can stop for a bite to eat. There are two restaurants where you can stop and relax and take in the views from the castle. We did not stop to eat but I have heard the food is delicious. There is also a cute little souvenir shop full of all kinds of medieval items to remember your time at the castle.

If you find yourself in Germany, you must visit this beautiful and enchanting castle for yourself. Take a step back in time, and enjoy learning about the history of this castle. I hope you find it as magical as I did!