Recommendations for trip to Cochem

Old Jun 24th, 2017, 10:02 AM
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Recommendations for trip to Cochem

We have taken advice given here, and have chosen to stay in Cochem for 4-5 nites, on journey between Amsterdam- Starsbourg-Paris.

Can I get any recommendations of places to stay (ie: Hotel, since I wont be coming by car) in Cochem, that would be nice, and preferably on the upscale side (as opposed to budget travel- not a snob but my backpacking days are behind me)

Recommendations of places to visit would be appreciated- We have never been to the Rhine/Mosel area, and would like to get a feel of the highlites, using daytrips from Cochem, river excursions would probably also work on the more scenic parts.

PalenQ - I have used your recommendations on various past trips with great results, and appreciate all your comments

Thank you!

PS- Leaving Aug/Set 2017
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Old Jun 24th, 2017, 10:39 AM
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I'd consider the Alte Thorschenke and the Villa Vinum.

Burg Eltz Castle (train to Moselkern + walk, or train + bus on summer weekends.)

http://www.bensbauernhof.com/burgeltzfrommoselkern.html

Trier (full-day trip)

Beilstein (1-hour cruise each way from Cochem)


Rhine day trip - Marksburg Castle in Braubach + Boppard.
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Old Jun 24th, 2017, 11:33 AM
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https://www.booking.com/searchresult...aAlAAEALw_wcB&

we have stayed here. On the city square so if you aren't driving it is ok. We liked it but would have loved to have stayed on the other side of the river for castle views at night.
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Old Jun 25th, 2017, 02:03 AM
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I would recommend taking a walk in a vinyard with a wine maker. There are several around in the villages near you but you need to be language compatible.

I'd look on the tourist website for the villages near you and see if you can book one. Often with a short tasting afterwards it can be interesting to see how they manage to grow vines on very steep cliffs.

I'd also look out for the high walk "Moselhöhenweg" which takes you along the cliffs. I'll leave you to Google for the details.

You may also like to ride a bike down the river, you can take bikes on the boats (most) and trains (many) so you can take a llift up the river and cycle back.
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Old Jun 28th, 2017, 06:49 PM
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Any other recommendations?
Thank you
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Old Jun 28th, 2017, 10:13 PM
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Well for me the big draw is Trier, not only brith city of Karl Marx, but the capital of the Roman empire for a few years with hoggins of Roman stuff and a few early medievel buildings still in use. TI for Trier is really good. I'd catch the train there and then hire bikes from the place across from the station to cycle around this city.

Koblenz is ok, in my mind, it has a fortress across the river from it so catch a train, then take a ferry and then up and away (see cable car). Koblenz also has a large statue... what more can you say.

Mosel for me is all about the walking the wine making and the onion tarte. I'll be in Urzig in Sept.
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Old Jun 29th, 2017, 02:58 AM
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Stay off the river side for dinner, look on the side streets for dinner. We found many places shut down as soon as the boats pull out. I loved walking up to the castle after it was closed. Just nice without the crowds. Beautiful vineyards surround it.
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Old Jul 1st, 2017, 06:56 PM
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Thank you!
Day trip ideas?
If we take a river cruise for the day, what is the most scenic segment? Should we train there and cruise back
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Old Jul 8th, 2017, 01:45 PM
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Hi Intex,

I just visited the Mosel and Rhine in May. I spent 3 nts in Bielstein and 3 nts in Oberwesel. It was pretty and I enjoyed it. I hadn't planned on rushing to do a lot, but had a good list of things to do/see. I trained down from Amsterdam and picked up a car in Koblenz. Used a combination of car, train and boat depending on where I was going.

Honestly, I could have spent less time and moved on to another place in Germany a bit sooner. There wasn't a huge variety between the smaller riverside towns.

Stayed at the very nice Hotel Haus Lipman right on the river in a river view room with a tiny balcony. Lovely! I did eat dinner there each night on the terrace. Very good food and outstanding service and hospitality from the owners.

Oberwesel was a stay at Burg Hotel Schoenburg. A splurge, but a fun experience. Again, a fantastic restaurant with gorgeous views. You definitely need a car if staying there.

Of the things I did, I liked the tour of Berg Eltz best. On the Rhine, I trained down to Rudesheim, took the cable car up, walked a bit, finally found a spot to do a wine tasting. Rusesheim's main street was horribly touristy. Then returned by boat almost to Koblenz and again trained back to Oberwesel. Even though I stayed under the canopy, I still got a good sunburn. It was a very hot day. Also toured Marksburg Castle which was OK, but not that great of a tour since it was in German. I didn't feel like waiting 2 hours for the last English tour so check the tour times in advance if you go there.

This part of my trip wasn't planned to visit a lot of museums or indoor sites since I had just spent 5 days in Amsterdam. The weather while I was there wasn't good hiking weather due to 3 days of heavy rainstorms on the Mosel. The following 3 days on the Rhine were sunny and hot so it sort of balanced out.

Anyway, if you have any questions, I'll try to answer!
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Old Jul 12th, 2017, 03:10 PM
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A little late joining this thread, but I'm a frequent visitor to Germany and play weekend tour guide for my work colleagues, so here's my two cents.

First off, I avoid the Rhine River valley in the summer; it is just too crowded for me. I did drive from Frankfurt to Koblenz on both sides of the river in May without any traffic issues. However, there was a lot of construction, so beware.

On the Rhine, though, my favorite castle is Marksburg. Why? Because it is a complete castle, not a ruined shell like so many. I have visited it several times, in the snow and in the summer. The EN language tour is worth the wait and you can have a snack or a meal while you wait. I like to walk around it and take in the river views.

I do prefer the Mosel River valley in the summer. It is much less crowded and, although it doesn't have the Rhine's castle density, it is still a very attractive area.

A typical weekend day trip from our Frankfurt work base would be to drive to Landhotel Ringelsteiner Mühle, park there and walk through the woods along the Elzbach River (a stream, actually) to Burg Eltz. Everyone enjoys stretching their legs through the woods.

The castle itself is an unmolested example which is one of my favorites in Germany. There is an EN tour and a museum. There are two food services and I like to have lunch on their patio before walking back to the car. If you didn't dine at the castle, the Ringelsteiner has a dining room and also a fresh supply of pies and cakes to complete your hike.

I would then drive my guests along the Mosel to the Deustches Eck, the confluence of the Mosel and Rhine Rivers. As Bilboburgler said, there is an enormous statue there. For me, I just enjoy strolling the park, maybe with an ice cream cone in the summer, and enjoying the views.

Further to the southwest lies Trier, my favorite city in Germany to date. As the host city for the World Rally Championship (WRC) for several years, I came to know Trier as a race fan.

The cultural draw is all the Roman historical sites there. Buy the pass and visit all in one day. There is also a nice Dom to visit. I love the old town pedestrian area and feel cheated if I don't get to set outside a cafe and relax a little while life goes by. As Fussgaenger said, allow a day to see everything. I also agree with Bilboburgler's take on the TI. They speak EN and seem extremely willing to talk about their town. They are located in the shadow of Porta Nigra, a striking landmark that marks the beginning of the pedestrian area.
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