Like many others in the area, Cochem's original 11th-century castle fell victim to French troops in 1689, then stood ruined for centuries until wealthy Berliner Louis Ravene snapped it up for a pittance in 1868 and had it restored to its current – if not always architecturally faithful – glory. The 40-minute tours (in German but English leaflet/audioguide available) take in the decorative rooms that reflect 1000 years' worth of tastes and styles.
Its restaurant hosts four-hour banquets (€49) on Friday and Saturday evenings in summer, attended by costumed staff, with wine served in a clay tumbler that you get to keep and culminating in a knighting ceremony.
