Cochem - found ourselves docked in Cochem this morning.  Our tour this morning was hectic and chaotic and not at all typical of the organization of Viking.  We did manage to see the town of Cochem, the castle and then do some local wine tasting all in one short morning.

The Town of Cochem with the castle overlooking for the high point.







The Castle

The Reichsburg Cochem had its first documentary mention in 1130. In 1151, it was occupied by King Konrad III, who declared it an Imperial castle. In 1688, the castle was overrun by French King Louis XIV's troops in the course of the Nine Years' War (known in Germany as the Pfälzischer Erbfolgekrieg, or War of the Palatine Succession), and the following year, they destroyed it. The castle complex long lay in ruins before in 1868 it was bought by the Berlin businessman Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené for 300 Goldmark and then reconstructed in the Gothic Revival style. Since 1978 it has been owned by the town of Cochem





7 Foot tall coat of armor!!!  Very weighty


The castle can be used for a venue for weddings and other events.  This could be an outdoor dining area.


The fall colors of the vines decorated the walls so beautifully






Wine Tasting....11:00 AM....but after the hectic (our tour guide was all over the joint and so hard to follow what she was saying....a bit ADD, I think)  city tour and castle it seemed like a really good idea to have a drink.  The owner/vintner's family had owned the land, vines and winery for over 400 years!  He was fun and informative.  Maybe it was the wine...no, seriously, he was good.









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