Things to do in Cochem: Attractions

Cochem is a small, but very busy, town located along the Moselle River in Germany. The village has only 6,000 inhabitants, but is very popular among tourists, thanks to its beautiful historic town center and its famous wines. A visit to Cochem can easily be combined with a visit to one or more places that are also situated along the Moselle River, like Trier.

In this article you will read about the things to do in Cochem and find information about the best attractions and activities! We combined our visit to Cochem with a visit to Trier and the Eltz Castle. We slept in Trier, just outside the city, in Maxhof Trier, a nice and very affordable apartment.

Reichsburg of Cochem

You can see the Reichsburg of Cochem from afar, because it is built on a high rock. The castle is a typical high-altitude castle that can be defended from all directions due to the high altitude of the terrain. It is said, the Reichsburg has been built around the year 1000, by Palatinate Count Ezzo and in the following centuries it was owned by several counts. In the 17th centrury, an army led by the Sun King largely destroyed the castle. In the 19th century a Berlin merchant bought the ruins and rebuilt the castle. Since then he used it as a summer residence. In 1943, the German Empire bought the castle and since 1978, it is in posession of the city of Cochem.

You can visit the rooms and the courtyard of the castle. However, this can only be done with a guided tour that takes about 40 minutes. The cost of the tour is € 7,- per person and the opening hours can be found here.

(A canal cruise on) The Moselle River

The Moselle River is a river that runs through France, Germany and Luxembourg and is one of the main attractions of Cochem. In Cochem you can board a cruise boat that sails past other towns and places of interest in the area and there are also several Moselle River cruises moored here.

Moselle wine

There are numerous vineyards along the Moselle River, where the famous Moselle wine originates from. If you are in Cochem, you should definitely try a glass of wine! The center has many restaurants and shops where you can buy Mosel wine. We bought several bottles of Moselle wine here and took them with us as souvenirs.

The center and the market square of Cochem

Cochem’s market square is a beautiful square in the city center. It has the town hall and the Martinsbrunnen fountain. The square is surrounded by the typical German houses, which makes for a beautiful picture! In the streets around the square, you will find all kinds of (souvenir) shops, where you can stroll around and buy souvenirs.

Kaffee und Kuchen (coffee and cakes)

If you walk from the market square in the direction of the Moselle River, there’s a whole string of restaurants and cafes. You can enjoy the traditional ‘kaffee und kuchen’ (coffee and cake). At about 15:00 or 16:00, the Germans like to drink a cup of coffee with a tasty pastry, a waffle or another sweet treat!

Tip: Combine your visit to Cochem with a visit to one of the oldest cities in Germany, Trier. Read more about the attractions and activities in Trier here.