Germany Day 10: Mosel and Rhein
On day 10 we drove to Cochem on the Mosel for lunch, then on to Moselkern to hike up to Burg Eltz, and ended with a scenic drive along the Mosel and Rhein (Rhine) rivers to get back to Burghotel Auf Schönburg in time for a wonderful four course dinner to end the day.
We didn’t originally plan to do an inner tour of the castle in Cochem since we planned to tour Burg Eltz, but our wandering through town looking for a place to eat lunch coaxed us up the vineyard-lined hill of the castle, in hopes it would have a restaurant. Arriving at the gate revealed there was a restaurant - and also a tour that was about to start. So we decided to hold on lunch and join the tour. That was a good decision. The tour was very interesting and provided stunning views up and down the Mosel river.
Burg Eltz is a little different from most of the castles along the Mosel and Rhein. Rather than being set with a commanding view of the river, it is set much further back in a wooded setting. Hiking up to it was a great combination of peaceful, forest trails and experiencing what it might have been like to approach it on foot or horseback years ago. Something that always makes a hike perfect is having a restaurant at the trailhead for us to sit down for coffee and kuchen to savor the moment.
The Mosel and Rhein rivers are in the heart of German wine country. The river banks have one iconic scene after another and are lined with vineyards, cute little towns and old castles that dot the hilltops. The castles include Burg Thurant, Schloß von der Leyen, Marksburg, Burg Maus (Mouse), Burg Katz (Cat), Burg Gutenfels, and Burg Pfalzgrafenstein.
Our return to Burghotel Auf Schönburg was well before our dinner reservation. We intentionally requested a late seating so we could take our time during the day and not feel rushed. So Right Buddy explored the castle grounds with her camera and still had plenty of time to join Left Buddy on our room balcony high in the square tower overlooking the Rhein. We enjoyed the time to watch the boats sail by on the river and watch the courting ritual of the birds that perched and flew right by us. The train traffic along both sides of the Rhein was mesmerizing. It was like having a model train set placed there for our enjoyment. The four course dinner along with the explanation of the wine pairings with each course was enjoyable. That type of attention made us feel like we were in a different world, at a different time. It was nice to spoil ourselves for a change. We slept really well that night, but it might have had something to do with all the wine we drank with dinner and the evening sherry from our twilight balcony perch. It was a little hard to leave the next morning and the fairytale that accompanied it, but it was time to take a step toward reality.
(RB)