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"Very German Place in the Heart of the... " a Koblenz Travel Page by RhineRoll

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"Very German Place in the Heart of the... " a Koblenz Travel Page by RhineRoll

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RhineRoll   
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Real Name: Win(fried)
Lives In: Remagen, DE
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Very German Place in the Heart of the Rhine Valley

by RhineRoll - last update: May 21, 2005

Koblenz and the Moselle
Koblenz owes both ints existence and its name to a geographical trait: This is where the rivers and valleys of the Moselle (Mosel) and the Rhine (Rhein) meet. Such places have always had a high strategic importance and it is no surprise that the Romans were the first ones to really leave their mark on the area. They called their fortress "castellum ad confluentes" --- castle/fort at the merging (rivers). It only took 2000 years for the word "confluentes" to become Koblenz. And even 2000 years later, Koblenz is still a garrison city, even though the strategic importance has shifted away from military to touristic considerations -- This is a great place to visit and an excellent base to explore the wonderful river valleys around the city.

Koblenz is very easily reached by car and train. It takes less than 1 hour to get here from Cologne and Frankfurt.
The Deutsches Eck from Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
The headland where the Mosel flows into the Rhine is called "German Corner" (Deutsches Eck) and it contains a large statue of Prussian Emperor Wilhelm I who unified Germany in the 19th century and who extended the military forts in and around Koblenz against a presumend French counterattack. The 37 high statue was blown up by the Americans after World War II because it was seen as a symbol of German (Prussian) militarism, but soon replaced with an identical replica that's been there ever since.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress sits on a cliff, some 120 metres above the Rhine and the city. In its long history, it went through various stages of build, reaching its biggest extension under Prussian rule in the 19th century. Today, it contains a couple of museums, various monuments and (most importantly) one of Germany's nicest and most popular youth hostels. Great view on Koblenz and the surrounding area.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress from Deutsches Eck

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Pros:"Gorgeous inner city, Ehrenbreitstein fortress, great surroundings"
Cons:"ugly outskirts"
In A Nutshell:"Visiting Highly Recommended"
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Comments for RhineRoll about Koblenz
globetrott Wed Jan 3, 2007 16:21 UTC
 I certainly passed by Ehrenbreitstein 60x by cruise-ship, but still I never have been up there ;-((
pepples46 Sat Jun 11, 2005 21:52 UTC
 Schoen!
Mariajoy Thu Jun 9, 2005 16:29 UTC
 Looks like our itinerary will include a rhine cruise from Koblenz and the Deutsches Eck!! Only 2.5 weeks!!!! :)))
gkitzmil Mon May 23, 2005 11:10 UTC
 it has been many years since I have been in Koblenz and in 2 weeks I change trains in Koblenz on my way to Cochem. Sehr Schoen

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