About the Town
Cochem (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochem) is located in the beautiful valley of the river Moselle (Mosel). Cochem is a well known as destination for tourists from all over the world.
Taken from http://www.1zoom.net/Cities/wallpaper/359798/z3864.1/
Please be aware that it is winter, thus temperatures could reach 0°C or below and it might be rainy.
From the station, the best is to walk to the city center (~10min), as shown here. You will pass by the tourist information which is just at the bridge.
The Conference Venue
The conference will take place at the Kulturzentrum Kapuzinerkloster (Capuchin cloister). The former cloister has been turned into a modern conference venue. It is located directly above the city center and reached from the market square via some stair cases within a few minutes.
Although the room is heated, please be aware that it will only be around 20°C (~68°F). Therefore, please bring warm clothes.
To reach the conference venue (the big building at the background of the picture), walk the Pater Martin-Street (Pater Martin-Straße, the street along the main entrance of the church) and follow the steps in front of you uphill (Klostertreppe, between the yellow and the white building on the picture). The Pater Martin-Street connects the Moselle Promenade (Moselpromenade) with the main street coming from the Market Square (Bernstraße). if you come from the Market square and follow the main street (Moselle to your right, hill to your left), the stair case is to your left after about 50m.
As an example, the walking path described above from the bridge to the conference venue is shown here.
If you do not feel comfortable with too many steps, please contact us and we can organize transportation.
Picture taken from http://www.kulturzentrum-kapuzinerkloster.de/
Events in Town
The local Christmas Market (Sternzauber 2016) is open every day Nov 18th to Dec 18th 11h-20h at the Endertplatz (below the bridge), see the video here.
On the weekend Dec 10./11. there is a Christmas event at the castle (Burgweihnachtsfest). Amateur actors playing the Christmas story. Atmospheric decorate Christmas stalls with sweets and Christmas articles invite you to linger.
A Short Town History
As early as Celtic and Roman times, Cochem was settled. In 886, it had its first documentary mention as Villa cuchema. Cochem was an Imperial estate. It was pledged in 1294 to the Archbishopric of Trier and remained Electoral-Trier territory until the French occupation began in 1794. In 1332, Cochem was granted town rights, and shortly thereafter, the town fortifications, which still stand today, were built. Between 1423 and 1425, the town was stricken with a Plague epidemic. In 1623, Elector Lothar von Metternich brought about the founding of a Capuchin monastery. In the Thirty Years' War, the town was besieged, but not conquered. In 1689, King Louis XIV's troops conquered the town of Cochem with its castle. Reconstruction was long and drawn out. Beginning in 1794, Cochem lay under French rule. In 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia.
Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené bought the ruin of the former Imperial castle in 1866 and began its reconstruction. Only after a bridge was built across the Moselle at Cochem in 1927 were the two fishing villages of Cond and Sehl amalgamated with the town in the course of administrative reform in 1932. In the WWII, great parts of Cochem's old town were destroyed.
Since 1946, Cochem has been part of the then newly founded state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Taken from http://www.cochem.de/stadt/geschichte
Koblenz
It is very likely, that on your journey to Cochem you will have to change train at Koblenz main station. Not far from the station is the so-called Deutsches Eck (German corner), where the river Moselle joins the Rhine river. Certainly, a place worth a visit.
Trier / Luxembourg
Not far from Cochem (1h by train) is Luxembourg which is worth a visit. Before you cross Luxembourg's border, you will pass by Trier. Trier is well known for the Porta Nigra (Black gate), the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps.
Cochem and other towns around the Moselle
For a guide, click here.
