Koblenz, Germany as a River Cruise Stop

Blog #84

Koblenz as a River Cruise Stop

This was another stop on my Rhine River cruise and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. Before arriving here, I knew that the city was located at the junction of two rivers and that there was a fort.  In truth, those two facts represented the extent of my pre-arrival Koblenz knowledge and I only knew about the fort because I had been offered a free shore excursion to tour it. Knowing that it was our next port of call and having a few hours to spare the preceding afternoon, I started to peruse the internet to garner a little more information on this place. Given that I had basically one day to explore it, and at least three hours of that day would be taken up with the shore excursion to the fort, I needed to research the sights and decide what I wanted to see and what could actually be toured in the limited time I was there.

My first stop is always the country or local tourist bureau websites. German travel describes Koblenz[1]:

“French joie de vivre and German tradition have produced a truly unique cultural fusion in Koblenz, characterised by cosy wine taverns, narrow alleyways, romantic spots and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. The Four Towers, as the oriels of four Baroque houses on each corner of the main street crossing are known, are the perfect place to begin a stroll through the Old Town. Other top attractions include the Guard House, which dates back to 1689, and the Schängel fountain, which stands in the courtyard of the Town Hall and is one of the city's main landmarks. A ferry that passes the Electoral Palace will take you to Stolzenfels Castle, one of the most impressive examples of early Prussian art and cultural history.”

A fortress, a castle, historic town and wine taverns. I quickly decided that Koblenz was my kind of city. I downloaded a map of the old town area and planned my touring route. Before I provide details on the places I explored, I will provide a little background on this stop.

Location

This city is located in what is often called the middle Rhine and is nestled in the junction of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. Although not as large as the city of Mainz (see my previous blog on that city), it is the third-largest city in Rhineland-Palatinate and has a population of 114,000.

History

There is evidence that the first settlement in the area occurred around the 4th century BC.  However, the recorded history indicates that similar to the city of Mainz, Koblenz started life as a Roman military port around 2000 years ago. Given that it was located at the place where two rivers intersected, it’s name, Koblenz, is derived from the Latin “confluentes” which translates to the English word “confluence”.

It was the Romans, led by Julius Caesar, who built the first bridge in Koblenz around 49 BC and the remains of that bridge are still visible to this day. That bridge was protected by two forts on either side of the river but over a period of time, both structures were destroyed (one in 259 by the Franks and the other in the 5th century after it fell into ruin and portions of it were taken to be used in other buildings).

While the Franks controlled this area, they elevated the city in regional importance and made it the royal seat. The first St. Kastor church was consecrated on the 12th of November in 836. Various historical acts of note occurred over the years. Two of note were the negotiation of the Treaty of Verdun in 843 and the abolishment of slavery which occurred a few years later. There were many other events of import but as this is  a blog covering Koblenz as a port stop, I don’t have the luxury of doing a deep dive into the history of any location.

The presence of the rivers were both a blessing and a curse as traders and raiders used both the Rhine and Moselle to get to Koblenz. The Vikings continuously raided and in one devastating attack in 882, they destroyed much of the existing city. Rebuilding began almost immediately.

By 1018, the emperor Henry the II, was given the city and it remained in his line of succession until the 1700s. It was during this period that the city enjoyed some relative safety and experienced both population and building growth.

In 1249–1254, Koblenz was given new walls by Archbishop Arnold II of Isenburg. The fortress that I was going to tour, was built around this time, on a cliff overlooking the city. It has been enlarged over the years and is a prominent sight as you sail into Koblenz.

In 1777, building started on the early French classical style Electoral Palace (called Kurfurstliches Scholss), and it was finished around 1793 (although some material I reviewed had it listed as being finished in 1786). An Electoral Palace was the residence of the reigning ruler which means that kings, crown princes or emperors etc. took up residence here over the centuries. The building and interior were reported to be beautiful. Note: Normally a building such as the Electoral Palace would be on my must-see list but this building was destroyed in 1944 during the second world war. The current structure was built in 1950-51 and is used for banquets and other celebrations. It was built in the same style as the original and has an attractive garden terrace facing the Rhine.

The Prussians made Koblenz the capital of Prussia in 1815. For war buffs, this city was the seat of the Inter-Allied Control Commission for the Rhineland after the first world war and remained as such until 1929.  The city did not fare as well during the second world war and was destroyed. Many of the historic building have since been restored or as in the case of the Electoral Palace, replicated.

What to See

Cable Car

I am going to start with the cable car and fortress.  There are two ways to get to the fortress, one is by road and the other is by cable car. I took the much quicker, and far more exciting, cable car.  The ticket office and base for the cable car is very close to where the river cruise ships dock so it is easy to find and convenient to get to. Built in 2011 for the Federal Horticultural Show, this attraction is capable of carrying up to 7,600 people an hour over the Rhine and up to the Fortress. Fast, comfortable and efficient, it offers up spectacular views and a speedy way for river cruisers to get to the fortress. I highly recommend it.

