Cochem Castle in the Mosel Valley, Germany
This week’s travel photo was captured in the Mosel Valley, our favourite part of Germany and possibly all of Europe (bold statement, I know!).
The neighbouring Rhine River draws a lot of the tourism attention, leaving the dreamy Mosel River Valley fairly unknown and less tracked. We spent most of our time in a village named Reil, located directly on the river about 30 minutes south of Cochem.
Cochem Castle, or Reichsburg Cochem, was built in the 12th century but was destroyed during a time of war, laying in ruins until 1868 when it was purchased by a wealthy businessman from Berlin who reconstructed it into the Gothic Revival style we see today. It’s a beautiful castle that has a fairy-tale vibe, proudly sitting on a hilltop that overlooks the colourful town of Cochem.
In our opinion, the Mosel Valley is a must do when traveling in Germany or neighbouring France and Luxembourg. With it’s cute medieval villages and endless vineyards, it’s the best of the German countryside. Your best option is to find a car hire in Germany and drive the valley, staying in a few different villages. Most hotels and hostels in Europe are found in bigger cities, so when you’re in the countryside it’s best to stay in guesthouses or simple bed and breakfasts (after all, isn’t that what you came for?).
Quick Tip – When searching for accommodations in small German towns and villages, look for signs that say “Zimmer”, which means “room” in English. Often times the guesthouses look unassuming and nothing like a hotel or hostel, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t see big signs that scream “Hotel”. That’s just how small town Germany rolls!
Check out these past weekly travel photos:
- Is this the World’s Coolest Cemetery?
- The smallest airstrip we’ve landed on
- The World’s Busiest Street Crossing
- Is this the World’s Most Impressive Skyline?
- Is this the World’s Most Unusual City?
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Have you visited Germany? What was your highlight?
Share your experiences in the comments section below, we’d love to read about it!
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Beautiful! I agree with you, the Mosel area is wonderful. I can’t wait to get back.
I always like to think about what a trip might be like if you visit nothing but places you’ve never heard of before. I went through Greece and we realized that with the exception of the Acropolis, if we had visited an entirely different set of sites compared to what we actually saw, we still would have had a great time. And places like these, ie, Castle NOT Neuschwanstein, look just as fun.