Virtual offers – Digital museum visits and more
You can enjoy museum visits, wine tastings and music events in the Romantic Cities from the comfort of your own home. Our overview gives you information on upcoming events.
Koblenz lies on the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle in the Upper Middle Rhine Valley World Heritage Site, which is not only rich in wonderful scenery but also steeped in history. One of major landmarks is the impressive Ehrenbreitstein Fortress which stands guard above the city. Built it the 19th century and with a perimeter of 14 kilometres, the fortress complex in Koblenz is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. The smaller fortresses of Fort Konstantin, Fort Asterstein, Feste Kaiser Franz and Neundorfer Flescher all formed part of the complex. The Deutsches Eck and the Kaiser Monument are at the feet of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.
The whole city of Koblenz, including the spacious grounds of the fortress with its sweeping lawns, was transformed into an oasis of green for the Federal Garden Show (BUGA) in 2011. The green legacy of the BUGA has been nurtured and cultivated, establishing a real garden culture in the city of Koblenz.
What were once the Prussian defences with their massive fields of fire are now the fortress park with public lawns, colourful flower beds, baroque style beech hedges and a large wooden viewing platform. The straight paths are a throwback to Prussian times and provide a link between the garden experience and the history of the place.
On the other side of the Rhine, the gardens around the Deutsches Eck have become a popular place to promenade. They link the boat jetty, the cable car station and the water play area on the Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer and Peter-Altmeier-Ufer riverside promenades.
Enjoying wine with views of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in Koblenz, Romantic Rhine
The name Deutsches Eck, which translates as German or Teutonic corner, goes back to the Teutonic Knights who made history here back in the 13th century. The area has been known as the Deutsches Eck since the construction of the monument to Kaiser Wilhelm in 1897. The monument, the Basilica of St Castor and the Deutschherrenhaus, now the Ludwig Museum, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. There is another idyllic spot just a few paces away from the Deutsches Eck, the Blumenhof gardens around the basilica. The gardens are divided into three areas that were redesigned for the BUGA. These include the sculpture garden in the courtyard of the Ludwig Museum, showcasing art and predominantly sculpture related to the museum. The blossom garden between the museum and St Castor features fountains and wonderful blooms. The paradise garden pays homage to the Virgin Mary: a place of reflection filled with plants symbolic of Mary, complete with a pond and surrounded by a hedge.
View of the Deutsches Eck at sunset, Koblenz
View of the Basilica of St Castor in Koblenz, Romantic Rhine
The palace gardens are a real gem among the green spaces in Koblenz and form a link between the city centre, the palace and the Rhine. The Prince-elector’s Palace in Koblenz was built by Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony, Archbishop and Prince-elector of Trier, between 1777 and 1793. The palace served as a military hospital during the French period. When Koblenz became part of the Prussian empire, the palace was soon given a facelift and became the residence of the Prussian royal family as of 1850. During this time, with the help of the famous landscape gardener Peter Josef Lenné, Empress Augusta redesigned the park into gardens that would later take on her name, calling them her ‘Potsdam on the Rhine’.
View of the Prince-elector’s Palace and the Rhine Promenade, Romantic Rhine
A walk through the city takes you through lovingly designed and tended gardens from the Rhine to the palace. The Schängelbrunnen fountain on Willi-Hörter-Platz is a must-see. The fountain is surrounded by the Renaissance and baroque buildings of the Jesuit Order. It features a little boy who spits out a jet of water extending well beyond the base of the fountain at irregular intervals, keeping all the passers-by entertained. The Schängel is a really cheeky rascal and a Koblenz one-off. His name harks back to the period between 1794 and 1813, when Koblenz was part of France. The half-German, half-French boys of the time were often called Jean, pronounced ‘Schang’ in the Koblenz accent, and the diminutive form was then ‘Schängel’. Today, all true Koblenzers see themselves in ‘Schängel’ as he typifies the humour, joy and ready wit of the Rhenish people.
The Koblenz tourist information office provides guided tours of the city and the parks. Koblenz is also a perfect starting point for walks in the city forest or on the Rheinsteig trail, the Moselsteig trail, the RheinBurgenWeg or the Traumpfad circuits.
Schängelbrunnen fountain spitting water in Koblenz, Romantic Rhine