Fortress Ehrenbreitstein

Located 118 meters above the Rhine, this structure dominates the cliff above the city. Originally, a roman outlook post, it became a fortified building in the 9th and 10th centuries.  In 1139, it is recorded as being Ehrenbreitstein Castle owned by the “Archbishipric of Trier”.  It was expanded by Archbishop Trillin during the period of 1152-1169.

Expansion of the castle, into a fortress began in the 16th century and by 1711, it was a complete fortress and of considerable size. The French besieged it four times from 1795-1799 and in 1801, the French destroyed much of it. When the Rhineland became part of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815, William the III ordered the fortress to be rebuilt. Building was completed in 1834 but certain structures within, continued to be expanded.

Following the first world war, it was earmarked for destruction, but an American General determined that it was of historical and cultural importance and saved the fortress. Three anti-aircraft guns were placed there during the second world war but it survived with little to no damage and following the war, served as a refugee camp from 1946-50. Although most of the refugees left in 1950, a few remained. The last family of refugees left in the mid 1960s. You can still see their apartment as it was when they left and this apartment is an interesting stop on the tour – a real step back in time experience.

I enjoyed touring the fortress and having a guide to explain the various points of interest was both helpful and informative. The lookout from the fort over the Rhine and Moselle rivers is spectacular.  You also get to see a good portion of the city itself. There is a restaurant there for those who want to have a luncheon or dinner.

Shoppers can visit the gift shop where they will find books, postcards and small souvenirs. The toilets are pay toilets which is one of the things that annoys me about certain places in Europe. I fail to see why, when one has paid to get into a site, we have to pay an additional amount to use a toilet. If you read my book “Post Cards to Alice” you will know this is a long-standing pet peeve of mine. I think it a bit mean spirited to charge a fee to get into an attraction then add an additional fee for use of the toilet.

St. Kastor (also known as St. Castor)

The St Kastor church is located very near the gondola base and an easy walk from the river boat docking points. As mentioned earlier in this blog, it was consecrated on November 12, 836AD.  Research has proven that it is built on the site of what was previously a gallo-roman temple.  Over the years, the church was enlarged. For example, it is believed that the transverse axis with its semi-circular choir was added after the original construction but before 900AD, while the side aisles were added in the 10th century. The upper storeys of the towers were finished in 1180 and 1230. If you tour the inside of the church (which I recommend you do), I suggest you look at the left and right of the main entrance where you will find two baroque figures in white marble. They are said to have previously stood in the Castle of Koblenz and they depict Joachim and Anne, the reported parents of the Blessed Virgin. The pulpit is early baroque sandstone and dates from 1625. You will not be disappointed if you stop in to visit this church.

Ride Around Old Town

For those who don’t want to walk, or who have mobility issues and want to tour the old town, there is a little tourist train. You can board by paying the driver and ride an old town loop. I have chosen to place this information here, as there is a stop at the church and that appeared to be the closest stop to the river boat cruise berthing locations.

Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial. 

Visible from the river, and to those of us in the gondola heading up to the fortress, this landmark is impressive. The original statue was erected in 1897 in memory of the German Emperor Wilhelm I. In March, 1945, allied forces destroyed the monument but it was later rebuilt in 1993 following lengthy discussions as to whether the monument should be rebuilt. Once the ownership of the city of Koblenz was transferred to the state of Rheinland-Pfalz, the replica statue was commissioned and subsequently erected. The statue appears to have different coloured metals on the body of the horse which made me wonder as to whether any of the original statue’s material was used in the reconstruction.

Old Town Koblenz

I recommend you head into the old town. I found a mixture of interesting buildings, charming squares, fountains, shopping and loads of little restaurants. I have posted some pictures I took of my walk around. My husband discovered a shop that sold liquors and pipes. Much to his delight he found some bottles of rum that were unavailable in Canada and so he purchased them to bring home. The first stop after the rum purchases was a store to buy bubble wrap so he could be assured the rum would make it home.

Schloss Stolzenfels (Castle)

This castle is not within walking distance of the river cruise docking points. You will need to take a boat, bus, taxi or a ride sharing program to get to this location. I saw bus and boat tours to the castle on offer so it is not difficult to get to this attraction. Originally built in medieval times as a fortress, the ruined castle was turned into a palace in 1836 and is considered to be the epitome of Rhine Romanticism. Open to the public, you can now tour the palace complex.

[1] Koblenz: a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the German Corner - Germany Travel accessed 4 November 2024.