Cochem 1 or 2 days

With what you say a few hours in town and a trip to Burg Eltz should do it...that was our itinerary a few years ago and it worked fine.

I've been to dozens of Mosel River towns and overnighted in several, including Bernkastel, Winningen, Kröv, Cochem, Bullay, Traben-Trarbach, and Trier. But I've been pulled back to the charm of Cochem often enough that I've lost track of my stays. If all you did after 9 am was to check in at your hotel, then tour Reichsburg castle, wander around the town fully (it's a great town for that) and have a nice meal somewhere, you would come fairly close to a full day. What else is there that might make it complete for you?

Thrilling chairlift ride to a lookout with great views of the town and valley

The Bundesbank-Bunker

There's a mustard mill (Senfmühle) and a gem museum (Edelstein-Museum) and several in-town wineries as well.

Footpaths and bike trails are easy to find as well, if you want something outdoorsy.

If you are early risers, the next morning, wander into the old town center and sniff your way into a bakery, where the early-a.m. action is.

Bernkastel, closer on the river to Trier than to Cochem, is an absolute showcase of old-world half-timbered buildings. If your cruise doesn't stop there, maybe you could arrange to take a day trip there from Trier or another nearby town.

Following this, as we are thinking of as much as seven nights in Cochem next May.

For people staying 2+ days on the Mosel in Cochem and looking for a day trip I can recommend a hike at Maria Laach Abbey (30 minutes north), a pilgrimage of another type to Bitburg for a brewery experience (1h west), and trips to Trier (SWest) and /or Koblenz (East) if your cruise doesn’t cover these interesting cities. We were based in Koblenz and took various day trips over the 3 weeks we spent in the area to these places and more.

Andrea: I return to Cochem often not only for Cochem's charm but also because of its advantageous position for day trips, especially by train. A week there would allow you to visit any number of interesting places. I once helped an acquaintance of mine locate accommodations there for an entire month.

Ellen, Mona has a great suggestion re Maria Laach but it is a bit of stretch without a car. We spent a great day between Maria Laach (including a walk around the lake) and the picturesque tiny village of Monreal.

We based in an apartment in Cochem one year for 11 or 12 nights (actually Sehl, about a twenty minute flat walk away), and spent the first full day after arrival in Cochem. We do things slowly. For breakfast coffee there's a nice cafe with outdoor seating on the corner in the main square, just before the uphill path to the castle: very good for people watching and not overly expensive for the privilege. You can take some lovely shots from some of the windows in the castle. If you enjoy walking, as you look at the castle from your approach there is a nice path through the green which leads to back to Sehl, and further in different directions. The Mosel region is full of hiking paths.

We usually take long, slow lunches, and after a walk around the town we took the chair lift, as Russ pointed out, and had a drink at the cafe at the top. I think there are more hiking paths up there but not sure. I don't know if your barge stops in Beilstein or not beforehand but I think Beilstein is a fabulous little place and worth visiting if you run out of things to do.

Andrea, you can message me if you have any questions regarding an extended stay.

We loved Cochem! It is such a charming town and the castle sitting up on the hill is beautiful. That being said, it is a small town and we toured the castle early in the morning, did a walk through the town, drove to Berg Eltz Castle and toured there and had lunch and then went on to Castle Rheinfels where we walked around the castle ruins. We stayed two nights in Cochem but did most everything in one day. If you are the type that takes your time and does not want to be rushed, two full days for Cochem and Burg Eltz would be perfect. I have to say the lunch on the grounds at Berg Eltz of split pea soup and sausages was a casual but favorite lunch on the trip.

I agree with Joyce and couldn’t have said it better.