Cochem, Germany

Life-size chess by the river.

Cochem Castle. It's a little hike but it's a sweet sight. 

Cochem is a small town situated right on the Mosel River. The Mosel River is one of 2 major rivers in Germany and are both major wine regions. On our first tour to Germany we lived right by this town and used to travel to it constantly for walks along the river and ice cream. The town is at the foot of a hill with a castle, the Reichsburg, dating back to 1051. The town is also completely surrounded by vineyards and hills. Looking up at some of them makes you wonder how they could even pick them at the angle they are situated. Anyway, Cochem is a cute little town to spend the day in shopping, exploring the local cuisine, tasting the wine, visiting the castle and playing chess by the river. If you want a breathtaking view of the entire valley you can take the Sesselbahn, a chair lift, to the Pinner Kreuz. About 20 minutes, walking, from the top of the mountain is the Leisure and Wildlife Park in Klotten, where you will find more than 120 animal species. The village of Klotten is a nice little wine village to explore and enjoy an afternoon lunch. If you are into walking and hiking the Nordic Fitness Park is nearby where they have a route for everyone, from flat to ascending and from forests to vineyards.

One of the many house you will see like this.