Retired Nomads Part 4: Cochem & Trier, Germany

Tuesday, July 8

We will officially visit Cochem tomorrow, but we had the morning free, so we walked into town to explore on our own. Cochem sits in a picturesque position in the Moselle River valley in western Germany, close to the borders with Luxembourg and France. It really is a fairy-tale town with the Reichsburg Castle on the hill towering above the town along the river. It’s a small village of around 5,000 people and an important Rhineland wine growing area.

We walked to town and crossed the bridge and wandered around the old town which is located on a narrow strip of land between the foot of the castle hill and the Moselle River. The Moselle is a west-bank tributary of the Rhine. The town was just waking up and deliveries being made before the area is vehicle free later in the day.

After our wander, we worked our way back to the ship for lunch. From our French balcony we watched a family of swans and an otter-like critter in the water. Possibly a Nutria as the otter is endangered.

Reichsburg Castle

stairway to the bridge

the artwork depicts the history of Cochem

naughty little piggies on the left

Marktplatz - the main square

wine vending machine

fun window display

delivery bike

Egyptian Geese in the park

we stopped in to buy chocolates (store with the naughty piggies)

walking back to the ship

Viking Hild

After lunch we took the 90-minute trip to Trier and did Viking's walking tour. We didn’t mind the changes that had to be made due to a damaged lock and of course there was nothing Viking could have done other than rearrange everything, so we didn’t miss anything. There were plenty of people that acted like the world had come to an end and stayed on the boat. Their loss.

Trier is Germany’s oldest city and a once-mighty outpost of the Roman and Holy Roman Empires. Here the ancient Roman buildings coexist with the modern city.

We started the walking tour at Kurfürstliches Palais (Electoral Palace ) but the guide didn’t take us to look at it up close which was a shame since it was a beautiful building.

Kurfürstliches Palais (Electoral Palace)

Next, we visited the Basilica of Constantine which once was the place where Emperor Constantine the Great would meet and greet audiences.

Basilica of Constantine

spare organ - music was so important that they had a smaller organ in case the larger one was broken

The rain continued to be a pest on and off throughout the tour, though it never rained hard today. The guide gave us 10 minutes to see the church and the one next to it. We ran into the church after a restroom break to escape the rain and Greg and I got separated. I went into the church, and he didn’t. We found each other later and continued the walking tour.

The Cathedral of Trier or Church of Our Lady, is the oldest cathedral in Germany and the largest religious structure in Trier, notable for its long lifespan and grand design.

Cathedral of Trier

We were left in the square with instructions on where to find the bus to return to the ship so we wandered around and went back to the churches so Greg could see them both. I only saw the one before it was time to meet the group. 10 minutes to see 2 large churches was not enough so I’m glad we returned. The rain had stopped so it was easier to see everything in the main square.

We ended at Porta Nigra, the remarkably preserved Roman city gates which is the emblem of Trier and is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. It was a lovely town, and we could have used at least another hour here. (another half day would have allowed us to see quite a bit more)