Travel Guide Koblenz

The Rhine and Moselle meet here at the tip of the old town, the Deutsches Eck. Because of this "confluence" and its historical heritage, some say that Koblenz is the German "Lyon". It is also from this "confluence" that Koblenz takes its name..With a population of 107,000, Koblenz is a very attractive city, with its old town, its two rivers and, above all, its imposing and majestic Ehrenbreitstein fortress. A city of water and green spaces, but on a human scale and with a mild climate, Koblenz can trace its history back to Roman times, when Confluentia was a fortress at the confluence of the two rivers.The Franks, who seized it in the5th century, built a castle, a theater and established a court. The archbishops of Trier were then absolute masters of the city, from 1018 until its capture by the French in 1794. Four years later, the city became the capital of the Rhine and Moselle department under Napoleonic rule. However, following the French defeat, the Congress of Vienna handed the city over to the Prussians. The Prussians left a strong imprint on the city, the most symbolic Prussian landmarks being the statue of Wilhelm I on Deutsches Eck and the Ehrenbreitstein fortress. Koblenz celebrated its 2,000th anniversary in 1992. Today, it remains an almost peaceful city, where time flows as slowly as its two rivers..