I like to update this post with new text and links as well as different pictures than originally done. Things change and like to have it up to date as much as possible. We were on our road warrior trips with the family base near Trier (see posts) and we decided to go away into the center and we pick Koblenz, a nice city on the rivers Moselle and Rhine or the German corner or Deutsche Eck (see post). The city is very nice and great for walking. Therefore, here is my take on this is Koblenz !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
We arrive by car from Trier on the 602 ,then 1, B48 and finally the 9 roads or about 3 hrs. We entered the city and park at the Schängel Center underground, nice and all around you to walk. More on the center parking here: https://www.parkme.com/en-gb/lot/352393/schngel-center-koblenz-rp-germany
As always recommended when in town for the first time, we immediately headed for the tourist office in the Forum Confluentes building across the street. There is a boutique and several shops as well rather nice airy clean we like it. The Koblenz tourist office on the Forum Confluences: https://www.visit-koblenz.de/en/sights/forum-confluentes
After some shopping there, we move on on foot. And we went into Forum Mittelrhein because my boys saw a Saturn electronic store they know from the Paris region so again another nice shopping mall. More on them here: https://www.forum-mittelrhein.com/shops/alle/
By Friedrich-Ebert-Ring 41 street we came across an imposing belltower Church of Christ (see post). We did walk a lot as the city is marvelous with great architectures and figurines on the streets with fountains sometimes; we reach another Chapel of John the Baptist (see photo) who was mentioned for the first time in 1321 with the Jesuists ;located at An Der Liebfraunkirche street. We continue by Florinsmarkt , we reach the Church of St Florin or Florinskirche. (see post). And we reach the German corner or deutchen eck with the huge statue of emperor William I (see post) of Germany and overlooking the river Moselle and Rhine with the great cable car to the fortress above.
We continue on the Basilica of St Castor , a huge wonderful Church that is in itself a must to see. (See post). Right around it you see the Ludwig museum , (see photo) there is a wonderful fountain such as the Historiensaeule in Josef-Görres-Platz (square). Passing by the Rathaus or city hall . A wonderful town and good idea we decided to visit it. Certainly worth coming back here.
A memorable city that will have in my blog for the memories of our family. I am sure they have something different there now and the spot is ideal for a walk and the monuments around as written in previous posts.
A bit of history I like (or rather lots of history I like) tell us that the Mérovingian period after the end of the Western Roman Empire in the 5C, the city is taken by the Franks (same guys as France) that established a kingdom. Here comes the Carolingian period When in 806 Charlemagne divides the empire between his sons and Koblenz is taken by Charles but he died soon after and by 814 is share by the sons of Louis the Fair. A dispute amongst his sons come to be that Charles the Bold inherits the city in 837. By 1018, emperor Henry II offers the kingdom to the archbishop of Trier and so Koblenz is part of the Prince States one of the seven that founded the Holy Roman Empire. The maternal Uncle of king Louis XVI and his brothers host the Count of Artois and the city becomes the center of counter revolution to the French , they sent troops here and the coalition of Prince Wencelas is force to run and leave the territory ,two weeks later the city is taken by the French revolutionaries. The fortress of Ehrenbreitstein held longer until 1799 before surrendering. This event meant the end of the Prince States of Trier.
Many immigrants from France comes here running from the French revolution such as the Count of Artois (Charles X) and Count of Provence (Louis XVIII) , brothers of king Louis XVI . They planned from here a counter revolution with the help of neighboring kingdoms. A war starts and the French invade over the Rhine river in 1794. By 1795 Frederick William II of Prussia signed the treaty of Basel where he recognized the occupation of the left bank of the Rhine by the French, and name an administrator of the city into the French department of Rhin et Moselle. The treaty of Luneville in 1801 Koblenz is incorporating into the French Republic and becomes capital fo the department
The city received the visit of Napoleon I and his wife Josephine de Beauharnais in September 1804. The French becomes the language of the administration and the name of the town is Coblentz. The commander of the Russian army that took Koblenz in December 31 1813 was non other than Emmanuel Louis Marie Guignard de Saint Priest ,he had joined the Prince de Condé in 1792 and from 1793 was an officer in the Russian army; (opposing Napoleon) it is at this time that the name Schângel that means even today the persons born in Koblenz. According to the terms of the Congress of Vienna of 1815 the lands of the Prince State of Trier are integrated into the Province of the Rhine in the kingdom of Prussia. At the end of the WWI in November 1918 the workers council and the soldiers come together at Koblenz but a month later the American troops conquered the town and puts an end to the government of the Soviets . In 1923, the American military turn over the town to the French that on their turn leave the city in 1929. In 1945 the Americans again occupied the city. Upon the accords of the Potsdam conference the occupation is transferred from the Americans to the French and in 1946 the new State of Rhineland Palatine is created. It is at the conference of Rittersturz held at Koblenz in 1948 that it was founded the Federal Republic of Germany or West Germany by decision of the three occupying forces, USA, UK, and France. On Unification Day, 3 October 1990, it became Germany.
The City of Koblenz : https://www.koblenz.de/
The Koblenz tourist office : https://www.visit-koblenz.de/en
The Rhineland Palatine region tourist office on Koblenz : https://www.tourenplaner-rheinland-pfalz.de/en/travel-guide/germany/koblenz/1040110/
The Germany tourist office on Koblenz: https://www.germany.travel/en/cities-culture/koblenz.html
There you go folks, an overview of Koblenz as already plenty of posts on its sights in my blog. Feel better with updated text and new pictures of this pretty city by the river. Again, hope you enjoy the post on this is Koblenz !!! as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 