Germany Guide
Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland
Festung Ehrenbreitstein
Opening time: Daily 10am–5pm
Price: €1.10
Telephone: 0261/974 24 40
Watching over Koblenz's Altstadt on the east bank of the Rhine, the gigantic fortress Festung Ehrenbreitstein has a commanding position over everything in town. So mighty was it that it proved impregnable until 1801 when Napoleonic troops comprehensively destroyed it. Today's version is an impressive Prussian rebuild from 1832 that houses various enterprises including a hostel, restaurants and the Landesmuseum (mid-March to mid-Nov daily 9.30am–5pm; €4; 0261/667 50, www.landesmuseumkoblenz.de), which explores the region mainly from the point of view of the industries that shaped it: trade, tobacco, wine, photography and automobile manufacture – the latter in a tribute to August Horch, founder of Audi who hailed from Winningen, 10km upstream along the Mosel from Koblenz.
From Koblenz, Festung Ehrenbreitstein is reached by a passengerferry from the Rheinpromenade (Easter to mid-Nov Mon– Fri 8am–6.55pm, Sat & Sun 8.30am–6.55pm; €1.30), or by bus; take bus #9 or #10 to Obertal then it's a ten-minute walk, or you can get off early at the base of a chairlift (Easter to late May, Sept & Oct 10am–5pm, June– Sept 9am–5.50pm; €5.80 return) to Ehrenbreitstein.