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The Mosel – travelling through time
Travelling on the Mosel is like travelling through time. Slowly gliding on the river into the history of the country. Need a few numbers? There is Trier Cathedral, the oldest structure in Germany and the city gate built by the Romans (2nd Century BC), there is the unbelievably impressive Burg Eltz (12th century), and there is the Old Town of Bernkastel with its pretty half-timbered houses. More recent history, that of the Federal Republic, can be experienced in the Mosel valley like a thriller – during a walk through the Bundesbank Bunker. During the Cold War, 15 billion marks were stored here as a secret emergency currency, in a bunker built to withstand a nuclear war. In the worst case 80 people would have been accommodated in the bunker, whose entrance was somewhat disguised by two residential houses.
Along the Mosel
And of course you can’t talk about the Mosel without mentioning wine. Because the landscape sometimes looks like one huge wine-growing district. Everything is in flux here. Flowing like the river.
Cochem
Germany
OK. Another pearl of the Moselle. Cochem. Only 5,000 inhabitants and yet pleasantly lively. The best thing to do here is to stroll along the riverbank, take a walk up into the vineyards, sit on a bench, look down on Germany and think: It’s so beautiful here! Of course, there is also plenty to see in Cochem itself. Medieval streets and houses – and, above all, the castle. It dates from the year 1000 and, after French destruction, was bought as a ruin by the wealthy Berliner Louis Ravené and rebuilt as a private residence. Hidden doors lead to secret passages, deer antlers hang on the walls. In 1942, Ravené’s descendants were forced to sell it by the Nazis. Today, the castle belongs to the town of Cochem and can be visited on a guided tour (about 40 minutes).
Cochem
Germany
OK. Another pearl of the Moselle. Cochem. Only 5,000 inhabitants and yet pleasantly lively. The best thing to do here is to stroll along the riverbank, take a walk up into the vineyards, sit on a bench, look down on Germany and think: It’s so beautiful here! Of course, there is also plenty to see in Cochem itself. Medieval streets and houses – and, above all, the castle. It dates from the year 1000 and, after French destruction, was bought as a ruin by the wealthy Berliner Louis Ravené and rebuilt as a private residence. Hidden doors lead to secret passages, deer antlers hang on the walls. In 1942, Ravené’s descendants were forced to sell it by the Nazis. Today, the castle belongs to the town of Cochem and can be visited on a guided tour (about 40 minutes).
Trier
Germany
UNESCO has long held this historical gem under its protection. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. It was already a recognised city in Roman times. Proud town houses are grouped around the market square, and the market court once met under the arcades. Trier’s landmark is the city gate Porta Nigra from the 2nd century. By the way, the amphitheatre and the remains of the Roman bathhouses are just as old. And just like Speyer, Trier once had a Jewish community, 300 Jews already lived in the city in the Middle Ages – many of them in the “Judengasse” right behind the cathedral. Today, a memorial with a bronze suitcase commemorates their deportation during the Second World War. Incidentally, the Christian presence in the city is not only evident in the cathedral: The Episcopal Seminary owns 34 hectares of land for vineyards, and the wine – mainly Riesling – is pressed and distributed by the Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier. I wonder if that’s one of the reasons the city is so popular among students?
Trier
Germany
UNESCO has long held this historical gem under its protection. Trier is the oldest city in Germany. It was already a recognised city in Roman times. Proud town houses are grouped around the market square, and the market court once met under the arcades. Trier’s landmark is the city gate Porta Nigra from the 2nd century. By the way, the amphitheatre and the remains of the Roman bathhouses are just as old. And just like Speyer, Trier once had a Jewish community, 300 Jews already lived in the city in the Middle Ages – many of them in the “Judengasse” right behind the cathedral. Today, a memorial with a bronze suitcase commemorates their deportation during the Second World War. Incidentally, the Christian presence in the city is not only evident in the cathedral: The Episcopal Seminary owns 34 hectares of land for vineyards, and the wine – mainly Riesling – is pressed and distributed by the Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier. I wonder if that’s one of the reasons the city is so popular among students?
