Your Koblenz City Experience

You’ll find the Deutsches Eck right where the Moselle flows into the Rhine. The monumental equestrian statue of Emperor Wilhelm I stands 37 metres tall and was unveiled in 1897. There’s a lovely park here with shady trees and a beer garden overlooking the Moselle.
From the Deutsches Eck, you can now take a leisurely stroll along the Rhine promenade and enjoy the view of the water. If you’d like to take the cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, you’ll find the lower station here. Or fancy a boat trip? The excursion boats are moored here. 

The cable car at the Deutsches Eck takes you straight up to the sprawling fortress plateau of Ehrenbreitstein. It’s a great spot for a picnic. The modern viewing platform offers a particularly good view over the whole city.

Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is considered the second-largest preserved fortress in Europe, and its origins date back to the year 1000. It acquired its current appearance between 1817 and 1828. The complex is not only a monument to military history but has also developed into a modern cultural centre in recent years. Major events take place here, particularly open-air ones. The State Museum hosts various interesting permanent exhibitions, such as those on the region’s archaeology, as well as temporary exhibitions.

An interactive trail takes you to various stops highlighting the fortress’s history. If time allows, you should definitely take part in the ‘Die Akte Humfrey’ theatre performance. However, this requires advance booking.

First, you’ll pass the former Prussian government building, which was constructed between 1902 and 1906 in the Neo-Romanesque style. Today, this building houses the headquarters of the Federal Office for Armaments, Information Technology and Utilisation of the Bundeswehr and the Higher Regional Court of Koblenz.

A little further on, you will reach the former Electoral Palace, one of the last monumental palace complexes of the 18th century and, at the same time, the first and most significant example of Early Classicism in the Rhineland. For the 2011 Federal Horticultural Show, the palace gardens were redesigned in the style of the Prussian master gardener Peter Joseph Lenné. With their high-quality modern planting, pergolas, water features and fountains, they bridge the gap between past and present.

Fascinating culture awaits you at Forum Confluentes! This state-of-the-art building is a real eye-catcher. It was designed by the renowned practice of the German-Dutch architectural duo Jan Benthem and Mels Crouwel. It provides the perfect setting for the Middle Rhine Museum: its permanent exhibition spans a wide range, from medieval sculpture through the painting of the Middle Ages, the Baroque, Classicism and Romanticism, via the artists of the Düsseldorf School, right up to Classical Modernism and contemporary art. On display are, amongst others, collections of works by K. O. Götz, Rissa and Heijo Hangen. There are also changing special exhibitions.

Very handy: you’ll also find the municipal tourist information centre right there in the Forum Confluentes.

Modern art within ancient walls – a beautiful contrast. The core of the collection at this modern museum, housed in the Deutschherrenhaus at the Deutsches Eck, consists of contemporary works from the French, American and German art scenes dating from after 1945. Alongside works by Pablo Picasso, Max Ernst and Man Ray, you’ll also see art by Jasper Johns, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Bernar Venet and many other well-known names.

As the name suggests, the museum traces its origins back to a foundation established by the collector couple Peter and Irene Ludwig in 1992 – a good 30 years ago. Incidentally, both are buried in the Old Church in St. Aldegund at the Mosel.
At the Museum Ludwig, you can also see interesting temporary exhibitions.

Koblenz is characterised by its many squares and alleyways, which are perfect for a stroll and a spot of shopping. The Old Town is a listed conservation area and covers the site of a late antique–early medieval fort that once stood here.

Are you interested in the arts? Then the Kunstgässchen is the place for you. Fancy something sweet? At the “Fräulein Diehl” confectionery, caramel specialities are made with love and without any additives. Or are you looking for special spices? You’ll find them at the Pfeffersack & Soehne Kontor on Münzplatz.

Koblenz boasts a diverse cultural programme featuring theatre, concerts, festivals and events. The Rheinische Philharmonie State Orchestra alone stages over 60 concerts and up to 80 theatre performances each year.

The municipal theatre has its own ensembles for drama, musical theatre, ballet and puppet theatre. It was built in 1787 on the orders of the Elector of Trier, Clemens Wenzeslaus, and his sister Maria Kunigunde of Saxony as a private theatre in the early Classical style, to match the Electoral Palace.

Rhein in Flammen® Spay/Braubach – Koblenz is the main event in the calendar of events for the city and the surrounding area. A parade of up to 50 boats winds its way along the river. Around the ‘Deutsches Ecke’, Koblenz celebrates a three-day summer music festival during which over 300 artists perform on several stages.