Fort Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz

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After viewing the Flower show, then it was time to see 'Ehrenbreitstein” Fortress, Europe’s second largest preserved fortress, built between 1817 and 1828 in its present-day design.

Recent archaeological findings prove an ancient settlement in this area from pre-Christian times.
The Conradiner Ehrenbert, had the Castle built around 1000 AD, and from this time on, the Castle changed hand's many times, and even was destroyed by the french in 1801.
It was 1815, when King Friedrich Wilhelm I, commanded the expansion of Koblenz to a fortified town and the largest fortifications in Europe were built.

This Fortress was meant to be demolished, luckily it never was. It is interesting to walk around, and the State Museum of Koblenz is now located here. Inside, there is a chance to see some of the archaeological finds collected from the region, and also special exhibitions. A really large cannon, the “Vogel Greif“ is on display.
There is a Memorial honouring the killed soldiers during World War's I & II, and also Youth Hostel Koblenz.

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Firstly, we need to cross the Rhine River, and to do this, we hop into the new Cable Car, only built in 2011 for the Flower Show.

The cable car travels across the Rhine from Deutsches Eck up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a distance of 850 metres, giving us wonderful view's on our trip across the River.
There are 18 gondolas, each with a 35-passenger capacity, and they were full when the flower festival was on, so I think it would be great to travel on it now!

Evidently, one of the Cabin's has a glass floor so you can look down into the Rhine as the cable car takes you across.

The Cable car is the longest in Europe outside of the Alps and the first of its kind in Germany.

Once at the top, then take time to have a look at the excellent view!

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Fort Ehrenbreitstein was located on the other side of the River from the main City of Koblenz.
The Fort, sits 118 metres above the River Rhine.

We were heading there, as it was another part of the Flower Show which was included in our Ticket price.
To reach the Fort, we took the new aerial cable car which carried us 900 metre's from the City across the Rhine and up to the fortress.

This was the largest area of garden's to see, a whole 27 hectare site. In keeping with the history of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, a magnificent landscaped park was being created to stay for future generation's.

On walking around, we found many different experience's! Covered passageways, a woodland glade where cemetery landscapers and stonemasons were demonstrating their skills in creative grave design, many pathway's showing different theme areas. There were vegetable garden's, garden layout's that maybe would look good in your own garden, and then later, we saw Floral exhibitions in the flower halls.
The area near Fort Bleidenberg was a designed play space including a natural adventure climbing area.

Toilet's, plenty of Ice-cream vendor's, a Cafe from where we bought our lunch from, are all here.

It would be nice to return and see it after the Flower show, and see the finished product with-out the crowd's!

Ehrenbreitstein is a mighty fortress and one of the largest in the world. The archbishops of Trier lived in the fortress from 1648 till 1786 and Triers holiest relic , The Rock Christie [vetmants of christ], was kept here.

the fortress ehrenbreitstein is one of the largest in the world. it was first built in the 10th century. it was destroyed by the french in 1801 and was rebuilt by the prussians after the treaty of vienna in 1815. today the fortress houses the landsmuseum koblenz and the rhein-museum. nearby at wambachstrasse 204 is beethoven's mother's house. to get there you take a ferry for the short trip across the rhine from the altstadt then a chair lift up the hill to the fort.

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One hundred and eighteen meters above the Rhine River is the fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, which it its present form was built by the Prussian Army between 1817 and 1832, with huge thick walls that were evidently intended to resist artillery fire.

Anyone fascinated by Prussian militarism could theoretically take a tour of the fortress. The tours begin every hour and are in German, though groups can also arrange (in advance) to have tours in English or French. There is also a video in German, English and French which deals with 19th century military life in the Fortress.

Second photo: Ehrenbreitstein with a tourist ship in the foreground.

Third photo: Looking up at Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Fourth photo: Side view of the fortress.

Fifth photo: In one wing of the fortress there is a youth hostel which I can't remember anything about, though I stayed there a mere forty-one years ago.

Between two massive walls of Ehrenbreitstein is a solemn German Soldiers' Memorial. It is composed of a small stone arched built into the wall with a bronze German soldier lying at rest. Around the memorial is a nice flower garden. This is a popular spot for German visitors.

Originally built in the 11th Century, Ehrenbreitstein, has been greatly expanded and modernized to its present appearance, dating from the 1800s. Most interesting to Americans might be that this fortress was the headquarters of the American Occupation Army after World War I. The fortress houses a restaurant, museum, and a huge terrace overlooking the city and the rivers.

You can get to Ehrenbreitstein by driving, by boat, or by a chairlift that only operates May through October.

The chairlift is actually called the "Sesselbahn" in German. It is located on the back side of the fortress hidden from view from the city. You can take the train to Koblenz Ehrenbreitstein station, then walk or take Bus 8 or 9 a short distance up Charlottenstrasse.

Another option is the passenger ferry (personenfahre) from the Centrum (it leaves from Konradstrasse just south of the Deutsches Eck) across the river to the park south of Ehrenbreitstein. From here it is a quick walk north on Hofstrasse to Charlottenstrasse to the chairlift.

The chairlift phone number is +49 (0) 261 73766 and it runs from Easter through October.

There are also buses running directly from the Deutches Eck to the top of the fortress.

This fort on the other Rhine side of Koblenz might be nice viewing point. Haven´t been up, only saw it from down below. It´s on the other side of the Rhine, you can reach it by ferry and lift or by car. Think the view over the city and the two rivers is quite nice from up there....

A small ferry takes you across to the other side of the Rhein where you can either walk or take the chair lift to the top of the hill where the Fortress stands. From here you can get the very best views of the Deutsches Eck.