Reichsburg Castle Cochem

Reichsburg Cochem
(Imperial Castle, Cochem)

The Cochem Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem in German, is a place where history comes to life. The castle we see today towering above the scenic town of Cochem on the Moselle River is not the castle that originally stood there in the 12th century. That castle had a long and colorful history until French King Louis XIV had his troops obliterate it in 1689.

Cochem Castle dates back to the first millennium, the year 1000 A.D. It was the home of the Palatinate counts and was built on the orders of Count Ezzo. The first historical mention of this castle is from 1051, when it was given as a gift to a nephew, Henry I by Richeza, the oldest daughter of Ezzo and one-time Queen of Poland.

 Getting to the Castle

click to enlarge images

The castle sits perched upon a 100 m (328 ft) hill overlooking the River Moselle.  We took a shuttle bus to the castle summit where we were then met by a local guide for a tour of the interior of the castle. Qualified guides will show you the most beautiful rooms and make you familiar with the history of Cochem Castle.

Since we were part of a large group, there was a pre-assigned time for us to be at the castle.  We still had to wait for our group number to be called before beginning the interior tour.

View from Terrace

Just before the conclusion of the tour, we were treated to an amazing view from the terrace of the castle.  From this vantage point you can see the winding river, and the town below.

Additional photos can be found on our Rhine & Moselle Shutterfly page:

Cochem - Reichsburg Castle

Our visit to Cochem was on day eight of our 13-day river cruise on Avalon Artistry II.   If you are just joining us, be sure to review our previous posts.

Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  
Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and
Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises In

AMA WATERWAYS Wine Cruise

AMAWATERWAYS Wine Cruise Celebration!

SPECIAL AIR OFFER
FLY FOR ONLY $500 FROM JFK AND $700 FROM LAX or SFO

Airport Transfers, Air Taxes, Fuel Surcharges
& Fees All Included with purchase of an
AMAWATERWAYS cruise

PLUS RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY UPGRADE AND
$100 SHIPBOARD CREDIT!

AMA WATERWAYS invites you to cruise along Europe’s Rhine and Mosel rivers, famous for their picturesque scenery, historic destinations and hillside vineyards on a very unique river cruise.   

Experience the pleasures of river cruising on one of the top cruise lines in the market.   The crew is very attentive to your needs as they deliver a superior cruise experience.   There are no crowds, no long lines, just friendly and courteous service.   Your ship docks in the heart of town in most cases so you don't even have a distance to go before you are experiencing the ports of call.


The Vineyards of the Rhine & Mosel
Spend 7 nights aboard the luxurious MS AMALEGRO, followed by 3 nights in romantic Paris  November 11-22, 2010      Starting from $2689* per person

RESERVE THIS UNIQUE WINE CRUISE

CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS:

Your Celebrated Hosts:

Rudi Schreiner, AMAWATERWAYS President

Archie McLaren, Chairman of Central Coast Wine Classic

Jim Clendenen, Owner of internationally-acclaimed Au Bon Climat Winery, California 

Hosted dinner and wine tasting with the world-famous Georg Breuer winery at the Rüdesheimer Schloss in Rüdesheim

Gourmet luncheon on board, with special wine pairing from the Heymann-Lowenstein winery

Visit to the spectacular Reichsburg Castle perched above the Mosel in Cochem

Wine fest in Zell, famous for its “Zeller Schwarze Katz” (Black Cat) wine, including a greeting by the Mayor, Wine Queen and a special performance by the “Black Cats”

Wine tasting at the Bernkastel Wine Museum, hosted by Mr. Stahlmann from the Dr. Loosen Winery 

Closing note:   We have sailed on Ms Amalegro and enjoyed the trip immensely.   The Cruise Director and the staff were among the best we've ever had in over 30 years of sailing.