Castles are certainly one of the most interesting sights to see while visiting Germany and there are literally hundreds of ruins along the coasts of the Rhine River. Sometimes, though, a simple military fortress without the opulence of the wealthy ruling class can be as fascinating to view. When we visited Koblenz, one of the most striking sights was the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress that sits on the top of the mountain across the Rhine River from the town itself.
The fortress is definitely worth visiting for several reasons. First of all are the views from the cable car that traverses the river up the side of the mountain to the summit where the fortress overlooks the region. Obviously, the fortress itself is worth seeing, walking along the walls that once housed hundreds of soldiers poised to protect the town from the advances of the French or other invading armies. With that said, the highlight of visiting the fortress are the spectacular views of the town below and the cathedral and the statue at the German Corner.
The German Corner is where the Rhine and Moselle Rivers meet, making for stunning scenery. We were fortunate to have wonderful weather that particular day and the hills were full of color from the changing leaves. We wish we could have captured some images from our train ride to Koblenz along the Rhine River as it was probably one of the most amazing hours of scenery that we have ever seen. After about thirty minutes, we were already teasing with each other, “there is another castle” or “there is another church”. We were too enthralled with all of the sights to stop and take any pictures or take a video, so we will have to hold on to those memories in our minds.
We feel very fortunate for the opportunity to see the things that we have seen. Seeing the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress has definitely been one of those experiences that we will cherish. If you are in Germany and near Koblenz, we would highly recommend taking the time to go to the fortress and look down upon this fairy tale town and enjoy the views of the rivers as they merge together. If you really want it to be special, get there around sunset and see the town cast in a lovely orange hue with the sky reflecting off of the rivers.
