Reichsburg Cochem (Cochem Imperial Castle)

Reichsburg Cochem (Cochem Imperial Castle) is the fairy-tale castle that crowns the hill above Cochem, one of the prettiest wine towns on Germany's Moselle River. With its slender octagonal keep, pointed turrets and battlements rising above terraced vineyards, it looks medieval, but most of what you see is a 19th-century Romantic rebuild. Guided tours, sweeping river views and a medieval-style knights' banquet make it a favorite stop on any Moselle Valley trip.

Where it is and how to get there

Cochem lies in the Moselle Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate, between Koblenz and Trier. Regional trains on the Koblenz–Trier line stop at Cochem station, so the Deutschlandticket works here, and a day trip from Cologne or Frankfurt is easy by rail via Koblenz. There is no parking at the castle itself: park in town and walk up the steep castle lane through the old town, or take the Reichsburg shuttle bus (line 701). Arriving by Moselle river cruise boat is the most scenic option.

A short history

The castle was probably built around 1100 and first appears with certainty in a document from 1130. King Conrad III seized it in 1151, and it then served as an imperial castle (hence "Reichsburg") before passing to the Archbishops of Trier. During the Nine Years' War, French troops captured it in 1688 and blew it up on May 19, 1689.

The ruin sat empty until 1868, when Berlin businessman Louis Ravené bought it and rebuilt it as a Gothic Revival summer residence, finished in 1877, with interiors completed by 1890. The town of Cochem bought the castle in 1978. During the rebuild, the medieval Witches' Tower lost its battlements and gained the pointed conical roof that now defines the skyline, a good example of how 19th-century romantics reimagined the Middle Ages.

Tours, tickets and opening hours

The interior and courtyards can only be visited on a guided tour lasting about 40 minutes. English tours usually run about once an hour depending on demand; ask at the souvenir shop when you arrive. No reservation is needed.

As of October 2026:

• Summer season (through November 1, 2026): tours daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last tour at 5 p.m.)
• Winter: tours 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; from January 11 to February 12, 2027, only on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays; no tours on December 25
• Tickets: adults €10, children 6–17 €5, students €9, family ticket €26

On Friday and Saturday evenings, the castle hosts a four-hour knights' banquet with a tour, medieval-style dinner, music and a mock knighting ceremony (adults €64, children 6–12 €32; booking required).

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, especially combined with a stroll through Cochem's half-timbered old town and a glass of Moselle Riesling. The tour is short and lively, the interiors are lavish, and the views over the river bend are superb. Plan one to two hours, including the climb up from town and some time in the courtyards. Families will appreciate the special children's tours, and dogs on a leash are allowed on tours and in the castle tavern, open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer. Accessibility information is not published online, so call ahead if you use a wheelchair.

If you visit on the first weekend of August, you will catch the medieval Burgfest, with a market, jugglers and music.