Fort Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz

Visiting Ehrenbreitstein should be part of every visit to Koblenz. You can even stay within the fortress premises, because it contains a very nice (wheelchair-accessible) youth hostel. You can walk up the hill from the city, but there also is a large parking lot on the plateau-like hill outside of the fort. Mobility-impaired people will even get permission to drive into the fort and to the hostel's parking lot pictured here.

Visiting hours for the installations and museums roughly from 9 AM to 5 PM. Reasonable entrance fee. Decent wheelchair access, including loos, but some steep ramps within the premises.

Don't miss the view from the fortress down to the city of Koblenz. The river in the foreground flowing from south to north, is the Rhine and the one that comes from the west is the Moselle. The tip at the confluence is the "Deutsches Eck with the monument of the German Emperor Wilhelm I.

On the confluence of Rhine and Moselle lies Ehrenbreistein Fortress. It is on top of a hundred meters high hill above the Rhine.
The first fortification was erected here in the year 1000. In the years between 1816 and 1832, the Prussians built the present fortified complex. The fortress contains a museum, a youth hostel as well as restaurants.

When you leave the Ludwig Museum, male a left, go through the archway and then go immediately to the right and you hit the Rhine River. You have a spectacualr view of the Fortress Ehrenbreitstein. This is the largest fortress of its kind to be found anywhere along the Rhine River, and was started around 1038 by a certain Count Erembrecht. Shortly after its construction, the Archbishop of Trier took posession and then enlarged it--and it was enlarged many times over the centuries. During the times of Napolean, Napolean's troops had conquered koblenz already in 1794, but it took them an additional 5 years, until 1799, before they could take this fortress. i t could only be taken by besieging it for one year. Once the French had it, they didn't know what to do with it, so blew it up in 1801, 2 year after they had taken it. After the fall of the french, the Prussians moved in and rebuilt it between 1815-1832.

Nowadays there is a youth hostel and two museums located inside the fortress, and from there you have the MOST SPECTACULAR view of Koblenz, a view not to be missed. You can get to the top by foot, by car, or by cable chairlift.

The Fortress rises 118 meters above the Rhine. It dates back to the year 1000. Over the centuries the building was enlarged by the Trier Electors. After its destruction by the French the Prussians had the fortifications on Ehrenbreitstein rebuilt (1817-1832). The result is one of the strongest undamaged fortresses which are open to the public. If I remember correct there is die Jugendherberge=youth hostel in this fortress. What a great place to spend a night.

Festung Ehrenbreitstein is the biggest attraction, but unless you have tons of time, it is only worth the pretty view.
The best part of the excursion was trying to find how to get to the Sesselbahn (chair lift) to get up to the fortress. We took a ferry across the Rhine (DM 2, one way...about US $1) and then hunted for signs. No signs...but it is easy enough to see the fortress, so we walked toward it. There is a tunnel with an arrow and word 'Sesselbahn), nothing more. We walked into this empty, gloomy tunnel and giggled nervously about how dangerous it is to just follow an arrow. Finally reaching the lift, we headed on up to the fortress, which was closed. The view is pretty, but not spectacular.

The castle is nice but the view from the castle is another aspect of the castle that should be enjoyed.