"koblenz germany" a Koblenz Travel Page by doug48

koblenz is situated at the confluence of the rhine and mosel rivers. the city's name comes from the latin "castellum apud confluentes". the area around koblenz was first settled around 11,000 years ago. julius caesar conquered the region in 55BC. the first roman fort was built in koblenz in 9BC. the franks destroyed the roman fort in 259AD but koblenz remained in roman hands until the late 5th century. koblenz subsequently became part of the frankish kingdom of the merovingians. at the split of charlemagne's empire in 843 koblenz was inherited by his grandson lothair I. in 882 koblenz was pillaged and destroyed by the vikings. in 1216 archbishop theodrich von wied invites the knights of the teutonic order to koblenz and grants them some land near st. castor church. because of it's strategic position koblenz has been conquered a number of times in modern history. koblenz was occupied by the swedes during the thirty years war and by the french between 1634 and 1646. in 1688 during the war of the palatinate succession koblenz was destroyed by the french. koblenz was to remain german until 1799 when it was incorporated into the french republic. after napoleon's defeat in russia the russians took over the city in december 1813. koblenz was granted to prussia by the congress of vienna in 1815. after WWI koblenz was part of the french occupation of the rhineland. koblenz was returned to germany in 1929.

koblenz is a very beautiful and historic place to visit when in the rhineland. to really take in the sites of koblenz you need to spend at least a day or two.