Koblenz
Koblenz is a city in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in the Middle Rhine Valley in the Federal Republic of Germany. Koblenz has about 112,000 inhabitants; the surrounding area accounts for about 400,000 people in total.
Understand
- 1 Tourist Information, Zentralplatz 1, ☏ +49 261 19433. Mo-Su 10:00-18:00.
Get in
By plane
Koblenz is located within one hour travelling time of three major German airports:
- Frankfurt Airport (FRA IATA), which is one of the world's major intercontinental hubs and home of Lufthansa
- Hahn Airport (HHN IATA), the largest airport in the state, served by low-cost airlines
- Cologne-Bonn Airport (CGN IATA), one of Germany's largest airport and the main base of Lufthansa's low-fare subsidiary, Eurowings
By train
Koblenz can easily be reached by train IC, for example from the Frankfurt/Mainz area, Cologne area or Trier. These towns are one to two hours away and connections run from early in the morning till late night.
Nightjet, the Austrian Railways' sleeper train, runs twice a week from Brussels via Bonn and Koblenz to Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck. It calls at Frankfurt airport, Würzburg and Nuremberg where it divides: one portion runs via Linz to Vienna, the other via Munich to Innsbruck. In 2020 it doesn't run in July and Aug, but it's expected to be year-round from 2021.
- 1 Koblenz Central Station.
By car
Three German motorways lead to Koblenz: A3, A48 and A61. Parking in the center of Koblenz is sometimes restricted according to time. Park and ride is available. The train station has a parking garage, as does the Löhr Center. Pay attention to closing times at the Löhr Center parking garage: it closes shortly after the shops, typically catching at least a few tourists unaware.
By bus
Many bus companies offer trips to Koblenz for one or more days.
Get around
Buses leave from the central train station (usually between 5:30 and 23:00) and will take you to most parts of Koblenz. The city itself is quite small and easily accessible on foot.
You can reach Festung Ehrenbreitstein by taxi, bus, or by taking a ferry across the Rhine River and walking up the walled access road to the fortress. You can also ride a chairlift (Sesselbahn) to the top of the fortress.
See
- 1 Deutsches Eck. This spot (the name means German Corner in German) is where the Mosel River meets the Rhine River. The tip of the park is shaped like a ship's prow, overlooked by an enormous equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm mounted on an equally-huge stone base that you can climb for a great view of the rivers and opposite shore castle/fort. Not far from the German Corner, you can catch a little sightseeing train which will drive around & point out some of the interesting things about Koblenz.
- 2 Festung Ehrenbreitstein. This is a big military castle/fort in good condition. From there you have a good view over Koblenz. There is also one of the museum of Koblenz. It is located on the other side of the Rhine. entry fee about €2.
- 3 Schängelbrunnen. This is a nice little fountain near the town hall. You should stand three steps in front of the fountain and in front of the figure's face. Wait there three minutes. What then happens should bring fortune.
- 4 Militärmuseum. This is a big military museum. It is located on the other side of the Mosel. In the past Koblenz was an important strategic military area. On every side of the rivers were military castles/forts. Rivers were the most important logistic routes until the 20th century. Their possession could decide who won or lost a war.
- 5 Mosellum - information centre - fish pass Koblenz (Moselstaustufe), Peter-Altmeier-Ufer 1. Thursday to Sunday: 10AM to 5PM. Information centre in the fish pass building dedicated to the river Moselle and fish migrations. €3.
- City Sculptures. Koblenz has a number of whimsical sculptures and fountains scattered throughout the city. Look for them as you walk around, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
- 6 Stolzenfels Castle (Schloss Stolzenfels) (Somewhat upriver from downtown but still inside the municipal boundaries).
- 7 Kurfürstliches Schloss (Electoral Palace), Neustadt 24. Su-Su, 8 am-8pm. Free.
Upriver from Koblenz proper
Do
- Watch football at the Oberwerth-Stadium and see TuS Koblenz
- On the second weekend in August, watch "Rhein in Flammen" (Rhein in Flames). During that weekend there are concerts at Deutsches Eck, with a big fireworks display on Saturday evening. The history for this event is that the Germans sent burning ships down the Rhine and confused the Roman troops. So they broke through the "limes", a wall which protected the Romans from the uncivilized wild Germans.
- In September is the "Nacht der Museen" (Night of Museums). Special buses run between museums and other points of interest, which are open till midnight. Ticket for entrance and bus is about €16.
- Boating trips on the Rhine are famous. There are castles and vineyards to see.
- In Blaue Biwel enjoy the cabaret.
- Koblenz has a classical theater. In Germany, men wear suits and women wear gowns when going to a classic theatre.
- For young people, KuFa (culture factory) offers nice plays and concerts.
- Rheinsteig. Walk part of the trail on the right Rhine side.
- Rheinburgenweg. Walk part of the trail on the left Rhine side.
Buy
Koblenz has two big shopping malls (Löhr-Center and Forum Mittelrhein) with some 130 shops, located in the city centre. There are also many downtown shops on or near Löhrstraße.
Eat
- 1 Wirtshaus Alt Coblenz, Am Plan 13, ☏ +49 261 160656, fax: +49 261 309882. Excellent regional wine and food. Main dish €9-15.
Drink
Koblenz is located in the wine area of the Rhine and Mosel Rivers, mostly known for dry white wines, but also producing dry red wines, and in Germany, trying the beer is also a must. Southern and northern German beers differ in the proportion of hops and malt. More hops makes the beer more bitter, and this region is known for a higher percentage of hops. "Königsbacher" and "Koblenzer" are made by a local brewery.
Sleep
- 1 Mercure Hotel Koblenz, Julius-Wegeler-Straße 6, ☏ +49 261 1360. Reasonable sized rooms with good breakfast. Can be busy and expensive in holiday period.
- 2 Rhein-Hotel Diehl's Terrassen, Rheinsteigufer 1, ☏ +49 261 97070. Is situated directly at the Rhine, below the Ehrenbreitstein fort, with a view of the Deutsches Eck from every room. 4-star, but unfortunately only a few metres from a busy railway.
- 3 Koblenz Youth Hostel (Jugendherberge Koblenz), ☏ +49 261 972870. located in the fortress "Festung Ehrenbreitstein". From there you have a nice view over Koblenz
Go next
- Boppard
- Braubach
- St. Goar — home to the famous "Loreley", the narrowest and once the most dangerous part of the Rhine for ships
- Treis-Karden — site of the stunning Eltz Castle, 30 km west of Koblenz
- Cochem — medieval town up the Mosel River
Lahn: