Koblenz & The Rhine Valley, Germany
Continuing on from my last entry, about our long weekend trip to Germany, the final city we were to stay in was Koblenz. It is about an hour's journey from Cologne on the regional train system. Once again, we were to be staying in an Ibis hotel, however this time the location of the hotel was very central and we were able to get around and see the sights on foot.
Koblenz is located in a picturesque setting - surrounded by low mountain ranges, and where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. Once we had booked into our hotel, we took a walk into the historical Old Town and wandered around its lanes and alleyways, appreciating the architecture and statues. There are also open air squares with cafes situated around the sides, creating a relaxed atmosphere. We then made our way to the Rhine promenade and strolled along the banks, enjoying the sunshine, until we ended up at the convergence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, otherwise known as "Deutsches Eck". At this spot there is also a large statue of Kaiser Wilhelm on a horse, mounted on a huge stone base, on which it is possible to climb up and obtain an excellent view of the rivers meeting. Along the promenade, there is also a good view of the old fort or castle on the opposite side of the Rhine, known as the Festung Ehrenbreitstein (built in the 1800s).
Due to it being a pleasant summer's day, we thought it would be a nice idea to spend part of it in a beer garden, two of which we had passed located next to the promenade. They
were both very busy, but we found a table amidst the happy crowds. We got two rather large mugs of beer and some food, wurst for my significant other, and a big helping of potato salad for myself! Needless to say, we were feeling quite jolly as we left, and decided to stop in at another pub, in town, on the way back to the hotel. We walked through the doors and I suddenly felt like I was in some old western movie - a silent hush descended as everyone stopped their conversation, and gave us a good, hard look. Trying not to feel too self-conscious, we walked to the counter and ordered some beer. Once we sat down, conversation resumed, and everyone became friendly again. I guess we had wandered into one of the locals where not many strangers tend to tread.
The next day we wanted to do a river cruise down the Rhine, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time for it, as we had to make our way back to Weeze Airport. Instead, we decided to do a train journey between some of the towns along the Rhine. The scenery was absolutely amazing, rolling hills, vineyards, old castles - picture card perfect. We travelled on the line from Koblenz to Mainz, and we decided to stop and sightsee at Bingen am Rhein and Bacharach, both wine producing towns.
We walked along the sloping streets of Bingen's town centre, surrounded by its hilly landscape, looking at various shops. There were also large open spaces with fountains and statues, surrounded by cafes and old-style buildings. We bought a giant pretzel at one of the local bakery's to relieve our hunger, and then made our way towards the castle located at the top of the town, Burg Klopp. It is a relatively steep climb to the top, but well worth it, as the views of the town, hills and river are amazing.
Bacharach is a beautiful, ancient village with traditional German architecture, partly enclosed in medieval walls and connected by watchtowers. It's lovely just to wander around
the cobbled streets, looking at the traditionally decorated houses and buildings, many adorned with hanging flower pots, with the rolling hills of the vineyards in the distance. Some more specific sites to see in Bacharach include the castle, also known as Burg Stahleck, the Church of St Peter and the ruins of another church, the Werne Kapelle. We really enjoyed our time, as brief as it was, in Bacharach and would love to return to it and explore some other towns on the 'Romantic Rhine' one day.
As we had a flight to catch back to Stansted, we caught an InterCity Express (ICE) train from Koblenz to Dusseldorf. The journey was comfortable and fast, taking just under two hours. From Dusseldorf we caught another train to Weeze, and from there shared a taxi with another fellow traveller to the airport (we were all waiting for the bus which failed to arrive). All in all, we had a great time on our first trip to Germany!
Koblenz is located in a picturesque setting - surrounded by low mountain ranges, and where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. Once we had booked into our hotel, we took a walk into the historical Old Town and wandered around its lanes and alleyways, appreciating the architecture and statues. There are also open air squares with cafes situated around the sides, creating a relaxed atmosphere. We then made our way to the Rhine promenade and strolled along the banks, enjoying the sunshine, until we ended up at the convergence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, otherwise known as "Deutsches Eck". At this spot there is also a large statue of Kaiser Wilhelm on a horse, mounted on a huge stone base, on which it is possible to climb up and obtain an excellent view of the rivers meeting. Along the promenade, there is also a good view of the old fort or castle on the opposite side of the Rhine, known as the Festung Ehrenbreitstein (built in the 1800s).
Due to it being a pleasant summer's day, we thought it would be a nice idea to spend part of it in a beer garden, two of which we had passed located next to the promenade. They
were both very busy, but we found a table amidst the happy crowds. We got two rather large mugs of beer and some food, wurst for my significant other, and a big helping of potato salad for myself! Needless to say, we were feeling quite jolly as we left, and decided to stop in at another pub, in town, on the way back to the hotel. We walked through the doors and I suddenly felt like I was in some old western movie - a silent hush descended as everyone stopped their conversation, and gave us a good, hard look. Trying not to feel too self-conscious, we walked to the counter and ordered some beer. Once we sat down, conversation resumed, and everyone became friendly again. I guess we had wandered into one of the locals where not many strangers tend to tread.The next day we wanted to do a river cruise down the Rhine, but unfortunately we didn't have enough time for it, as we had to make our way back to Weeze Airport. Instead, we decided to do a train journey between some of the towns along the Rhine. The scenery was absolutely amazing, rolling hills, vineyards, old castles - picture card perfect. We travelled on the line from Koblenz to Mainz, and we decided to stop and sightsee at Bingen am Rhein and Bacharach, both wine producing towns.
We walked along the sloping streets of Bingen's town centre, surrounded by its hilly landscape, looking at various shops. There were also large open spaces with fountains and statues, surrounded by cafes and old-style buildings. We bought a giant pretzel at one of the local bakery's to relieve our hunger, and then made our way towards the castle located at the top of the town, Burg Klopp. It is a relatively steep climb to the top, but well worth it, as the views of the town, hills and river are amazing.
Bacharach is a beautiful, ancient village with traditional German architecture, partly enclosed in medieval walls and connected by watchtowers. It's lovely just to wander around
the cobbled streets, looking at the traditionally decorated houses and buildings, many adorned with hanging flower pots, with the rolling hills of the vineyards in the distance. Some more specific sites to see in Bacharach include the castle, also known as Burg Stahleck, the Church of St Peter and the ruins of another church, the Werne Kapelle. We really enjoyed our time, as brief as it was, in Bacharach and would love to return to it and explore some other towns on the 'Romantic Rhine' one day.As we had a flight to catch back to Stansted, we caught an InterCity Express (ICE) train from Koblenz to Dusseldorf. The journey was comfortable and fast, taking just under two hours. From Dusseldorf we caught another train to Weeze, and from there shared a taxi with another fellow traveller to the airport (we were all waiting for the bus which failed to arrive). All in all, we had a great time on our first trip to Germany!
Comments