Cochem: Landing stage in Cond and Reichsburg Castle

Cochem on the Moselle

Cochem is situated on the Moselle. A CroisiEurope river cruise landing stage is located in the Cond district, on the eastern bank beyond the Skagerrak Bridge, on Stadionstraße. The Old Town lies on the opposite, western bank. Local sightseeing cruises also operate on the Moselle.

Landing stage and waterfront

Parking for buses and cars is available at the northern end of Stadionstraße and the southern end of Uferstraße. The river cruise ships vary in size and draft. Steep slopes covered with vineyards and coppice woodland define the narrow Moselle Valley around Cochem.

Old Town, railway station and bus station

A walking tour of the Old Town takes you through the market square and along Bernstraße. The town hall, built in 1739, stands on the market square, with St. Martin’s parish church nearby; narrow lanes wind through the historic buildings. The Tourist Information Office and bus station are at Endertplatz 1. The Skagerrak Bridge connects the riverbanks near Endertplatz. Cochem (Mosel) railway station is at Ravenéstraße 67, farther north on the western side of town.

Reichsburg Castle and the town’s history

Cochem was first mentioned in a document in 866. It was granted town privileges in 1332; walls, watchtowers and eleven town gates were built around this time. Reichsburg Castle was built in the 11th century by the Counts Palatine on a ridge above the Moselle and passed into imperial ownership in 1151 under King Conrad III. In 1294, King Adolf of Nassau pledged the castle and town to the Archbishopric of Trier. The pledge was never redeemed, and Cochem consequently became part of the Electorate of Trier. In 1689, French troops set the castle on fire, undermined it and blew it up; the town was also almost completely destroyed. Its reconstruction preserved the historic street layout. In 1868, Berlin merchant Louis Ravené bought the castle site and had the ruins rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style by 1877. The restored castle served as his family’s summer residence.

The Moselle and the history of transport

For centuries, the Moselle was Cochem’s most important transport route for people and goods. Around 1860, the town gained better road connections along the river and to the Eifel; the railway arrived in 1879. The first tourists came to the Moselle in the 19th century, and English painters helped make the region known. Frankfurt-Hahn Airport is located in Lautzenhausen, southeast of Cochem.