Koblenz: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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The Romans built a fort here around 9 BC and named it Confluentes, the place of the confluence, and the name slowly wore down into Koblenz. Everything in the old town grew from that corner of land between the Rhine and the Moselle. This walk starts at the tip and works back through a thousand years of churches and squares to the medieval Moselle bridge. About two hours on flat streets; the churches close at lunch on some days.

A short history of Koblenz

Around 8 BC the Romans built a fort where the Moselle flows into the Rhine and called it Confluentes, "the confluence". In 1992 the city celebrated its two thousandth anniversary. In the Middle Ages it was ruled by the archbishops of Trier, and above the Rhine stood the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, which the Prussians, who received the city in 1815, rebuilt. In 1897 a huge monument to Emperor Wilhelm I was erected on the tip of the confluence, the "German Corner"; it was toppled in 1945 and re-erected in 1993. In 2002 the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, which begins here, was inscribed on the World Heritage List.

The ten best sights in Koblenz

1
Deutsches Eck
The tip where the Moselle meets the Rhine; climb the steps of the monument for the view of both rivers
2
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Give it half a day: ramparts, the state museum and the best view of the Deutsches Eck
3
Basilica of St. Castor
The oldest church in town; read the inscriptions on the fountain in front before going in
4
Church of Our Lady
The onion-domed towers are the landmark of the old town, on its highest point
5
Electoral Palace
Offices inside, but the river garden behind it is open and free
6
Ludwig Museum
Modern art in the old house of the Teutonic Knights, two minutes from the Eck
7
Mittelrhein-Museum
Paintings of the Rhine gorge from before the railway; a good primer for the journey upstream
8
Jewish Cemetery and Synagogue
The community prays in the former cemetery hall; visits only by arrangement with the community
9
Stolzenfels Castle
A Prussian romantic castle 10 minutes south; a steep 15-minute walk up from the car park
10
Marksburg
Guided tours only, about an hour; the one hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Koblenz →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Koblenz:

Free walking tours in Koblenz

Where two rivers meet

Deutsches Eck · The equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I was unveiled in 1897 and shot down by American artillery in 1945. For decades only the empty base stood here, and the copy you see went up only in 1993.
Ludwig Museum · The building was the house of the Teutonic Knights, who settled here in 1216 — and their order gave the corner its name, the German Corner. Today it shows modern and contemporary art.
Basilica of St. Castor · In 842 envoys of Charlemagne's three quarrelling grandsons met in this church to prepare the split of his empire, sealed a year later at Verdun. The fountain in front carries a French boast of 1812 about Napoleon's march on Moscow, and below it a Russian commander's dry note of 1814: seen and approved.
Münzplatz · The square takes its name from the archbishops' mint that stood here. Klemens von Metternich, the Austrian statesman who redrew Europe at the Congress of Vienna, was born in Koblenz in 1773, and the family house is on this square.
Church of Our Lady · The church stands on the highest point of the old town, where the Roman fort once was. Its Baroque onion caps were added at the end of the 17th century, after the French shelling of 1688.
Balduin Bridge · Archbishop Balduin of Luxembourg, Elector of Trier, had this stone bridge built over the Moselle in the 14th century. For centuries it was the only fixed crossing of the river at Koblenz.

Electors, French and Prussians

Koblenz changed masters three times in a generation: the Electors of Trier, then the French revolutionary army in 1794, then Prussia from 1815. Each left something on the street — a palace, a nickname, a giant fortress. This walk crosses the new town, the old town and, by cable car, the river. About three hours with the fortress; buy the combined cable-car ticket at the bottom station.

Electoral Palace · Clemens Wenceslaus, the last Elector of Trier, moved into this palace in 1786. Only eight years later he fled before the French army and never came back.
History Column · The column was put up in 1992, when Koblenz marked 2,000 years since the Roman fort. It climbs through the city's story in bronze scenes, from the Romans at the bottom to the modern town at the top.
Schängel Fountain · Children of Koblenz are called Schängel, from the French name Jean, a leftover of the twenty years of French rule. The bronze boy in the courtyard of the town hall spits a jet of water at passers-by every few minutes.
Vier Türme · The four houses at the crossing of Löhrstraße and Marktstraße each turned an ornate oriel to the corner. They were rebuilt in the decades after the French bombardment of 1688 left the old town in ruins.
Rhine Cable Car · The cable car was built for the Federal Garden Show of 2011 and was meant to come down afterwards. Because the valley is a UNESCO World Heritage site its future was argued over for years, and it is still running.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress · The French blew up the old fortress on this rock in 1801. Prussia then built the present one between 1817 and 1828, one of the largest in Europe, and no enemy ever attacked it.

