Cochem Castle Travel Guide - Reichsburg's Imperial Castle, Cochem
Updated: Sep 9
The Mosel Valley is famous for its Castles and Vineyards. The Reichsburg's Imperial Castle towers above the beautiful town of Cochem in the Mosel Valley.
The castle was first built in 1000 AD, but like other castles, the castle faced many conflicts between the kings. In 1688, the castle was occupied by King Louis XIV, and he burned it down in 1689.
After 200 years, the castle land and ruins were bought by Berlin's Businessman Louis Ravene, who started the reconstruction in Neo-Gothic style.
The castle was constructed in 1899, but the family didn't get the chance to stay in the castle. They were forced to sell the castle to the Prussian Government. After the war, the castle was sold to Cochem City in 1978.
How to reach the Cochem Castle:
The Cochem castle is only 1.6 KM from the Cochem Train station. There's a shuttle bus from the train station to the Castle during the peak season. You can also walk to the Cochem Old Town and hike up the mountain. It took us around 25 minutes to reach the Castle. It was a very comfortable hike.
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Cochem Castle Guided tour:
There's only possible to visit the castle from the inside with the guided tour. The price of the ticket is euro 7 for each person. The ticket can be purchased from the shop at the Castle's entrance. When we visited the castle, it didn't take us time to buy the ticket, but there was a long waiting time to start the guided tour.
The Castle is very crowded over the weekends. If you want to visit during the weekend, it's better to go early in the morning to avoid crowds.
The guided tour offers in English and German. It's almost a tour of 40 minutes in which the guide takes to the different sections of the castle and explains the history of the castle.
Let's take you inside the tour of the Castle:
Dining Room:
The tour starts from the dining hall, built in the Neo-renaissance style. The painted wall panels and the dining hall ceiling were decorated with carvings. The motives are inspired by greek mythology and Bible.
The large dining table has been set, and the fireplace is on one side of the table. The hanging candle chandelier from the ceiling was in the hall's centre.
Gothic Room:
The Gothic room is named after the ceiling gothic Vault also known as Caminata, a Chimney-heated room. The room has different furniture from different times, like a Chest of drawers and a Cologne Cabinet,
Romanesque Room:
This room is also named after its ceiling structure. The ceiling is painted and symbolizes fortitude, wisdom, justice and moderation. There's a staircase which takes you to the bed chamber.
Hunting Room:
The walls of the hunting room were decorated with the trophies of the animal from Eifel and Hunsruck.
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Knight's Hall:
It's the largest hall in the Castle, and the Händel's Water music was played as we entered the hall. The room has two large paintings.
Weapon's room:
After the Knight's room, we headed towards the weapon room. The room displayed a collection of armours, battle axes, and spears from the 16th century.
Balcony:
The balcony has an entrance from the weapon's room. It has the most magnificent view of the Mosel river. In mid-age, the castle served as a customs castle on the trade route between Germany and France.
Courtyard:
There are 7 rooms out of 50 rooms of the castle that are open and visited during the guided tour. There's a chapel in the castle famous for weddings and small concerts. There's also a well in the courtyard which provides drinking water to the castle's residents.
Witch Tower:
It's a tall round tower that survived the castle's restructure in 1689, so that's why it's famous as a witch tower.
Tavern Restaurant in Cochem Castle:
From the Tavern Restaurant in Cochem Castle, you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Mosel Valley, Cochem and vineyards, refreshments, and coffee.
The Knight's Meal:
You can also book a Knight's meal along with your guided tour. The meal takes place in the castle's cellar, where the maids and servants welcome you. But you need to book and plan this experience here
Ending note:
The castle also organized special events like the Medieval Castle festival at the beginning of August and the Christmas festivity during December. You can find more details here if you plan to visit the castle and enjoy the events.