{"id":7333,"date":"2022-10-25T13:03:31","date_gmt":"2022-10-25T11:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.passports.top\/?p=7333"},"modified":"2022-11-01T16:59:41","modified_gmt":"2022-11-01T14:59:41","slug":"koblenz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.passports.top\/en\/koblenz\/","title":{"rendered":"How we spent a day in Koblenz"},"content":{"rendered":"

Koblenz<\/strong>\u00a0is a city in the German state of\u00a0Rheinland-Pfalz<\/em>\u00a0and the former seat of the Elector of\u00a0Trier<\/em><\/a>, being located at the junction of the\u00a0Mosel<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Rhine<\/em> rivers.\u00a0The city straddles both banks of each river, and its strategic value can be seen in the remains of many old fortifications built here, most notably the old castle of\u00a0<\/span>Ehrenbreitstein<\/span><\/em>, which dominates the right bank of the entire\u00a0<\/span>Rhine<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Koblenz<\/strong>\u00a0celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 1992, being one of the oldest cities in\u00a0Germany<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The city also boasts many other well-preserved historical attractions, from sumptuous old palaces to some of the oldest churches in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Deutsches Eck<\/strong> (German Corner<\/em>) is at the junction of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Mosel<\/em><\/a> rivers;\u00a0a prominent piece of land resembling the prow of a ship.\u00a0The meeting place of these two rivers has been an important part of the city’s natural defenses since 1216, when the order of the Teutonic Knights<\/em> was established here (the remains of their old fortification, the Deutschherrenhaus<\/em>, being nearby).<\/span><\/p>\n

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In addition to the magnificent view of the rivers and the\u00a0Rhine<\/em> valley,\u00a0the German Corner<\/strong>\u00a0is home to the impressive monument to Emperor\u00a0Wilhelm I<\/em>, a spectacular 37-meter tall statue.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Ehrenbreitstein fortress<\/strong>\u00a0is located 118 m above the city of\u00a0Koblenz<\/em>\u00a0, on the banks of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>\u00a0, and was built between 1817 and 1828 on the ruins of an old fort destroyed by the French.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The citadel can be reached by a\u00a0cable car<\/a>\u00a0trip \u2013 the longest in\u00a0Germany<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 over the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>, with superb views of the city and the two rivers.\u00a0In addition to exploring the fort’s many exhibits, visitors can also enjoy various museums here, including\u00a0the State Museum<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0Koblenz<\/em>, with its rich collections of archeology and history, and a memorial dedicated to fallen soldiers of\u00a0World War<\/em>\u00a0I.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Basilica of St. Castor<\/strong> (St. Kastor Kirche<\/strong>) is the oldest church in\u00a0Koblenz<\/em>, established in 836 AD. Recent excavations indicate that this site was used for religious purposes as early as the 1st century, and later by the Romans who built a church here that lasted until around 700 AD.<\/span><\/p>\n

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In the square in front of the church is the\u00a0Kastorbrunnen<\/strong> fountain, built in 1812 to commemorate the Napoleonic Wars.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since 2002, the\u00a0Basilica of St. Castor<\/em>\u00a0is part of the UNESCO cultural heritage and is protected under\u00a0the Hague Convention<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Electoral Palace<\/strong>\u00a0is located near the banks of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>.\u00a0The neoclassical construction was completed in 1786 by the last Elector of\u00a0Trier<\/em><\/a>,\u00a0Clemens Wenzeslaus<\/em>.\u00a0Many of its rooms offer superb views of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Rhine Gardens<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Kaiserin-Augusta-Anlagen<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The beautiful\u00a0Rhine Gardens<\/em>\u00a0comprise a three-and-a-half kilometer stretch of promenade and footbridges connecting the green spaces on the east bank of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>, stretching upstream from\u00a0the Electoral Palace<\/em>\u00a0to the island of\u00a0Oberwerth<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The big attraction is\u00a0the Garden of Empress Augusta<\/strong> (Kaiserin-Augusta-Anlagen<\/strong>), built for her husband, Emperor Wilhelm<\/em>\u00a0I<\/em>.\u00a0The project was completed in 1861 and remains a highlight of any visit to\u00a0Koblenz<\/em>, thanks to its spectacular views of the\u00a0Rhine<\/em>\u00a0and colorful flower gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Another great spot is the statue of\u00a0Father Rhine<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Mother Mosel<\/em>, a 19th-century monument that celebrates the city of\u00a0Koblenz<\/em>\u00a0as the meeting place of the region’s two most important rivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Liebfrauenkirche<\/strong>.\u00a0At the highest point in the old town is the\u00a0Liebfrauenkirche<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0Church of Our Lady<\/strong>.\u00a0Although what is seen today dates from the 12th century, with later additions from the 15th century, there is evidence that points to a much older place of worship from the 5th century, built here by the Romans.\u00a0The architecture is of the Romanesque type, but the space arranged for the choir is a suitable example to illustrate the finest Gothic architecture of the 15th century;\u00a0the western side is crowned by two towers, dating from the 17th century, in the Baroque style.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The Ludwig Museum<\/strong>\u00a0is housed in the\u00a0Deutschherrenhaus<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 an elegantly restored building dating from the 13th century.\u00a0Peter Ludwig<\/span><\/em>, one of the most important German collectors of contemporary art, gave this museum a large part of his collection.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Old Town<\/strong>.\u00a0As with many of\u00a0<\/span>Germany’s old towns, <\/span><\/em>Koblenz<\/span><\/em>‘s old town center\u00a0<\/span>was restored after the devastation of the World<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>War II<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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The highlight of the walking tour of the area includes the Town Hall<\/strong> (Rathaus<\/strong>), built between 1695 and 1700, in front of which you can see the\u00a0Sch\u00e4ngelbrunnen<\/em> hermitage, a monument designed in 1940 by\u00a0Carl Burger<\/em>\u00a0and dedicated to the poet\u00a0Josef Cornelius<\/em>\u00a0who wrote the lyrics for the city’s anthem.<\/span><\/p>\n

(Koblenz \u2013 August 2017)<\/span><\/p>\n

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