Deutsches Eck and other Koblenz, Germany Things to Do Tips

The Deutsches Eck -- or Corner of Germany -- is a great description of this piece of land where the Mosel and Rhein Rivers meet. Today this public area is dominated by an enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, who ruled Germany until his death in 1888. The original statue was constructed during his Grandson Wilhelm II's reign, in 1897. Wilhelm II is most famous for his role in starting World War I.

The statue was destroyed in 1945 near the end of World War II, and replaced in 1953 with a monument for Germany's army. In 1993, a replica of the original Wilhelm I statue was erected at this site and stands today.

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Directions: At the confluence of the Mosel and Rhein Rivers near the Old Town (Altstadt).

Originally built in the 11th Century, Ehrenbreitstein, has been greatly expanded and modernized to its present appearance, dating from the 1800s. Most interesting to Americans might be that this fortress was the headquarters of the American Occupation Army after World War I. The fortress houses a restaurant, museum, and a huge terrace overlooking the city and the rivers.

You can get to Ehrenbreitstein by driving, by boat, or by a chairlift that only operates May through October.

The chairlift is actually called the "Sesselbahn" in German. It is located on the back side of the fortress hidden from view from the city. You can take the train to Koblenz Ehrenbreitstein station, then walk or take Bus 8 or 9 a short distance up Charlottenstrasse.

Another option is the passenger ferry (personenfahre) from the Centrum (it leaves from Konradstrasse just south of the Deutsches Eck) across the river to the park south of Ehrenbreitstein. From here it is a quick walk north on Hofstrasse to Charlottenstrasse to the chairlift.

The chairlift phone number is +49 (0) 261 73766 and it runs from Easter through October.

There are also buses running directly from the Deutches Eck to the top of the fortress.

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Directions: You can´t miss it when you are in Koblenz. Just look up at the other side of the river Rhein. There the fort sits on top of a mountain overlooking the whole area.
Website: http://www.festungehrenbreitstein.de/

Between two massive walls of Ehrenbreitstein is a solemn German Soldiers' Memorial. It is composed of a small stone arched built into the wall with a bronze German soldier lying at rest. Around the memorial is a nice flower garden. This is a popular spot for German visitors.

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Directions: You can´t miss it when you are in Koblenz. Just look up at the other side of the river Rhein. There the fort sits on top of a mountain overlooking the whole area.
Website: http://www.festungehrenbreitstein.de/

St. Castor's is the oldest church in Koblenz, constructed in 836 AD. It sits very close to the Old Town and the Deutsches Eck.

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Liebfrauenkirche -- the Church of Our Lady -- sits in the heart of Koblenz's Old City. This ancient structure was built in the 1200s on a foundation built by the Romans. The original towers were built around 1693, but were destroyed and reconstructed after World War II.

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Phone: 0261-31550
Address: Florinspfaffengasse 14
Website: http://www.liebfrauen-koblenz.de/

Das Schängelchen -- or "The Spitting Boy" is the name of a fountain near the City Hall (Rathaus). When we first approached, we noticed the ground was wet in front of him, but we weren't sure why. Soon a few other tourists approached... as they snapped a photo, the fountain decided to spit -- right on them. We had a good chuckle then wisely avoided his periodic spraying.

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From Koblenz, take a scenic drive along the Rhien (north or south) to see some beautiful wine country and many great castles.

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The town of Cochem is located southeast of Koblenz along the Mosel River. It has a great castle overlooking the town.

Cochem has a beautiful pedestrian shopping area along the river. This maze of streets is covered in wineries, cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, and other odd shops for tourists and locals. I have stopped in Cochem a few times for lunch and coffee in one of the second-floor cafes that overlooks the walking area and the river.

On the way you can stop at beautiful Burg Eltz castle.

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Directions: Cochem is located on the north side of the Mosel River between Trier and Koblenz. To get there from either city, just follow Germany's "Mosel Weinstrasse" (Wine Road) along the river -- it's a beautiful 50 kilometer drive.

This large -- and beautiful -- castle sits on a small hilltop above the town of Cochem and the Mosel River. It is a nice 20-minute hike from the river ... just keep going up! This ancient castle was built around 1000 AD, but it was destroyed by the French (as so many castles unfortunately were!).

This was one of my first German castles ever visited and is still one of my favorite due to the quaint village and beautiful views over the river and of the local vineyards.

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Phone: 02671-255
Address: Schlossstrasse 36
Website: http://www.burg-cochem.de/e_frame.html

Burg Eltz Castle is one of the best preserved castles in all of Germany. Begun in the 1100s, it was built in stages for over 500 years. The family that built the castle still owns this magnificent residence. Tours are available from April to November and cost around US$7

We ended up on a German-language tour... lucky for us, the guide gave us an abbreviated English explanation after the in-depth German monologue at each stop.

There are a gift shop and two restaurants in the castle.

A stop at Burg Eltz is a must when driving from Koblenz up the Mosel to Cochem or Trier.

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Phone: 02672-1300
Address: Moselkern Village
Directions: Along the Mosel 30 km from both Cochem and Koblenz, right between the to cities.