Castles and volcanoes

Koblenz sits between two landscapes: the Rhine gorge with a castle on every hill to the south, and the quiet volcanic Eifel to the west. In one day by car you can see both, and the distances are short. Start with the river castles in the morning, then cut across to the crater lake and finish at the geyser in Andernach. A full day; check opening times, several sites close or shorten hours in winter.

Stolzenfels Castle · The town gave the ruin to the Prussian crown prince Friedrich Wilhelm in 1823, and he rebuilt it as a neo-Gothic summer residence. It became a model for the romantic image of the Rhine castle.
Lahneck Castle · Lahneck stands where the Lahn flows into the Rhine, facing Stolzenfels across the water. From the terrace you see the two castles answer each other over the river.
Marksburg · It is the only hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed, so its rooms show a medieval castle as it was. Since 1900 it has been the seat of the German Castles Association.
Eltz Castle · The same family has owned Eltz for more than 800 years, over some thirty generations. Germans know it from the old 500-mark banknote, which carried its picture.
Maria Laach Abbey · The Benedictine abbey was founded in 1093, and its six-towered church is one of the finest Romanesque buildings in Germany. Monks still live and work here.
Andernach Geyser · It is the highest cold-water geyser in the world, shooting up to about 60 metres, driven by volcanic carbon dioxide. Boats from this riverbank take you to the Namedyer Werth peninsula to watch it erupt.

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A guide in your headphones, stop after stop.

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Getting to Koblenz and getting around

Koblenz Hauptbahnhof · Left-bank Rhine trains to Bacharach and Bingen start here; right-bank trains to Rüdesheim stop across the river at Ehrenbreitstein
KD pier Koblenz · The Rhine boats upstream through the castle gorge leave from here, roughly April to October
Rhine Cable Car · Crosses the river to the fortress in a few minutes; a combined ticket with fortress entry saves money

Cheap eats in Koblenz

Koblenz eats like the wine country it is: a glass of Riesling from the Moselle or the Middle Rhine costs about the same as a soft drink. The local dish is Döppekooche, grated potato baked with bacon in a cast-iron pot, heavy and good for a cold evening. For a quick bite, the bakeries and the döner counters of Altengraben and Marktstraße feed you for under ten euros.

Bäckerei Barth · A pretzel about 1.20 euros, a filled roll 3-5 euros
Sofra Kebap · Döner in bread about 7-8 euros
Frittenwerk · Loaded fries about 8-11 euros
eGeLoSia · A scoop of ice cream about 2 euros
Café Baumann · Coffee and a slice of cake about 7-8 euros
Kiosk at the cable-car top station · Drinks and snacks 3-5 euros, with the view

Museums in Koblenz

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress · State museum of archaeology and technology inside the walls
Mittelrhein-Museum · Rhine romantic paintings; about an hour
Ludwig Museum · Modern art from the Ludwig collection, strong on French artists
Deinhard sparkling wine cellars · Founded in Koblenz in 1794; cellar tours with tasting by booking

Nature and day trips near Koblenz

Laacher See · Crater lake for a swim and a shore walk; 30 minutes west
Andernach Geyser · Boat, short walk and an eruption; about 2.5 hours in all
Rhine promenade · Shaded riverside walk south of the palace
Lahneck Castle · A short climb for the view over the mouth of the Lahn

Holy places in Koblenz

Basilica of St. Castor · Romanesque, consecrated in 836; modest dress
Jewish Cemetery and Synagogue · Contact the community before visiting; head covering for men
Florinsmarkt and the Bürresheimer Hof · The noble house on the square was the synagogue from 1851 to 1938
Memorial to the Victims of National Socialism · On Reichenspergerplatz; Stolpersteine with names are set in pavements around the old town
Church of Our Lady · The old-town parish church, open most of the day
Maria Laach Abbey · Benedictine monks since 1093; Gregorian chant at the services

Where to eat in Koblenz

Altes Brauhaus · Old brewery tavern; hearty Rhineland plates, mains about 15-22 euros
Weindorf · Wine garden of half-timbered houses on the river; best on a summer evening
Weinhaus Hubertus · Wine tavern in a half-timbered house on Florinsmarkt
Café Einstein · Relaxed old-town bistro, open late

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Frequently asked questions about Koblenz

What is there to see in Koblenz?

The top sights in Koblenz are Deutsches Eck, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and Basilica of St. Castor. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Koblenz?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Koblenz without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Koblenz?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Koblenz, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: Where two rivers meet.

How do you get to Koblenz and get around?

The main ways are Koblenz Hauptbahnhof, KD pier Koblenz and Rhine Cable Car. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Koblenz, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Koblenz that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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