Koblenz

Between the picturesque landscape of the Rhine and Mosel and surrounded by four low mountain ranges, you’ll find this more than 2,000-year-old town known as the “Gateway to the Romantic Rhine” an ideal starting point for exploring historic Germany’s Christmas spirit. Koblenz’s abundance of cultural monuments and historical buildings, the cozy little lanes and alleyways, and the relaxed and happy atmosphere of its squares and river promenades make it a charming town where its guests feel right at home.

The traditional Christmas fair is located directly on the city’s pedestrian and shopping streets throughout the historic Old Town (Altstadt).  With more than 100 booths assembled, you’ll find everything you need to celebrate the season, including decorative arts and crafts and diverse culinary delights.  Entertainment programs include narration of the Christmas story in regional dialect, a holiday music, and other cultural activities in the streets, squares, and courtyard of the Town Hall.  Other attractions include a life-size crèche scene, daily visits from Santa Claus (complete with gifts for the children), nostalgic carriage rides, ice sculpture demonstrations, and a toboggan run with real snow for winter sports-lovers of all ages.

Get the full experience of Koblenz by exploring the narrow alleys and vibrant plazas of the Altstadt, situated in the corner of town bordered by the Mosel to the north and Rhine to the east. A scenic walk that gives a sense of the breadth of this charming quarter is along the Mosel and Rhine promenades. Stroll across the Balduin Bridge, first built across the Mosel starting in 1342. The view back to the Altstadt offers a unique view with the turrets of the Old Castle and the two pointed steeples of St. Florin’s Church.

Make your way to the Deutsches Eck—or German Corner—with its monument of Emperor William I on horseback, where the rivers Rhine and Mosel meet. Standing at the tip of Corner, you can watch the sparkling waters of the Mosel swirl into the powerful Rhine. Across the Rhine stands the mighty Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, looming 388 feet above the river and reminding visitors of Koblenz’s symbolic strength and historic significance. Today, the Fortress houses a memorial to the German army, a youth hostel, the Regional Museum and a restaurant with excellent regional food.

Built on the occasion of the German Wine Exhibition in 1925, the Wine Village is situated on the Rhine banks (in the Empress-Augusta-Gardens). It has been a destination for connoisseurs of good wine and regional specialties for nearly 75 years. The complex includes a genuine vineyard and half-timbered houses from some of the most famous German wine-growing areas.
There are myriad other attractions to enjoy in Koblenz aside from rivers and wine, though. The art museums alone could keep some guests captivated for a week. The Mother Beethoven House displays the world's largest private Beethoven exhibition. It was in the former home that the composer's mother, Maria Magdelena, was born in 1746. It also now houses documents and letters of cultural figures of the period.

Much of the city was demolished during World War II and was built up with care, and the Deutsche Kaiser Building stands as a monument to the pre-war history of this city. An early 16th-century “residential tower” with battlements, it was the only building to survive the war in its area of the Altstadt.