The castle, the Reichsburg or Emperor’s castle, sits high on a hill overlooking the town of Cochem and the Moselle River
Cochem and Ediger-Eller Village Monday, October 7, 2013
After sailing all night, the River Queen arrived in Cochem shortly after 7 am. It’s another cloudy overcast day and the photographs suffer! But, in real life the views are breath-taking.
Cochem is on the bank of the Moselle River with all it’s twists and turns. The Moselle is known for its castles, picturesque countryside, and most of all its vineyards producing rich full-bodied wines. A succession of wars and conflicts left marks of destruction on many of the fortress-castles. Back in the late 17th century, King Louis XIV, the Sun King of France, almost completely destroyed the 11th century Reichsburg Castle. Reichsburg means Emperor’s Castle and has nothing to do with the third Reich. We visit the castle today, restored by private funds from a very wealthy man and now the property of the city.
Our guide for the tour was Klaus, an engaging, witty, man with a mustache, wearing a “cowboy” hat. Klaus has retired from his position as police chief and now serves as tour guide and actor. Â On the way up the hill to the castle, he mentioned we were passing the school. Further he mentioned in this school they have mandatory physical education. The buses drop the students at the bottom of the hill and they must walk up the steep incline every day. Reichsburg Castle, a Gothic castle, looms more then 300 feet above the Moselle, accessible by winding your way up a series of switchbacks. It was built in the 11th century. Not the largest nor oldest castle, but with its towers and spires soaring over the town, it is stunning. Reichsburg was restored by the Ravene family who purchased it in 1868. Several interior rooms are furnished with Renaissance and Baroque furniture and those rooms we visited. On one of the exterior towers, a large painting, mosaic of St Christopher, patron saint of travelers, was added after WWII. The original had been removed by the Nazis.
Our guide escorted us down to Cochem itself to continue our tour. Klaus brought the history of Cochem to life as we wandered narrow alleys and streets lined by half-timbered houses, viewed the vineyards surrounding the town, saw Endert Gate, built in 1630, and the Pegel House where they have recorded the depths of river floods over the years. Crossing over the bridge we returned to the River Queen for lunch.
Insert town photo gallery
Today’s agenda includes a visit to the village of Ediger-Eller, formerly two settlements combined into one village. To get there we take a scenic drive along the Moselle to this winemakers village, passing precipitous slopes covered in vineyards. This are boasts the steepest vineyards in all of Europe.
As we left the bus, we were greeted by the mayor, and his guard (his brother by the way) dressed in medieval garb. The mayor guided us through his town, telling us about the half-timber houses, when they were built and who owned them. At the central square, where the tourist office is located, townspeople have marked the depths of river floods on the exterior wall. We strolled by the Jewish synagogue, though the only Jewish resident, a lady, lives in NY. She visits once a year for a couple of months, owns a house here and is considered a resident. We continued on to St Martin’s Church, which dates to the 16th century. It’s bell tower is considered the most beautiful Gothic spire along the Moselle, as well as the most richly ornamented slate roof.
Inside the Church, we were treated to an organ concert by Mr. Daniels! Perhaps a long lost relative? Insert Ave Maria recording here. From there we clambered up the hill behind the church to the beautifully cared for cemetery with its memorial to those lost to the concentration camps.
Back down the hill to the Mayor’s tavern for a wine-tasting and some snacks. We were introduced to some dry Reislings crafted by Stephanie from her vines spread over 13 plots of land. Her two delightful daughters served wine as their mother explained the vintage. Between tastes, the multi-talented mayor would sing German folk songs accompanied by his uncle on the piano. Before the fun ended, our host showed us a black and white film, made in the 50’s, showing life in the vineyards at that time. It was a hard life, climbing the steep slopes, harvesting grapes in flat-backed containers on your back (many now planters in town at the front door), children started work young.
We returned to the River Queen, just in time for cast-off at 6:00 pm. After a Moselle Epicurean cocktail in the lounge, an Epicurean dinner with regional specialties was served, followed by music in the lounge. We are underway to Schweich and will arrive there Tuesday around 11am.
