Reichsburg Cochem – a striking image with its many turrets and Hexenturm (Witches Tower), this fortified hilltop ‘Imperial Castle’, the largest on the Mosel, dates to around 1000 AD. Built, it’s believed, for the Count Palatine, ownership of Reichsburg eventually passed to the Electorate of Trier, and for a time in the 17th century, was occupied by the troops of King Louis XIV of France, who subsequently destroyed much of the castle and the surrounding town. Reconstructed in neo-Gothic style in the 19th century, Reichsburg became the summer home of the Ravené family of Berlin. Owned and administered by the city of Cochem since the 1970s, the fully furnished castle is open to the public for guided tours and special events.