Last weekend Matt and I decided to "go down the hill" to Cochem. Cochem is a "tourist destination" for Germans and other europeans. We saw a lot of Dutch people (Netherlanders) riding their bikes all over town. We walked the city, going in and out of shops, taking pictures, and finally shared a strawberry gelato. We didnt venture up to the castle on our first visit there, but we plan to soon!
History (courtest of Wikipedia) : Cochem was settled in 886 a.d. on the left bank of the Mosel River.Cochem was an
Imperial estate. It was pledged by King
Adolf of Nassau in 1294 to the
Archbishopric of Trier and remained Electoral-Trier territory until the
French occupation began in 1794. In 1332, Cochem was granted town rights, and shortly thereafter, the town fortifications, which still stand today, were built. Between 1423 and 1425, the town was stricken with a
Plague epidemic.
In the
Second World War, great parts of Cochem's old town were destroyed. Also during the war, the operations staff of the underground subcamp of Zeisig
[2] of the
Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages of Bruttig and Treis was located here. At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned. They provided
slave labour for
Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs, which were important to the German war effort, under brutal conditions.
[3]
Since 1946, Cochem has been part of the then newly founded
state of
Rhineland-Palatinate.
In the
Second World War, great parts of Cochem's old town were destroyed. Also during the war, the operations staff of the underground subcamp of Zeisig
[2] of the
Natzweiler concentration camp between the villages of Bruttig and Treis was located here. At its height, 13,000 people were imprisoned. They provided
slave labour for
Bosch, which made spark plugs, ignition systems and glow plugs, which were important to the German war effort, under brutal conditions.
[3]
 |
| Vineyards along the river |
Since 1946, Cochem has been part of the then newly founded
state of
Rhineland-Palatinate.
 |
View of Cochem Castle from the river
|
We went around lunch time in order to enjoy the nice weather. There was a lot to do and see. There was a carnival section with rides and games. There were food, beer, and wine stands everywhere. There was even a craft market area. We walked through the center area where the butchers were getting the pigs ready for dinner. It smelled HEAVENLY! Matt and I didn't plan on staying for dinner but maybe we will next year due to how amazing that pig smelled.
