Cochem, Germany: the Reichsburg castle and wine town on the Moselle

Round a bend of the Moselle, a fairytale outline of pointed turrets rises on a vineyard-clad hill above a huddle of half-timbered houses: the Reichsburg of Cochem. The largest town on the Lower Moselle yet home to only about 5,000 people, Cochem is the smallest district capital in Germany, set in Rhineland-Palatinate between the Eifel uplands to the north and the Hunsrück hills to the south. Koblenz, where the Moselle joins the Rhine, lies around 50 kilometres downstream; Trier is about 90 kilometres upriver, and Cologne roughly 120 kilometres to the north.

The castle began around the year 1000 and was raised to the rank of an imperial fortress - a Reichsburg - by the Hohenstaufen king Conrad III in 1151. Later pledged to the archbishops of Trier, it became one of their strongholds, guarding the tolls levied on the busy river trade.

Destruction and romantic rebirth

French troops burned the fortress in 1689 during the War of the Palatine Succession, and for nearly two centuries it stood in ruins. In the 1870s a Berlin businessman, Louis Ravené, bought the site and rebuilt it in the neo-Gothic style of German castle romanticism; its Knights' Hall and panelled chambers can be seen on guided tours today. Below, the old town keeps its market square, medieval gates and riverside promenade.

Riesling country

Cochem lies at the heart of one of Germany's most celebrated wine regions, and the steep slate slopes around it have grown Riesling for generations. The town is a straightforward stop on the rail line and river route between Koblenz and Trier, and its blend of castle, vineyards and timbered streets draws visitors throughout the year.