Driving to Cochem: tolls, fuel & road trip guide
Cochem is a small wine town of about 5,300 people on the Moselle in Rhineland-Palatinate, crowned by the turreted Reichsburg on a hill above the river. First recorded in 866 and granted town rights in 1332, it was badly damaged in the Nine Years' War in 1689 and rebuilt; today its riverside promenade, narrow lanes and wine taverns make it the main base for the lower Moselle. A chairlift climbs to the Pinner Cross viewpoint over the river loop.
By car Cochem is an easy detour from the Rhine: follow the Moselle upstream from Koblenz along the winding riverside road, with steep slate vineyards on both banks. Autumn is the classic season, when the vineyards glow gold into November and the grape harvest is under way. Note that Eltz Castle closes for the winter after 1 November 2026, so late October is the last chance this year to see its interiors.
Top attractions
Reichsburg Cochem
The town's landmark, a hilltop castle probably built around 1100 or in the first half of the 12th century as a toll castle over the Moselle. Destroyed in the 17th century, it was rebuilt in neo-Gothic style between 1868 and 1877 by the Berlin merchant Louis Ravené.
Eltz Castle
A fairytale castle in a wooded side valley above the Moselle, owned by the same Eltz family since the 12th century and never destroyed. Its towers, 30 to 40 m high, rise from a 70 m rock spur ringed by the Elzbach stream. Open daily until 1 November in 2026.
Beilstein
A tiny village upriver from Cochem nicknamed the 'Sleeping Beauty of the Moselle'. It received town privileges in 1309; above its lanes stand the ruins of Metternich Castle, destroyed in 1689, and a Carmelite church built between 1691 and 1783.
Bremmer Calmont
Above the village of Bremm, this slate slope of about 33 hectares, planted mostly with Riesling, reaches gradients of up to 68° and is counted among the steepest vineyards in Europe. Vines here are still tended almost entirely by hand.
Geierlay Suspension Bridge
A pedestrian rope bridge in the Hunsrück hills south of the Moselle, opened in 2015 between the villages of Mörsdorf and Sosberg. It spans 360 m and hangs up to 100 m above the valley floor; crossing is free.
Driving to Cochem
Road charges in Germany
- Environmental Sticker (Umweltplakette): €6 — https://www.umwelt-plakette.de
Mandatory equipment in Germany
- Safety vest (reflective, high-visibility)
- Warning triangle
- First aid kit
- Winter tires
- Snow chains
Driving distances from Cochem
| To | Road km | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Rüdesheim am Rhein | 69 | 59 min |
| Frankfurt | 141 | 2 h 01 min |
| Heidelberg | 178 | 2 h 33 min |
| Würzburg | 264 | 3 h 46 min |
| Rothenburg ob der Tauber | 302 | 4 h 19 min |
| Nuremberg | 378 | 5 h 24 min |
| Augsburg | 436 | 6 h 14 min |
| Füssen | 502 | 7 h 10 min |
Fuel prices in Germany
Petrol 95 €2.21/L · Diesel €2.27/L (2026-10-12)
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