Right after we moved in Germany, I started reading about the interesting places and especially about the Palaces. Even though, Neuschwanstein Castle is the most well known castle in Deutschland, there are plenty of fairytale castles and among them I found Burg Eltz exceptionally beautiful. Every time I saw a photo of Burg Eltz, it reminded me of the Harry Potter. There is another castle nearby- The Cochem palace. It is also beautifully situated on a hill top in the Mosel region. However, it is a little (or more) difficult to reach Cochem by public transport. Hence, we have decided that, we should wait till one of us gets driving permit here.
Autobahn
2020 started with a lot of promises and it all got crashed like a toxic relationship. While, my plans about life got stalled, all the travel plans have also gone kaput. After a few months, first time since COVID19 outbreak, we went somewhere. It was my birthday weekend and Cochem became our destination.
The journey-
The journey from München via car is scenic and beautiful. It is nearly 500km from München and there are more than one scenic routes that you can take. During our journey from München to Cochem , we took the regular route. While returning from Cochem, we took a different route though the Black Forest, and the journey was exciting.
Where to stay-
Cochem is a resort town and it is a bit on the expensive side. There are plenty of Villas and Hotels and most of them provide a beautiful view of the River Mosel, flowing along the Cochem town. We stayed in Villa Vinum. A comfortable, cozy and vintage hotel with big rooms and nice views.
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| A Lady volunteered to click a photo of us |
Cochem at Night
Rathaus
Cochem an der Mosel- view from Cochem Palace
Day1-
We have drove from Munich to Cochem. The driving through the Autobahn is always a fantastic experience. The change of surroundings, the Nuclear plants (of Dark fame), the hills and mountains and at the end the first sight of Mosel river- it is a must-see experience. The first glance of Cochem an der Mosel was enough for us. to like this pretty little town .
Cochem Castle
Admiring the Wine Shop
We went for a stroll at the promenade in the evening. There are plenty of pubs with good view of the Cochem castle and the Mosel river. Post dinner, we walked a bit more around the town. The Rathaus is a pretty little Altbau-Fachwerkhaus and on a lazy day, one can sit with a local wine and can spend hours.
Cochem Palace courtyard
Day 2-
Mosel region is famous for its dry Riesling wine. The town is surrounded by vineyards and for us it was a beautiful experience. The path to Cochem palace is through some vineyard and from the Palace courtyard the view is extraordinary! The day was hot and humid. After coming down from Cochem Castle, we decided to visit the cute little village- Beilstein. Oh boy! What a pretty, picturesque village Beilstein is. It is full of colours, traditional architecture, cute cafes and overall a beautiful place to walk around. Do visit Beilstein, if you plan to visit Cochem. The dinner was, as the Germans would say "sehr lecker" and the wine was as always fantastic. We were tired when we returned to our hotel. Even though the next day was my birthday, I dozed off.
Cheers!
Pretty village- Beilstein
Historic wine cellar at Beilstein
One with the dude!
Day 3-
Yoohooo my Birthday! Well, no! I wasn't this ecstatic about my Birthday! However, I was excited about our day. Burg Eltz! I had a nice surprise at the Breakfast table when the Hotel management decided to surprise me with wine and flowers! I thought that was alcohol free wine (silly me), but it was actual wine!
Birthday breakfast and wine
Magical Burg Eltz
We began right after breakfast. From the Parkplatz 3, there are 2 options to reach to Burg Eltz. You can take the Bus service or you can hike. We decided to Hike because, we love Hiking. It was around a 3km Hike through the forrest. Burg Eltz has been there on my wishlist for quite many years now and the Castle is as wonderful as it is in the photos. It is a straight-from the Gothic fairytale architecture and absolutely mesmerising. Even though we traveled during the Pandemic, the place was full with Stacationers. It was raining like cats and dogs (inevitable on my birthday), hence we took the bus while coming down.
Off the route-
The drive from Cochem to Burg Eltz is absolutely mesmerising and on our way up we saw some beautiful trails around. While coming down we decided to follow those tracks and to see where it goes. That was the best decision we made there.
Near Wierscheim, there is a tiny town named Münstermaifeld. The huge stretch of green and yellow around the town can confuse you for a moment, and you might think you are in another European country. The food we had in Münstermaifeld was extremely tasty and I did not have any bad wine in that region.
In the evening, we opted for another riverside restaurant for Dinner.
Day 4-
While coming back from Cochem to München, we decided to visit the Hanging bridge of Gaierley. This bridge is located in Mörsdorf and we would have missed a very scenic place, if we didn't go there. It's a beautiful 2km hike from the parking place and while coming down, the path is like "live wallpaper". We came back with a wish to visit Mörsdorf in future and stay there for a couple of days to explore the neighbourhood.
Picturesque Mörsdorf
Gaierley Hanging bridge
Hanging bridge of Gaierley -
Way back to München
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