Koblenz Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal Koblenz, at the junction of the Rhine (foreground) and Moselle, has been an important location for Romans, Germans and French. Koblenz Koblenz has one of German’s RAVEN QUICK GUIDE superb locations and is the best base to visit world- Tourist information: Forum Confluentes, Zentralplatz (tel 0261-1291610, M-Su 10-18). heritage cultural sites and Accommodation service: tel 0261-1291610, email touristinformation‎@‎koblenz-touristik.de. board river cruises past castles Money: Sparkasse Koblenz, Schloßstraße 51 (M-F 9-16.30, Sa 9.30-14); Commerzbank, and wine country. Altlöhrtor 13 (M, W & F 9-13, 14-16 Tu & Th 9-13, 14-18); Postbank Finanzcenter, Bahnhofplatz 16 (M-F 9-18.30, Sa 9-13.30); Postbank Finanzcenter, Am Wöllershof 2 It is hard to imagine a better base to explore (M-F 9.30-13, 14-18.30); Volksbank, Hohenzollernstraße 117 (M-W 8.30-16, Th 8.30-17, the culture of the middle Rhine and Moselle F 8.30-15). valleys than Koblenz. The natural, Roman and medieval heritage of the middle Rhine Lockers: Hauptbahnhof ground floor (€4/3). upstream of the city, the fortress Ehrenbreit­ Transit information: Koblenzer Verkehrsbetriebe, Schützenstraße 80 (tel 0261-40220000), stein, parts of the city and attractions such as VRM information hotline (M-Su 8-20, tel 0800-5986986). the pristine medieval castle Marksburg and Post: Bahnhofplatz 16 (M-F 9-18.30, Sa 9-13.30); Am Wöllershof 2, (M-F 9-18, Sa 9-13). Loreley rock have earned the region UNESCO heritage listing. Marksburg, above the small Internet: Starbucks Coffee, Forum Mittelrhein, Zentralplatz (M-F 7-20, Sa 9-20.30, Su 10- town of Braubach, is one of Germany’s most 18; Schäfer Dein Bäcker, Hauptbahnhof (M-F 5.30-19, Sa 6.30-18, Su 7.30-18). faithfully maintained castles. Laundry: Eco-Express Waschsalon, Bahnhofstraße 22 (M-Sa 6-22); Eco-Express The spur on the east Rhine bank that dom­ Waschsalon, Gartenstrasse 10 (M-Sa 6-21); Wäscherei Gudrun, Hohenzollernstraße 95 inates Koblenz, site of the mighty Ehren­ (M-F 7.30-12.30, 13.30-17). breitstein, was first fortified long before Roman Police: tel 110; Moselring 10 (tel 0261-1030). times. But the military post set up in 8BCE provides a convenient birth date for today’s Pharmacy: Görres Apotheke, 66B Löhrstraße (M-F 8.30-18, Sa 9-18); Schloß Apotheke, German city. The location has always been Schloßstraße 17 (M-F 8-19, Sa 8-16); Apotheke Am Ring, corner Moselring and Löhrstrasse strategic and the river junction was the source (M-F 8-19, Sa 9-14); Rosen Apotheke, Löhrstraße 139 (M-F 8-18.30, Sa 8.30-13). of the Latin identity ad confluentes and later Ambulance: tel 112. German and French names for the city. The Hospital: Katholisches Klinikum Marienhof, Rudolf-Virchow-Straße 7 (tel 0261-4960). Roman frontier Limes Germanicus lay just to the east, roads criss­crossed the site and the Rhine was bridged using timber. grand father Charlemagne. Their agreement Turner painted it repeatedly and Moby-Dick The Romans left Koblenz in the 5th cent­ became the Treaty of Verdun in 843, beginning author Herman Melville used it as a metaphor ury and were replaced by the Franks, who set the process that laid down the national of power. But after Germany’s defeats in both up a royal court. Medieval Koblenz was forti­ divisions of modern Europe. world wars, the French returned as occupiers. fied, a wall built in the 13th century enclosing The city walls were reinforced early in a much larger area than the late 4th century the 17th century with bastions and extensive Altstadt Roman wall on the Moselle and making a double ditches. But these could not prevent Zentralplatz, dominated by the gleaming rough triangle along the Rhine and Moselle the garrison being overwhelmed, or the city rounded triangle of Forum Confluentes, is the banks. being retaken by imperial troops, during the starting point for an old town stroll. The Deutsches Eck quarter was used by the Thirty Years War. In the Napoleonic period, Walk north on Görgenstraße, then west Teutonic Knights and the city was part of the the French took over Koblenz and made it a on Am Plan – on the line of the Roman wall shortlived first Rhenish league, but for almost regional capital, shaping a spirited Rhenish – where Baroque 18th century buildings sur­ 800 years, apart from interruptions by war, regional consciousness that survives today in vive along the northern side of the square, to the territory was under the control of Trier’s the concept of Schängel – sons of French fa­ Marktstraße, where the four corner buildings elector­archbishops. thers born to Koblenz women. After the 1815 with corner oriels known as the Vier Türme The role of the Trier archbishops in the Congress of Vienna, the city passed to Prussia. stand. building