Cochem, Germany
Cochen is a charming and beautiful small town sitting on the northern section of the Mosel River, in Germany. The quick way to visit Cochen is by a cruise along the River and/or a mini-train ride around the town. I did both.
Cochem Imperial Castle, with its more than 1,000 years of history, is perched more than 100 metres above the town, and gives it a certain grandeur.
There are numerous remains of the old city wall with its defensive fortifications. The Enderttor with its former gatekeeper’s apartment, the fortified tower with its Balduin’s Gate and the Martinstor with wall-walk, all act as contemporary witnesses to Cochem’s turbulent past.
Cochem’s historic town hall is another unique eye-catcher. It was built in 1739 on the picturesque market square with Saint Martin’s fountain at its centre. With their roofs covered with slate from the Moselle’s surrounding hills, the timbered houses in the old town’s narrow alleys are just as beautiful.
The fountain “Bockbrunnen” at the Moselle promenade represents a “Cochemer Stückelchen”, an ironic narrative form telling anecdotes of Cochem’s citizens everyday lives. Facing the fountain is Saint Martin church with its conspicuous tower.
Cochem was settled as early as Celtic and Roman times. In 866, it had its first documentary mention as Villa cuchema.
In 1962, Deutsche Bundesbank built a secret bunker in Cochem-Cond, 30 meters underground, disguised by two houses of the training and recreation center of Bundesbank. The bunker’s vault held a reserve series of German mark banknotes totaling 15 billion marks during the Cold War, intended to enter circulation in case the Eastern Bloc would try to cripple West German economy by massively counterfeiting the existing DM banknotes. To open the vault, bank officials from Frankfurt would have to bring over three different keys and a lock combination.
But for me, the intrepid wine walker, Cochem is the perfect starting point for doing some wine walking through the vineyards of the northern Mosel Valley.