The Cochem Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem in German, is a place where history comes to life.
A popular legend tells of a lowly servant who was on his way to visit his beloved on a the first Sunday following Easter, the “White Sunday.” On his way, he overheard a group of armed men who were planning to attack, and so he rushed back to Cochem Castle to warn them. The armed men were quickly overwhelmed by the well-prepared knights of Cochem, who celebrated with food and wine.
This tradition continues to this day with Knipp Monday.
About The Reichsburg Cochem And Its History
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.
The Reichsburg Cochem was used mainly as a defensive structure. It was said that at one time, it housed as many as 40,000 knights!
The Sun King Louis XIV attacked and burned the Reichsburg to the ground in 1688. It wasn’t until 1868 that Mr. Louis Ravené, a Berlin businessman, began to reconstruct it in the Neo-Gothic style that we see today.
Cochem Castle Highlights And Features
Knights’ Meal
Once you finish touring this spectacular medieval palace, why not experience a little bit of its history for yourself? The Knights’ Meal lets you do just that.
The Lord of the Manor will greet you with a cup of the local Moselle wine and sit you down for a four-hour extravagant feast. You can sample the historical cuisine and learn about the customs and manners of the time. As you chow down on your extra-large drumstick, you can watch performing jesters and minstrels. The night culminates with a knighting ceremony.
Reservations for tickets must be made in advance.
Specialized Tours And Shows
The Cochem Castle does its very best to make history fun and accessible to its many visitors. Guests may choose to take a ghost tour of the castle, which gives a glimpse of rooms not normally seen during a regular tour.
A landscape garden tour takes you along the serpentine steps through trees and flowers with some extraordinary views. There’s also the nightwatchman tour, where this gentleman will regale you with some of the most interesting and unusual tales of Cochem.
If that’s not enough variety for you, don’t miss out on the Falconry performances. Each day you can see these highly skilled birds of prey, such as eagles, buzzards, vultures and (of course) falcons show off their stuff.
Cochem Castle Location And Opening Hours
The Reichsburg Cochem may be found in the town of Cochem in the Rhineland-Palatinate region. The castle sits perched upon a 100 m (328 ft) hill overlooking the River Moselle.
The street address for Cochem Castle is Schloßstraße 36 in 56812 Cochem. So owners of GPS devices can simply plug in this address for a simple, care-free journey.
If you haven’t got a personal navigation system, you use the following information to help you find your way. The closest Autobahns to Cochem are the Autobahns A1 and A48. From either of these highways, you can make your way to the Bundestraße B49. From here, you can connect to the K20, then to the K22 which will lead you right to Reichsburg Cochem.
Using Germany’s extensive public transport system is also an option. The Cochem (Mosel) train station is conveniently located at just 1.4 km (0.8 mi) away from the castle. In a brisk fifteen minutes of walking, you can reach the Reichsburg by foot.
You also have the option of taking a shuttle bus to the castle summit. They run from many different parts of the city, such as the bus station and market square, to the Cochem Castle. Click here for a detailed Cochem Castle Shuttle Bus Timetable (we love timetables!).
Cochem Castle Opening Hours
Cochem Castle is open daily from 9:00 am until 5:00 p.m in the summer months of March to November. The castle restaurant opens and closes one hour later, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
In the cold winter months, you can visit the castle only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays with a limited number of tours. The castle restaurant is closed during this time.
Reichsburg Cochem Web site: http://www.burg-cochem.de/
