Koblenz travel guide

Koblenz, Germany

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Koblenz

Introduction

Koblenz sits in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, where the smaller river meets the larger one. That confluence shapes the city's setting and gives you two waterways to orient yourself by as you explore.

Before you go

Koblenz sits where the Moselle meets the Rhine, watched over by the Ehrenbreitstein fortress on its hill above the city. Its position between France and the German lands made it a battleground in the wars of the 17th to 19th centuries, and it was once the capital of Prussia's Rhine province. Knowing this history helps you read the city's landscape, from the fortress to the riverside.

Today the city works well as a base for exploring the region: you can reach both banks of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and the German Moselle Valley easily by car, train, boat or bicycle. Plan time for Koblenz itself too, since the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein, the Deutsches Eck and Castle Stolzenfels are all major attractions. For local information, the tourist information office is on Zentralplatz.

Getting there

Koblenz sits within about an hour of three major German airports, so flying in is straightforward. Frankfurt Airport is a big intercontinental hub and the home base of Lufthansa; Cologne-Bonn is one of the country's largest airports and the main base of Lufthansa's low-fare subsidiary Eurowings; and Hahn Airport, the largest in the state, is served by low-cost carriers.

By train, IC services reach Koblenz easily from the Frankfurt/Mainz area, the Cologne area and Trier, all one to two hours away, with connections running from early morning until late at night. The city has three stations — Hauptbahnhof, Stadtmitte and Lützel — and Stadtmitte is the better choice if you're heading for the Deutsches Eck. From North Rhine-Westphalia, RB26 or RE5 connect Cologne and Bonn with Koblenz, and a Nightjet sleeper runs twice weekly from Brussels via Bonn and Koblenz toward Vienna, Munich and Innsbruck. By car, three motorways lead in — A3, A48 and A61 — though parking in the centre is sometimes restricted by time; park and ride is available, and there are parking garages at the train station and the Löhr Center, the latter closing shortly after the shops do. Many bus companies also offer trips to Koblenz for one or more days.

Getting around

Koblenz is compact enough to explore on foot: once you are in the centre, the main sights, the riverside and the shopping streets are all within walking distance, so you may not need any transport at all. For anything further out, buses leave from the central train station and will take you to most parts of the city. Be warned that the bus system can be confusing: navigation apps such as Google Maps do not really work for public transport here, and in some places there are multiple stops where buses passing at different stops might actually go to the same destination. The VRM website is the reliable source, with English transit maps and a journey planner. The stops most useful to a visitor are Hauptbahnhof (the main train station), Bf Stadtmitte/Löhr-Center (by the city's largest shopping mall, in the west of the shopping district and close to the Old Town), and Zentralplatz/Forum (near another large mall, in the east of the shopping district closer to the Rhine and also close to the Old Town). For Castle Stolzenfels, use the Schlossweg stop on bus line 670. You can pay in cash, and the journey planner will help you calculate the fare; alternatively, the Koblenz Card, available from the tourist centre in Forum Confluentes at the Zentralplatz/Forum stop, gives you unlimited bus trips within the city proper plus discounts or free entry at several attractions. Bear in mind that many attractions close early, so you may not manage many of them in one day.

Where to stay

Where you sleep in Koblenz depends largely on whether you want to be in the city itself or up on the heights across the river. In town, the Mercure Hotel Koblenz offers reasonably sized rooms and a good breakfast, though it can get busy and expensive during holiday periods. On the Rhine side, Rhein-Hotel Diehl's Terrassen sits directly on the riverbank below the Ehrenbreitstein fort, with a view of the Deutsches Eck from every room; it is a four-star property, but note that it stands only a few metres from a busy railway line.

Food & drink

Koblenz sits where the Rhine and Mosel wine regions meet, and the local wines lean towards dry whites, though dry reds are produced here too. To eat, look for a traditional Wirtshaus serving regional dishes alongside that wine — the Wirtshaus Alt Coblenz on Am Plan is one such place, with regional food and wine on offer.

Beer is worth trying while you're here as well. German beers vary by the balance of hops and malt, and this region is known for a higher proportion of hops, which gives the beer a more bitter edge. Look for Königsbacher and Koblenzer, both made by a local brewery.

What to see and do

Start at the Deutsches Eck, the "German Corner" where the Mosel meets the Rhine. The tip of the park is shaped like a ship's prow, and an enormous equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm stands on a huge stone base you can climb for views over both rivers and the castle-fort on the opposite shore. Nearby you can board a little sightseeing train that loops around and points out the city's sights. Across the Rhine, the Festung Ehrenbreitstein is a large military fort in good condition, with a good view over Koblenz and one of the city's museums inside. On the Mosel side, the Militärmuseum explains why the rivers made Koblenz a strategic military prize, and the Mosellum information centre in the fish pass building is devoted to the Moselle and its fish migrations.

In the centre, find the Schängelbrunnen, a small fountain near the town hall: stand three steps in front of the figure's face, wait three minutes, and see what happens. Whimsical sculptures and fountains are scattered throughout the city, so keep an eye out as you walk. Further afield, Schloss Stolzenfels sits upriver within the municipal boundaries, while Lahneck Castle and Marksburg lie upriver from Koblenz proper. For walking, follow part of the Rheinsteig on the right Rhine side or the Rheinburgenweg on the left. Football fans can take in a match at Oberwerth-Stadium, and the city calendar includes the Rhein in Flammen fireworks and the Nacht der Museen, when tours run around different museums.

Three days in Koblenz

Day one: Start in the old town at the Deutsches Eck, where the Rhine and Moselle meet, then take the cable car across the river to Fortress Ehrenbreitstein and look back over the city. In the afternoon, head south along the Rhine to Castle Stolzenfels, a Prussian-era reconstruction set above the river. Finish with a walk through the streets of the Stadtmitte and a glass of German wine from the Rhineland or Palatinate.

Day two: Give the day to the rivers. Take a boat or drive into the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, where castles sit on the slopes above the water, and then turn onto the Moselle for the German Moselle Valley, with its vineyards and quiet villages. Return to Koblenz in the evening and eat along the waterfront.

Day three: Use the morning for the Zentralplatz and the shops around the Stadtmitte, then plan your onward trip. Koblenz sits on the IC line, with Frankfurt, Mainz and Trier within easy reach, and the Hauptbahnhof connects to Cologne and Bonn. Frankfurt Airport and Hahn Airport serve the region, with Lufthansa and Eurowings among the carriers, and Nightjet services link the city with Brussels.

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