of the 9th century church of St Kastor, The Prussians built a network of fortifica­ Walk north on Marktstraße to Münzplatz, which honours a Moselle saint, is evident from tions ringing the city, north and south of the whose name recalls the coin minting that took early records. It was at the church that the royal Moselle and east of the Rhine between 1815 place on the site until 19th century. The Aus­ brothers Charles the Bald, Lothar and Louis and 1832, rebuilding and extending Ehren­ trian statesman Klemens von Metternich was the German negotiated through represent­ breitstein. The fortress’s might and position born at No.7, now called Haus Metternich. atives the partition of the empire of their impressed the greats: Byron lauded it in verse, Walk north again on Paradies to Burgstraße, RAVEN TRAVEL GUIDES GERMANY - Koblenz 1 where the old archepiscopal castle Alte Burg stands to the left. Burgstraße leads east to Different histories lie behind the four 17th century towers Florinsmarkt, site of the medieval Florins­ with corner oriels, known as Vier Türme, at the meeting kirche, the 17th century Renaissance Bürres­ of Am Plan, Marktstraße, Löhrstraße and Altengraben heimer Hof at No.13, and two late Gothic in the pedestrian zone. One, for almost three centuries buildings, the clock­towered 15th century a pharmacy, was dedicated to St Petrus, one was for Altes Kaufhaus at No.11 and the 16th century almost two centuries the city guardhouse, decorated with Schöffenhaus at No.9. muskets, other weapons and insignia. The towers were From Florinsmarkt, Mehlgasse leads south built by the Koblenz townspeople and rebuilt from 1689, to the medieval Liebfrauenkirche. Braugasse probably by the regional architect Johann Christoph runs 100m south­east to Entenpfuhl, which Sebastiani, after their destruction in fighting against the leads – following the line of the Roman wall French – the Zum Grünen Baum tower is dated 1692. – 40m north­east to the narrow laneway east Only one survived a World War II air raid, but their impor­ to Jesuitenplatz, occupied by the Jesuit order tance demanded a rebuilding effort and they are now part from Renaissance times until late in the 18th of the UNESCO middle Rhine world heritage listing. century and now the Christmas market cen­ tre. Here the order built a church and a large Koblenz’s first church was built on today’s Am Plan in the 5th school on the south side, later the Rathaus. century, using a 4th century Roman hall. In the 8th century a The arched portal beneath leads south to bigger church was built. In the 12th and 13th centuries it was the small Willi­Hörter­Platz, site of Renais­ enlarged into the Romanesque parish church Liebfrauenkirche sance and Baroque buildings of the Jesuit (M­Su 8.30­17, apart from services) enlarged the structure ensemble and the Schängelbrunnen fountain, and added the present towers, embellished in 17th century with its sculpture of an impudent boy, a sym­ Baroque by Johann Christoph Sebastiani. The choir is 15th bol of Rhenish culture. Gymnasiastraße and century Gothic and there are Renaissance tombs. In the 1950s Casinostraße lead south back to Zentralplatz. the earlier saddle­roof profile and Gothic stellar vaulting were restored after war damage. The beautiful interiors were restored Information in 2000. The Baroque Michaelskapelle on the south side The Koblenz­Touristik information office belonged to an adjacent graveyard. The 18th century rectory (M­Su 10­18) is in the Forum Confluentes Pfarrhaus Liebfrauen on Florinsmarkt nearby marks the site of complex at Zentral platz 1. An Infopunkt is on a Frankish royal residence built over part of the Roman wall. the west side of the Busbahnhof, oppos ite the Hauptbahnhof. The 11th century Romanesque church Florinskirche The Koblenz­Touristik English website (May­early Oct M­Su 10.30­17.30) at Florinsmarkt, with www.koblenz­tourism.com has plenty of infor­ regionally typical features, succeeded one a century older mation for visitors, but for an English brochure built for the relics of St Florin. The saint is depicted over the or map downloadable in PDF format, consult south portal. The Gothic east choir was added in the 14th the German website www.koblenz­touristik.de century. Basalt bands are features of the towers. The Gothic and scroll down under the Service menu to interior paintings belong to this period and paintings behind click ‘Prospektbestellung’. The hard­copy the main altar show the martyrdom of St Agatha and St Mar­ map and short guide in English costs €0.50. grete. After the 1688 French invasion a cannonball was built To trace remnants of the Koblenz fortress into the repair work in the vault above the baptismal font as a network, get the tourist map Festungsstadt memorial.