On the Mosel River – a day in Cochem and Ediger-Eller
Sunday was a day with great variety – exploring two wonderful small villages along the Mosel River, our best look yet at a castle, and a fun afternoon tasting local wines.
Out for a walk by myself just after 08:30 on Sunday morning – my first good look at Cochem.
Special traffic control signs for army tanks – hmmmmm… 🙂
We began the organized part of the day with a walking tour of Cochem. Our guide, Marcus, a university student, was excellent. With a history going back over 2,000 years, there are some wonderful buildings, despite the fact that much of the town was destroyed by the French in 1689.
The Endert Gate-tower is abutted by the the oldest half-timbered house remaining – the Alte Thorschanke dates to 1625.
Those marks and dates on the wall above Marcus are the water levels of floodwaters from as recently as 1993!
We all went up to Reichsburg Castle in vans – it would be quite a climb on foot. This is the view from near the castle entrance, looking down the Mosel River.
Construction of Reichsburg was begun in the 11th Century. Once again, it was destroyed by French troops in 1689, but was rebuilt in the late 1800s.
The “John Deere Room” at the castle 🙂
The main dining room is magnificent.
This wooden creature is some sort of good luck symbol hanging from a ceiling, but I forget the story.
The hunting room.
A tough-looking castle cat sharpening his claws on a grape-vine trunk.
Back in Cochem, at one of the two oldest cemeteries.
We continued touring Cochem on foot with Marcus for a while, then had free time to wander and explore on our own.
A maze of narrow streets with all manner of shops.
Ah, a wine shop – a great place to get a bottle of local Reisling.
ATMs, or bankomats, are plentiful even in medieval towns.
Me getting to know a local 🙂
Back across the bridge to the River Queen for lunch. She really is one of the most beautiful ships on the rivers of Europe.
After lunch, we boarded 3 buses for a half-hour trip to the village of Ediger-Eller, where the mayor took us on a lengthy and varied tour.
Details on the church steeple.
Fortifications at the base of the church.
Inside the church, we were treated to a wonderful organ concert, with a complex 250-year-old organ.
The organist did a demonstration for us to see after the listening part of the event.
We then went to a hall for some entertainment that included sampling 3 locals wines of different types and vintages.
The mayor’s uncle seemed to enjoy his part of the show. We certainly enjoyed him.
Back to Cochem by bus, we sailed at 6:00 pm, headed to our furthest point up the Mosel, Trier.
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