Mosel Valley

It depends on what you want to see, but for me, Trier was definitely worth the time for the Roman baths and the throne room. It wasn't as charming as some other Mosel valley towns. In other ways, but those two sites made the visit for me. Going there for those two sites, it was also nice to wander around and to get a meal on the square. Oh, Porto Nigra (the Roman gate, can't remember if that is exactly the right name) was also worth a see.

I certainly enjoyed the castle in Cochem, which I believe is a 19th century reconstruction on an original site and is very handsome, as well as Burg Eltz. However we happily spent more than a full day in Trier, seeing the Porta Nigra, Constantine's basilica, the cathedral, the Church of Our Lady, the baroque St. Paulinus church, the medieval center and Judengasse... And then there are the museums...

It really depends on your interests, but if you like history I would strongly recommend Trier.

I loved Trier. I also come from a small city of 10,000 souls. I walked around a lot , saw the throne room, visited the Karl Marx house, did the Rhine Cultural Museum which was WONDERFUL. I would have loved another day in Trier to see the Roman Baths. Four days was not enough for me.
Pam from Bath

Cochem is more worthwhile, as long as you make it to Burg Eltz, Beilstein, and Bernkastel—unless you are more into Roman history, architecture, and ruins than wine and the picturesque vineyards, villages, and hills of the Mosel valley. But don't discount Trier as a day-trip.

I stayed in Cochem last week and took a day-trip to Trier by train. Starting out at about 9 a.m., I was able to see the Roman sights and cathedral, as well as enjoy dinner at the beautiful town square to observe the ornate fountain and the veiled medieval threats between the townsfolk and the Trier bishop, before returning to Cochem at about 9:00 p.m. However, you will need another day if you want to meander through the museums. I was able to skim through the town museum next to Porta Nigra, and I enjoyed seeing the original cross there that the bishop erected in the town square as an exclamation point marking his power. But even this museum stop put a slight squeeze on my time. That said, I personally would not miss the beauty and fascination of Burg Eltz, Beilstein, or Bernkastel for Trier.

Burg Eltz is just astonishing and authentic—inside and out—and my German friend and I really enjoyed the relatively easily hike from Moselkern to the castle with a nice pit-stop at the hotel/restaurant in between. The walk through the forest was also a wonderful respite from the oppressive heatwave that we were experiencing, where we gladly used the Elzbach water to cool off.

In incredibly beautiful Bernkastel-Kues, the Vinothek on the Kues side of the river (right across the bridge from the Bernkastel old town) is stellar if you like or love wine. You can sample 140 Mosel wines in a self-service fashion in a nicely organized cellar for only €18 (plus a €2 deposit for the glass); I was able to mingle with vacationing Europeans there as well. Be sure to get the €2 deposit (a.k.a "Pfand") back for your tasting glass on the way out! There is also a museum on the same ground but I did not have time to visit it, though the entire complex looked top notch.

Lastly, I rented a bike in Cochem and took it on a train to Bullay, and spent the day biking back to Cochem. I loved riding along the riverside and making pit-stops for an alcohol-free hefeweizen in each village along the way, where you can see half-timbered homes and cool off at the many town wells/fountains. The ride was about 25 miles (including towns and bridge crossings) and was flat—save for leaving the river to go up into the villages, but you can just walk with the bike into town if you are tired or are otherwise not up for the uphill climb with the bike. Aside from the very beautiful Beilstein and, to a lesser degree, Neef, I found the villages on the left bank of the river more quaint and picturesque—particularly Sankt (St.) Aldegund, Bremm, and Ediger-Eller. A friendly man in Sankt Aldegund actually approached me to proudly hand out a homemade postcard of his freshly restored half-timbered home, and to show me an easier way to reach the chapel on the hill with my bike to avoid the steps, where I also found another town well to cool off at—a day I'll never forget.

I like Trier, especially for the Roman ruins there - other than that, it's a really nice town too.