Saying goodbye to Ghent was hard. We seemed to have settled down in our apartment and the month just flew by. With promises to ourselves and the landlord that we will return, we left for our next destination. Our journey to Cochem took us via Luxembourg, which was a beautiful city. We got an opportunity to visit Chateau Vianden. A short trip and we found ourselves getting off at Cochem (Mosel). Our landlord had come to pick us up at the station. We were thrilled with that, because when we reached the apartment we realized it would have been an uphill walk and we would have been exhausted. Our apartment was on the first floor ( second floor as per American standards). The one bedroom apartment had a terrace with a beautiful view, overlooking the lovely Mosel river.
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We had now arrived from an urban setting into a fairly rural area. A relaxed pace of life. Only three grocery stores two on one side and one on the other side of the river. A wine region with rolling vineyards and Schloss Reichsburg majestically sitting on top of the hill. Sitting on our terrace we had the view of the Mosel and the Castle. What more can one ask? The old town or Alte Stadt is nice to walk around, its cobbled streets and twisted alleys and historically restored buildings date back to the 1700’s. We walked by many wine shops that invited us to taste the local Riesling wines that are absolutely excellent. The shop owners will explain the various types of wines and the grapes used for the wines. Did you know that the slopes and height also matter to make a certain kind of Riesling? Some shops require you to make a prior reservation to get a lesson in winemaking. You will get to taste the wine too! And of course, to buy some to take back with you.
Our first meal the day we arrived was in a restaurant on the Mosel ( http://www.davinci-cochem.de/). It was 2 minutes walk from our apartment. The people were friendly and we got a table overlooking the Mosel. At the next table was a couple from the Netherlands. They were also in Cochem for a vacation.
We had a lovely evening with good company to talk to. Of course we talked a lot about our travels and theirs! A common subject, right? By the end of the evening ,we had exchanged contact information and agreed to keep in touch.
Water flooding through the Locke.
as it fill the Locke
A great experience
The next day went for a walk into the old town. The promenade is beautifully lined with benches and decorated with flowers to have a quiet break and watch the ships going by. The river has a lot of traffic. Not only do you see river boat cruise ships but also barges that carry commodities. It’s fascinating how they navigate the shallow river. There are 12 locke’s on the Mosel river. If you have never been through a locke, this would be a great experience. The boat is guided into the locke and depending on which side you are coming from the locke is flooded or drained to allow the boat to continue. It was a very exciting experience for us as we have never seen this. We took a boat trip to the next township called Beilstein. It was probably the smallest place we had visited so far. Beautiful vineyards line the river and the scenery was breathtaking.
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We were in Coche
m at the right time. They had their wine festival and we got to see the festival in Ernst and Cochem. People come out and support their local community. Besides the lively music, the Mosel produces excellent Riesling wines. We had an opportunity to sample a few during these festivities. The wine festival last usually 5 days and there is local food sold along with the wine. In Cochem, there is also a parade with the last wine Queen and Princess in it. Cochem is a gem on very central to travel to others places on the Mosel.
We were invited to meet some locals who meet in a restaurant in the old town every Thursday. The place serves basic food and drinks. It’s the local watering hole for the people here who have known each other for many years. Our landlady’s daughter owns a cafe in the old town in the historic district. It’s called Emily’s Cafe. The Mosel can flood and in the old town there is a marking of the years it flooded the city. As you will notice in this pictures the last flood was in 1993 and way above the doorway. I can only imagine that the damage would have been extensive.
We went for walks every day, and on one such walk we saw a steep street and started walking up. Half way up we realized that we were walking up to the Reicheburg Castle on the hill. It was a 400 ft high. Our reward was the fantastic views of Cochem from the top. Breathtakingly beautiful Mosel river with a bridge crossing and vineyards surrounding it, Cochem is a place one sees in picture postcards. You decide from these pictures if you think the same.
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We had one more must-see place on our list. Trier. On the day we left Cochem we took the train to Trier. This city is on the border of Luxembourg and Germany. It is the oldest city in Germany, a treasure trove of Roman ruins. The moment we walked towards the old city we could see the enormous entrance gate Porta Nigra ” Black Gate” one of the only four gates still standing. It is the only city where a Cathedral and a Church are next to each other. Part of the gate was converted into a church but during Napolean’s time had all non-Roman additions removed. Trier is a walkable city. Ruins of Roman baths and a Coliseum still exist. The Palace gardens are beautifully maintained. Also the birthplace of Karl Marx. It was also the seat of the Roman Emperor Konstantine.
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Our brief stay for a week, having enjoyed the fine wines, food and the festive atmosphere of Cochem it was time to move to our next destination.