A calming cruise

Anyone who enjoys boat trips on the Rhine because of their wonderfully calming effect will love a cruise on the Moselle. Everything here is a bit smaller, gentler and calmer than on Father Rhine, making it even easier to relax and unwind.

So, it’s just as well that the KD has now incorporated the short Moselle break into its programme. In Cochem, between the 13th of April and 20th of October, there are six opportunities a day to go out on the water for an hour and relax while slowly cruising past gentle hills, green meadows, vineyards and historic wine villages. From Cochem, the tour starts off uphill, as the skipper says, i.e. against the current, past the wine village of Ernst and on to Bruttig. The landscape is dotted with villas from the founding years and timbered houses, set at a respectful distance from the gently sloping green banks of the river. Just behind Bruttig, the ship turns back: The Fankel lock blocks the continuation of the journey. Instead, the cruise now continues downhill, i.e. with the current, and lets passengers enjoy the Cochem panorama before the ship reaches the bend at Cochem Moselbad and returns to the jetty. That’s how fast an hour can go by.

A new jewel

Talking of ships: Until last season, what can now be seen crossing Cochem in KD red and white and with the logo of the Wochenspiegel as regional media partner could still be found a few hundred kilometres further south on the Rhine. Until recently, the excursion ship with its high-quality equipment and its slightly nostalgic aura was still called MS Lällekönig and had its home port in Basel. As of this season, it is part of the KD fleet, purchased especially for the excursions around Cochem and christened with a new name. The people of Cochem came up with this name themselves, in a competition which ran in the Wochenspiegel newspaper. A jury consisting of representatives of the district, the Wochenspiegel and the KD unanimously chose the attractive and fitting name “MS Moselprinz” from among the numerous suggestions. And appropriately, an official naming ceremony will take place in Cochem in the spring. The date had not yet been set as of the editorial deadline, but will be announced in the Wochenspiegel.

New evening cruises at the weekend

The cruises from Cochem are also available in a longer version every Thursday to Saturday evening between the end of May and the end of September: The tours towards the sunset last two hours, during which you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the landscape around Cochem – ideally, of course, with a glass of Moselle wine. If this still leaves you wanting more and you would like to enjoy this wonderful experience of floating between the green hills and gently sloping banks of the Moselle for longer, you should come to the KD jetty in Koblenz between May and October on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays in the morning.

At quarter to ten, a ship of the KD partner Gilles weighs anchor there to cover the approximately 50 kilometres of river to Cochem in a relaxed five-hour journey. During this time, all the ingredients for the perfect Moselle idyll which could already be admired on the Cochem tour are presented in extended form: Pretty timbered houses alternate with church steeples, venerable vineyards and, of course, abundant castles, on both banks of the river. But all of this is in very reserved doses; the further one moves away from Koblenz, the greater the distances between the villages. On the other hand, the number of idyllic camping sites on the banks of the river and on headlands increases, the greenery of the trees, meadows and vineyards is full and the roads are barely used. With wonderful regularity, the gentle glide is interrupted by a stop at a lock. There are three on the way from Koblenz to Cochem, and they also make a significant contribution to the special charm of this tour.

A lively little town

Of course, this also applies to Cochem itself. The town has barely more than 5,000 inhabitants and yet it is something like the urban hotspot of this part of the Moselle. The narrow streets are lively, there is an abundance of hotels, pubs, ice cream parlours and restaurants, and educational travellers can also find what they are looking for here. Cochem’s landmark, visible from afar, is the Reichsburg, which proudly sits on its rock above the city as the epitome of a romantic medieval castle. During a guided tour you will learn that hardly anything here is as old as it seems, but there are plenty of curiosities and a breathtaking view over the winding Moselle.