Koblenz is a 2,000 year old city situated at the intersection of the Mosel and Rhein Rivers. Both rivers offer some of the most beautiful sites in Germany. The Mosel is known for its delicious German white wines that grow on terraced hillside vineyards that cascade down towards the tiny German towns that sit on the river’s edge. The Rhein River is one of Europe’s largest rivers. Known for the Rhein Castles Trail that tracks the river’s course. Here you’ll find dozens of castles and palaces interspersed with vineyards on the steep valley sides along the river.
Start your day in Koblenz right at the confluence of these two rivers, a little out cropping of land called Deutsches Eck. Here the land comes to a thin point at this intersection of the two rivers. This is a significant point and the location of The Teutonic Knights early commandery, which was originally erected in 1216. Here you’ll find a grand statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, originally erected in 1897. It’s a great spot for photos, a little history and orienting yourself to the two rivers.
Not far from this point is the Koblenz cable car that will take you across the Rhein River and up the adjacent hill to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress. The cable line has 18 cars. Car 17 has a completely glass floor which gives some incredible views, but can be a little too much for those who are scared of heights.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is the second largest fortress in Europe. The original fortress was built in the 11th century. It spent hundreds of years withstanding sieges and defending the city of Koblenz, changing hands many times from the Archbishop Electors of Trier, the princess of Saxony, the French and finally the Prussians. In 1801, the French blew the entire structure up as they fled the Prussians so that it wouldn’t fall into their hands. The Prussians took the hill anyways and rebuilt the fortress in 1828.
Right next to Deutches Eck is the oldest church in Koblenz, called Basilica of St. Castor. The church is so old that in 842 it is the location where noblemen met to divide the Frankish Empire. Check out the incredible star vaults above the choir.
Also, Make sure to check out the beautiful Electoral Palace. The uncle to King Louis XVI, prince Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony built this palace in the late 1700s.
The main event in Koblenz, though, is by far the Rhein and Mosel River Cruises. Koblenz is a major hub for all of the dozens of small cruise ships that run up and down these rivers every day. All along the river you can find little ticket stands in front of docks. Walk up to a couple of these stands and find out the schedule and price for their river cruises and pick the one that works best for you. The cruises are nothing too exciting, they just slowly go up and down the rivers, docking at each city along the river. They follow different routes and each boat stops at different groupings of towns, but they all basically offer the same thing. Indoor and Outdoor deck seating on a slow moving river cruise ship that allows you to take in the beautiful river valley sights while enjoying a glass or bottle of great local wine. You can get off at any of the little towns it stops at, spend a couple hours exploring that town and then jump back on and head to another town or back to Koblenz. Usually, you’ll buy tickets to the boats that last for 4, 6, 8 or 12 hours and the boats will run in loops docking and reloading every hour. It’s like a hop on hop off bus tour. It’s a great way to spend a day on the river drinking wine. Look out for Loreley Rock. The legend says that Loreley, a melancholic mermaid sits on a rock, combing her golden hair. Sailors get easily distracted by her beauty and her mesmerizing song and smash their vessels against the rocks.
Some of the best towns to hop off at are:
Bacharach
Boppard
Oberwesel
St. Goar
Bingen
If you have time to take a day trip, follow the Rhein Castles Trail and go visit some of their best castles like, Lahneck Castle, Stolzenfels Castle, Marksburg Castle, Burg Maus and Burg Katz (cat and mouse castles), Pfalzgrafenstein Castle and Burg Rheinfels.
Before you leave Koblenz, stop into Am Plan, Koblenz’s most lively square, full of biergartens, cafes, bars and restaurants. It’s a great place to grab some drinks and food.
Finally, on your way out of town, on the Ehrenbreitstein side of the river is a hidden gem of a family owned winery that has a gorgeous courtyard and terrace that is the perfect place to enjoy a wine tasting on summer nights. It’s called Weingut Göhlen. The husband and wife that own and operate the vineyard provide guided tours of the vineyards and wine cellars complete with a large snack beforehand and a generous wine tasting afterwards. Make reservations in advance. The Ehrenbreitstein wine is a special wine made of grapes that are only grown on the vines of Ehrenbreitstein.
