This 11th-century German castle, among the eight oldest castles in the world, was once partially destroyed but lovingly restored centuries later. Still standing today with some original features, the statuesque castle looks as though it fell straight from the pages of a fairytale.
The layout of the castle includes family dwellings, a chapel and tower, bridges, a well, a stronghold, and a gambling house.
Cochem Castle was connected to a succession of Palatinate counts until 1151 when King Konrad III stormed and occupied the castle with his troops. Imperial ministers, or “lords of the castle,” were employed to take care of the site, the castle website explains.
After the castle was pawned by King Adolf of Nassau in 1294 to “pay for his coronation” but never bought back, the site fell into the hands of a succession of archbishops. In the early 14th century, the castle was expanded and fortified under Archbishop Balduin, who connected it to the town by building huge walls and installing a chain across the river below the castle as a removable toll barrier.
Eventually, lords of the castle were replaced by local magistrates.
The troops of King Louis XIV occupied Cochem Castle in 1688. A year later, the building was heavily damaged by arson and explosives, as was the surrounding town of Cochem. The castle remained in near-ruins and lost to history until 1868 when Berlin-based business mogul Louis Ravené fell in love with it and bought the castle grounds.
He rebuilt the castle in the neo-Gothic architectural style of the time, to be used by the Ravené family as a summer residence.
Professor Ernst Ewald of Berlin was placed in charge of interior design and added “intricate painted decoration” to the interior walls and ceilings with the help of professional artists and local craftsmen.
Much of the Ravené family’s collection of Renaissance and Baroque furniture survives to this day. The website states that since 1978, the castle has been owned by the town of Cochem and is frequented by tourists, who are charmed by its history and fairytale presence.
The residents of Cochem even celebrate an annual holiday, “Knipp Monday,” based on the legend of a surprise attack on Cochem Castle being uncovered by a castle servant. On the way to visit his sweetheart, the servant ran into armed strangers and overheard their plan to attack the castle. The servant turned around and raised the alarm, allowing the castle defenders to prepare for, and ultimately ward off, the attackers.
After their victory, the lord of the castle granted his men a day off work. To this day, the people of Cochem take food and wine to the Knipp meadow, the site of the attack, to eat, drink, and sing in honor of their ancestors.
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