Overview: Castles and rolling river scenery are a photographer’s dream – and what fairy tales are made of!  RTT takes you there on the Mosel River Tour.  Explore one of Germany’s “newest” old castles and catch a glimpse of life from the high tower and inside the bedrooms of this restored fortress.  Learn about the Mosel wine culture and appreciate the wine varieties with a tasting in internationally famous Cochem – known as much for its castle perched high on a hill overlooking the town as for its surrounding vineyards and frequent festivals.  Cochem Castle is the most photographed site on the entire Mosel River!

Itinerary:  Travel with RTT to Burg Pyrmont, a fortress dating to 1225 AD, when it was a much simpler structure.  In 1524, it was inherited by the Graf von Eltz, but wasn’t built into a castle complex until 1712, when construction began under the Kurfurst Waldbott von Bassenheim.   During the French Revolution, the castle was completely destroyed.  From 1912, work under architects from the Krause family restored the ruins for habitation and, in 1963, architects completed the restoration.  Often used for weddings and other celebrations, Burg Pyrmont has only been open to the public since 1990.  Tour the castle and then enjoy lunch (included, with one beverage) in the adjacent dining hall.   

After lunch, continue touring with a drive through the scenic Mosel River Valley to Cochem. There the Reichsburg Castle is perched atop a hill 330 feet above the river.  A walking orientation tour of the city shows the town’s three fortified city gates and provides a view of life in the former centuries.  After some free time, during which travellers are free to wander its quaint streets or trek to the Reichsburg (approx. 20 minute’s walk) for a personal visit, continue with a wine tasting (included) a local cellar.  Everyone is at liberty to dedicate themself to a study (tasting) of all these wines and thereby enlarge their knowledge of the area where wine is cultivated.  When you have found your favorite wine during this impressive wine-tasting experience and you wish to cement this newly found friendship, you may purchase the chosen wine at the wine shop on the premises. The city of Cochem also provides a large selection of wine-inspired presents which you can purchase before departing at about 6 p.m., to return to the points of origin about 8 p.m.