The Imperial Castle - Sleeping Beauty must have lived within these walls... High above Cochem looms the mighty Imperial Castle, which was rebuilt in the 19th century by a wealthy Berlin citizen and is a real fairytale castle. As an art lover, he attached importance to architecture and furnishings that were as authentic as possible, making them all the more valuable to us today. The ghost tour with and without a robber's dinner is especially popular with children!

The Ehrenburg is the perfect place for families, as it is fully geared towards children and has an ample range of offerings, especially in the summer months. Look forward to an interactive theatre adventure, castle exploration with a puzzling element, castle pottery and culinary delights from the court kitchen. Not forgetting that you can even spend the night at the Ehrenburg!

The town of Traben-Trarbach is home to a deeply mysterious fortress ruin in the middle of the forest, the Mont Royal fortress. Lots of old wall remains, underground passages and vaults make it just the thing for brave young explorers. Don’t forget your torch! Amidst the site of the old Mont Royal fortress you will find an exciting high ropes course: The Mosel Adventure Forest invites forest-loving children with a head for heights to enjoy an adventure world of ropes, beams and obstacles as well as a play area.

Take the chairlift at Deutsches Eck and ride up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress to enjoy views of the Mosel and Rhine. Right next to the main entrance of the fortress is where the “Stations of Fortress History” museum journey through time begins. And there's so much more to discover: For example, you can go on an exciting journey of discovery through 1 million years of history together. A corresponding scavenger hunt is available free of charge at the Haus der Archäologie. On certain days, you can hold things in your hands that are otherwise locked away in display cabinets. How does it feel to hold a hand axe? How does it feel to be in 12 kg of Celtic chain mail? How strenuous is grain milling by hand? You can answer such questions by giving things a try and experiencing them for yourself!

Tip: the fortress grounds, amidst the former Federal Garden Show grounds, also offer plenty of space for running around, playing and picnicking.

Experience the “Diversity Museum” on the Moselle in the Machern Monastery near Zeltingen-Rachtig on a family rally (subject to availability and prior booking). It offers an imaginative glimpse into the childhood of previous generations with a wide selection of historical toys and LEGO® exhibits.

Casa Tony M. shows works by the painter and cartoonist Tony Munzlinger and features a specially furnished “children's room – per bimbi” with illustrations from his “children's books”. For younger children, there is a colouring wall along with paper, pencils and a reading corner. Older visitors can watch the SWR productions “Unterwegs mit Odysseus” and “Abenteuer des Heracles” in the “TV room”.

Right next to Trier's Porta Nigra, the modern and traditional City Museum displays art and cultural treasures from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. You can borrow a family bag at the museum ticket office and there is no need to book in advance. In the bag, you will find game and quiz materials that provide some creative stimuli for your visit to the museum. Scavenger hunts relating to the permanent exhibition on the history of the city are also available. A free children's audio guide is of course not to be missed. You can watch a family video tour of the permanent exhibition on YouTube or on the museum's website – either while you're still at home preparing or on site via the museum WLAN.

How did our parents and grandparents live in the past? Children love to listen to stories about the olden days. Even more so when they can go on a real journey back in time too! For example, in the large open air museum grounds with Hunsrück village, Mosel village, bourgeois rose garden as well as a number of rural gardens. Here you can run around and play as well as see how children used to live in the countryside. A 4,000 square metre folklore exhibition in the historic exhibition building and the forest museum offers insights into all areas of life, from viticulture to dentistry. The museum ticket office can provide you with exploration sheets for different age groups. Some of the topics to explore include the corner shop and the old school, living and working (open air site) as well as house and kitchen work (open air site).

Powerful Roman emperors once resided in Trier! This is why the city with its UNESCO World Heritage is a MUST for all Roman fans. See where gladiators used to fight too. Explore the underground supply tunnels in the Imperial Baths and climb up the Porta Nigra! The best way to do this is with the illustrative “Family Pass to Roman Trier”. You will get this when you buy your ticket. In it, you will find vivid depictions of Roman life. There’s a quiz too.

The monuments themselves often feature interesting short films with graphic reconstructions.

If you have children over the age of 10, you should definitely go on one of the adventure tours: Professional actors slip into fictional roles from earlier times. A gladiator in the amphitheatre or a centurion in the Porta Nigra are just two examples!

In the middle of the forest near Tawern, you'll find a rebuilt temple complex that is the perfect place to play Roman games. A short footpath leads to it via a car park next to the forest.

There is also fun to be had taking a pack mule hike to the temple complex from the neighbouring village of Mannebach. Bilbo and Gandalf are very patient and obedient companions who’ll carry the luggage, the provisions or even a tired child. However, this tour needs to be booked in advance.

The Romans were great builders. And those who had enough money could afford magnificent estates! The bathing wing of a large estate was rebuilt in the winegrowing village of Longuich. The Villa Urbana is open to visitors, but the inside of the bathing wing can only be viewed through a lattice door. This wing is opened as part of a guided tour, which takes place every Sunday at 10:30 am during the season. Below the villa there is an outdoor area with a water treading pool. The area around the villa also offers plenty of space to run around and play.

Your children now want to know how the water got into the bathing pools? If so, continue onwards to the Roman water conduit in Pölich, where a Roman water conduit can still be seen. You can walk through a short section, and with a height of 1.20 m in places and a width of roughly 0.50 m, you only have to pull in your head and stomach. Daylight falls through the building shafts. Ideal for children! Take rubber boots, a torch and a hard hat with you.

A Roman merchant used to sail across the Mosel in such a ship and deliver his wine to customers. He was immortalised on a famous funeral monument located in the Mosel village of Neumagen-Dhron. The ship has since been reconstructed and is ready to sail. So how about a “Roman” cruise aboard the Stella Noviomagi? You have the chance to do this every weekend during the season and occasionally on Wednesdays.

Follow the archaeological trail through Neumagen-Dhron too and check out the illustrative museum at the Tourist Information Centre

Take a 5 km hike along the Lenus Mars Trail up to the Martberg between Treis-Karden and Pommern. A Roman temple complex has been reconstructed on the high plateau and offers a good opportunity for a leisurely picnic. The information boards will teach you some interesting facts about the excavations and settlement of the temple complex.