Welcome to Koblenz, a city in Southwest Germany:
Schloss Stolzenfels, one of the many castles that line the river valleys around Koblenz
Koblenz is located at the intersection of the Rhine and Moselle rivers and is surrounded by more castles than you can shake a stick at. After reading about some of the coolest castles in Western Germany, I figured Koblenz was a good place to start. Driving time was pretty short (about 2.5 hours from Utrecht) and the German borders had finally opened to Dutch tourists. After more than 3 months of quarantine, it was time for a relaxing (and responsible!) trip.
I looked for hotels with a nice view on one of the river banks and settled on the Mercure Hotel, a 4-star hotel on the Rhine River that checked all the boxes. As it turns out, they had just reopened a few days prior and had some good Coronavirus prevention strategies in place. Masks were required in the lobbies, elevators, and hallways, and rooms were left un-booked for several days between guest stays. Partly due to this and partly because of the type of room I had booked (City View ftw!) we ended up having the entire top floor to ourselves. There were beautiful views of the southern half of the city (including Schloss Stolzenfels in the distance) and the Rhine River.
Going into town that evening was an interesting experience. There were tons of people out and about, enjoying the night air. Many people had masks on, and they were required when entering any indoor area. Everything closed down around 22.30, with a pair of police officers politely going around the square and asking people to disperse. After picking out some to-go beverages, we walked on a nice boulevard that ran the length of the western bank of the Rhine and found a nice bench to people watch. A very solid evening.
Wandering through the old town the following day, it was time to seek out some breakfast (brunch actually. Wake-up calls are unnecessary when you’re on vacation and mornings are stupid). Eventually we landed at the Altstadt Hotel & Café (above) that had great outdoor seating on a beautiful square next to the Town Hall (below). Masks were required indoors again (a regulation throughout Germany) but once you sat down outside you are free to remove them in order to drink your massive “bowl” of coffee. And I mean massive. It required both hand to pick up and drink, and boy was it delicious. The sandwiches were no less delicious. Altstadt Café bakes their bread fresh, and the cream cheese/peppers/diced pepperoni panini daily special was exactly what I needed. 100 percent recommended.
Johannes-Müller-Denkmal, a monument from 1899 honoring Doctor Johannes Müller. It stands in front of Koblenz Town Hall and Citykirche.
The rest of the day was spent wandering the city, exploring on foot. Recommendations include:
Ludwig Museum and Basilica of St. Castor - Beautiful gardens and a beautiful church.
Memorial of German Unity/Deutsches Eck - People watching, river confluence, outdoor biergarten.
Weindorf Koblenz - Winery with an excellent traditional German menu (schnitzel AND POTATOES!)
Hauptfriedhof Koblenz - Hike into the hills surrounding Koblenz to see the main cemetery. Several WWI and WWII memorials and beautiful gardens.
Herz-Jesu-Kirche, a Catholic Church in Koblenz c.1903
Sunday: On to the castles! The goal was five castles in one day. Google Maps were created. The car was started. Here we go…
Burg Thurant, Alken, Germany. Vinerads lead down to the town of Alken and the Moselle River. Castle #4!
Pergola Garden, Schloss Stolzenfels, Koblenz, Deutschland.
Burg Lahneck, castle #2 on the whirlwind castle tour.
Burg Eltz. c.1157
Wrapping up with Burg Eltz (the castle that inspired the trip in the first place), it was time for dinner at Pizzeria Vulcana in the nearby town of Münstermaifeld. The outdoor seating provided a great view of Stiftskirche St. Martin und St. Severus. Great food with a great view!
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Graffiti near Koblenz Stadtmitte, the main train station in Koblenz.