The Mosel Valley is a special discovery everyone will experience at one point or another. I’m sure everyone who’s taken that beautiful winding route has special memories attached – drinking wine on the waterside, roaming the castle grounds.
Cochem is just one of the beautiful towns located along the Mosel Valley which is a tiny haven (only 8 square miles in size) but packed with wonderful opportunities. Cochem is a pearl along the Mosel Valley, with a lot to offer. I have my own list – and every time I go, I follow my script of ‘pleasure routines’.
How to get from Düsseldorf to Cochem
To reach Cochem from Düsseldorf you can take a regional train, which will get you there within 2-2.5 hours with 1 or 2 stops. I usually hop in a car – it’s an hour and a half drive, getting really beautiful once you get off A61 – in this case staying overnight is highly recommended.
TIP: If you don’t have a vehicle, it is also very easy to rent a car or join a ride-sharing program from Düsseldorf to Cochem.
What to see and do in Cochem
Once I have arrived and parked in Cochem, my first stop is always…
Vinothek Weingut
Vinothek Weingut is right under the bridge and the only one in Cochem, so don’t worry, you won’t get lost ?! Here, you’ll find an elderly gentleman serving 2-3 sorts of local wine in three variations (as pretty much anywhere in the region): trocken (dry), feinherb (semi-sweet) and lieblich (sweet).
There is also delicious fresh grape juice (no preservatives!) my daughter just loves, and – my favorite – Kir Royal (bubbles with cherry syrup).
If you get hungry on the way – there’s also an Imbiss right next door. Of course, you can treat yourself in the more upscale wine tasting places (there are plenty of those in town!), however, this first stop will tune you into the right mood ?. So, you’re ready now for the next step:
Stroll through the tiny streets in the old town of Cochem
In the old town of Cochem, you’ll find souvenir shops, wine cellars (tasting, again!), flea markets, gelaterias, local goods shops (open on Sundays as well).
Interesting fact: almost every house in the old town is a cultural monument, some dating back to the 1600s. You can find most of them on the Cochem Wikipedia page!
You can decide how much time you want to spend exploring, but I usually pass quickly to the next stop:
Walk up to the Reichsburg Castle
It’s a nice walk up the hill (quite steep, be prepared with the proper shoes!), spoiling the eye with the view of vineyards all around. You can take a guided tour through the castle (available in English) which will tell you about its history and provide access to some of the private areas around the castle grounds. After the tour, if you feel like breaking for lunch or grabbing a cup of coffee, there’s a café located on the property. I usually hurry down back into town, to the place I had noted on my way up…
Café Bistro Filou
Café Bistro Filou is a wonderful bakery! They have an enormous variety of cakes for any taste. They serve savory meals as well, but something tells me this is not what the place is known for. ?
Having treated yourself to a piece of some three-layered mouth-watering dessert, it’s time to enjoy Cochem on another level. Quite literally, if you turn around the corner, you’ll find the Cochemer Sesselbahn and the Wild&Freizeit Park Klotten/Cochem.
Ride the Cochemer Sesselbahn for an amazing panoramic view
The chair lift, which for a few euros (family card is available, of course) will take you up to the panoramic viewpoint of the ‘Pinner Kreuz’ hill. There’s also a terrasse café at the top if you skipped #4 from my list. ?
For the families with kids there’s one more place to visit:
Wild-&Freizeit Park Klotten/Cochem
Located on the top of the hill, this amusement park has various attractions including a wildlife zoo and falconry. By the way, falcon competitions are quite common in the area – I came across those during one of the summer visits to Koblenz.
Once you’re tired and ready for some rest – the Sesselbahn will take you back down into town where you can have a nice dinner outside reflecting on all the views seen and emotions lived through the day. My favorite spot to do this is located across the river from the castle so that along with dinner you could enjoy twilight falling over the Reichsburg.
Enjoy a wonderful evening at the Hotel Am Hafen Restaurant
This restaurant has a very welcoming waiter who will give you good advice on the wine and the meal options!
You can fit all this into one day, or spread the fun over the weekend, allowing yourself simply enjoying local sun and delicacies.
If you’ve got a long weekend to spare, there are still plenty of activities to fill your days:
- Stroll along the Mosel promenade
- Join the panoramic river cruise tour with onboard entertainment
- Take the Mosel Wine Express train
- Have fun at the Moselbad swimming pool
- Visit the former bunker of Germany’s Central Bank (Deutsche Bundesbank)
Parking tips for Cochem
If you come only for a day, you can use city parking areas around Pinnerstraße towards the outskirts of the town. Even on a busy Sunday, there’s plenty of affordable parking spots, and it’ll take you only about 5-7 minutes to walk into the old town area. If you stay overnight and have booked a room in one of the hotels on Uferstraße, there should be a parking slot available for you.
Where to stay in Cochem
In Germany do as Germans do! ?
Yes, this means booking in advance, even for warm and sunny days that are not holidays. I was lucky once in getting a room by just knocking on doors on Uferstraße, but my exception is there just to confirm the rule.
There are plenty of beautiful little hotels and bed & breakfasts in the area worth checking out, it just depends on where you’d like to stay.
If you’re looking for some more adventures in the area, check out Life in Düsseldorf’s article: Weekend Getaway: Roaming the Middle Rhine Valley Castles
