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Koblenz packs 2,000 years of history into a compact Old Town where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. The headline sights are the Deutsches Eck monument, the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress reached by cable car and a string of castles along both rivers. Most landmarks sit within a 15-minute walk of the Deutsches Eck, and combined tickets save a few euros. Here is what to do, with prices and hours, and for timing see our best time to visit Koblenz guide, or start with the Koblenz guide.
Things to Do in Koblenz: Landmarks and History
Deutsches Eck (German Corner)
This wedge of land where the Moselle flows into the Rhine is Koblenz’s postcard view and part of the UNESCO Upper Middle Rhine Valley. The centrepiece is the 14-metre-high Kaiser Wilhelm I equestrian statue, rebuilt in 1993 after the 1945 original was destroyed. The monument is free and open 24 hours a day; arrive before 9:00 for photos without the tour groups, and climb the steps behind the statue for the confluence view. It is a 5-minute walk from the Altstadt and sits directly below the cable car station. Our Koblenz neighborhoods guide maps the districts around it.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
Festung Ehrenbreitstein is Europe’s second largest preserved fortress, standing 118 m above the Rhine on the right bank. Inside are the Landesmuseum Koblenz with regional history exhibits and several terraces overlooking the river. It opens daily, usually 10:00 to 17:00 (to 18:00 in summer), and a combined cable car and fortress round-trip ticket costs about €14.50 for adults. Allow 2 to 3 hours. Check the Koblenz weather by month forecast before heading up, since the terraces are the best part.
Basilica of St. Castor
The Basilika St. Kastor is Koblenz’s oldest church, consecrated in 836 and the site where Charlemagne’s grandsons negotiated the 842 Treaty of Verdun partition. It stands at the edge of the Old Town near the Deutsches Eck and is free to enter, usually open 9:00 to 18:00. Inside, look for the 12th-century lion-head capitals and the late-Romanesque west choir.
Stolzenfels Castle
Schloss Stolzenfels is a 19th-century Gothic Revival castle rebuilt for Prussia’s King Friedrich Wilhelm IV on medieval ruins 5 km south of the centre. The interior tour runs about 45 minutes and costs €5 for adults (€4 reduced). It opens Tuesday to Sunday from April, usually 10:00 to 17:00. Reach it on a regional train to Koblenz-Stolzenfels then a 15-minute uphill walk, or on bus 650. For transport passes and day tickets, see our Koblenz travel tips page.
Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss)
The Electoral Palace was built between 1777 and 1786 as the residence of the last Elector of Trier and now houses federal offices. The neoclassical riverside facade and the Rhine terraces are the draw, and the gardens are free to walk. The palace fronts the Rhine just south of the Altstadt, a 10-minute stroll from the Deutsches Eck. Interior access is limited to occasional guided tours, so most visitors photograph it from the Rhine side.
Things to Do in Koblenz: River, Cable Car and Cruises
Seilbahn Koblenz (Cable Car)
The Koblenz cable car crosses the Rhine from Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer near the Deutsches Eck up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, covering 890 m in about 5 minutes and peaking around 112 m above the river. A round trip costs about €9.50 for adults and it runs daily from late March to early November, roughly 10:00 to 18:00 and later in summer. Built for the 2011 garden show, it remains Germany’s biggest river-crossing cable car, and the confluence view on the way up is the city’s best.
Rhine River Cruise
KD and other operators run scheduled cruises from the piers at the Deutsches Eck, with the most popular run sailing south through the UNESCO Upper Middle Rhine Valley toward Boppard or Rüdesheim past a castle every few kilometres. A Koblenz to Boppard one-way trip costs around €20 to €25 and takes about 2 hours. Boats run more frequently from April to October and on weekends only in winter. Sit on the right side heading upstream for the castle views.
Moselle Cruise
Shorter Moselle cruises head upstream toward Winningen and the terraced vineyards of the Moselle valley, passing the Güls and Lay wine villages. Expect a 1- to 2-hour round trip for roughly €12 to €18. These run mostly May to October, and some evening departures pair the sailing with a local Riesling tasting.
Things to Do in Koblenz: Museums and Old Town Strolls
Forum Confluentes and Mittelrhein-Museum
Forum Confluentes is the cultural centre on Zentralplatz, opened in 2013, holding the Mittelrhein-Museum with painting and sculpture from the region plus the city library. The museum costs about €5 for adults and closes on Mondays. Give it 60 to 90 minutes for the permanent collection and any temporary show.
Romanticum
Romanticum, inside Forum Confluentes, is a hands-on exhibition about the Middle Rhine Valley’s castles, wine and the 19th-century Rhine tourism boom. Entry is about €8 for adults and it closes on Mondays. The simulated boat ride through the gorge is the highlight and works well with children.
Schängelbrunnen and the Old Town
The Schängelbrunnen fountain on Willi-Hörter-Platz spits a jet of water at passing visitors, a nod to the Koblenz nickname ‘Schängel’. Around it, Florinsmarkt and Münzplatz hold half-timbered houses including the 17th-century Altes Kaufhaus, and Liebfrauenkirche is a block away. It is free, always open and best after 17:00 when day-trippers clear out. For where to base yourself near these streets, see our where to stay in Koblenz guide, and for evening happenings check Koblenz events and festivals.
