{"id":250960,"date":"2016-11-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/koblenz-germany-3\/"},"modified":"2016-11-04T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T07:00:00","slug":"koblenz-germany-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/koblenz-germany-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Koblenz, Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

Where the Rhine and Mosel converge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Por Ron Popa | Zapato de goma global<\/p>\n

It would be hard to find a lovelier off-the-beaten-track city to visit in Germany than Koblenz<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ideally situated where the Mosel River flows into the Rhine, this city has a history dating back 2,000 years starting from when it was a Roman settlement. Today, it is a top tourist destination of stunning beauty with a rich history and culture and a thriving culinary scene.<\/p>\n

A strip of land marks the confluence of both rivers at the popular Deutsches Eck or German Corner<\/strong><\/a>. Visitors can gaze upon the colossal bronze statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I on horseback, triumphantly towering 120 feet above the city and affording grand views from its pedestal.<\/p>\n

\"boppard\"<\/a>
The picturesque town of Boppard, Germany, just a short Rhine River cruise from Koblenz (Photos by Ron Stern)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another sculpture, a 10-meter pillar located within a fountain in the center of the G\u00f6rresplatz, depicts the history of Koblenz starting with the Romans at the bottom of the sculpture and moving up through the Crusades, the French Revolution, World War II, and up to present day.<\/p>\n

The area along this part of the Middle Rhine region is buzzing with activity. Pedestrians or cyclists (you can bike all the way to Basel, Switzerland.) can explore miles of scenic beauty along the river\u2019s banks, but one of the best ways to see this area is to take a riverboat cruise<\/strong><\/a>. For as little as \u20ac9 (the Euro equals $1.11 US dollar), you can cruise for around 90 minutes with grand views of the river, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site<\/strong><\/a>. For a little more, you can go further, stopping off at small towns along the way including picturesque R\u00fcdesheim and Boppard.<\/p>\n

\"baumann-kondetorei-confiserie-cafe\"<\/a>
Hand-made truffles at Baumann Confiserie Cafe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But that is just for starters. Along your route, you will see lush terraced vineyards, cruise ships moving back and forth, and some of the 40 or so historic hilltop castles. These include Schloss Stolzenfels<\/strong><\/a>, also known as the Neuschwanstein Castle of the Rhine; Martinsburg; and Marksburg, the latter of which is perched majestically above the town of Braubach in Rhineland-Palatinate.<\/p>\n

Not to be missed would be the cable car ride to the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress<\/strong><\/a> that overlooks the town (\u20ac11.80 for the cable car ride<\/strong><\/a> and castle visit). The cars float silently over the Rhine and are one of the largest in Germany in terms of capacity, able to transport 7,600 people per day. The fortress, the second largest in the world, was constructed by the Prussians as part of the area\u2019s fortification system between 1817-28. At the top, you can stroll through the passageways, enjoy cultural exhibitions, and have a meal at their Casino restaurant. A local beer called Festungs Br\u00e4u is also brewed just for the fortress, and you can enjoy this with a bird\u2019s-eye view of Koblenz.<\/p>\n

\"cafe-han-kondetorei-boppard\"<\/a>
Konderteri Cafe Hahn in Boppard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There are a number of other interesting attractions in and around the city. At Kauf-und Danzhaus<\/strong><\/a> (Old Merchants and Dance House), the exterior clock has the face of the Eye Roller, which commemorates the robber baron Johann von Kobern. At certain times of the hour, he also sticks out a red tongue.<\/p>\n

Located in the Forum Confluentes<\/strong><\/a> building in the city center is the Romanticum<\/strong><\/a>. More than a typical museum, this is an interactive, highly imaginative educational center for the entire Middle Rhine region. You\u2019ll find books that speak to you as you pull them off of the shelf, an old-fashioned silhouette theater, a touchscreen that lets you explore a map of the Rhine, and nearly 70 other exhibits.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s even more unique about the Romanticum is that upon entering (\u20ac6 for adults, \u20ac1 for children up to 12 years of age), you are issued a pass about the size of a credit card. Hold this up to any of the appropriate logos on the displays and the QR code on the card will capture all of the information and store it for your future retrieval on a computer or smartphone. Ingenious? Indeed it is, and you won\u2019t find another museum quite like it. Furthermore, this cultural building also houses a library, art museum and tourist information center.<\/p>\n

\"cycling-at-german-corner-koblenz\"<\/a>
Cyclists at The German Corner in Koblenz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Koblenz has a wide range of shopping opportunities. This includes the modern looking Forum-Mittelrhein with around 80 retail shops and restaurants, and another 130 independent retail establishments or so along L\u00f6<\/strong>hrstra\u00df<\/strong>mi<\/strong><\/a> in and around the downtown area.<\/p>\n

Gastronomically speaking, Koblenz is a culinary gold mine. Here, you can find pubs, ice cream and konditorei (pastry shops). In one area, you almost have a side-by-side selection of Indian, Mexican, Italian and Chinese restaurants.<\/p>\n

At Baumann Kondetorei\/Confiserie (confectionery)\/Caf\u00e9, you have 200 years of a family-run pastry and confection business. The truffles are made by hand, and this is a great place to relax and have a slice of cake and coffee.<\/p>\n

\"rhine-cruise-5-koblenz\"<\/a>
Short Rhine cruise is a popular activity from Koblenz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Koblenz is the only city in Germany where you can enjoy wines from both the Rhine and Mosel regions. There are some 16 family-owned wineries here, some more than 100 years old.<\/p>\n

One of the best ways to learn about wine is directly from the grower. At Weingut Karl Lunnebach<\/strong><\/a>, you can do just that. Located an easy cab ride from the main part of town, this family-owned winery is situated on the Mosel River. With advanced small-group reservations you can partake in wine tasting as well as authentic regional foods prepared by the vintner\u2019s family.<\/p>\n

Typically, a three-course meal might feature dishes such as roast port, au gratin potatoes, spaetzle, chicken in riesling cream, and dessert for a price of around \u20ac20-25. Or, for \u20ac50, you can include wine tasting. You can also purchase a nice bottle of wine for as little as \u20ac6.<\/p>\n

\"rhine-cruise-4\"<\/a>
Historic castles line the Rhine River in Germany, best viewed by day cruises from Koblenz<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As you stroll around town, try the cappuccino at K3, located inside the Forum Confluentes. For ice cream, locals visit E Gelosia for some of the best in Germany. You\u2019ll be able to tell how popular this place is with lines stretching as far as 200 feet past the cathedral on weekends.<\/p>\n

\"wine-dinner-at-lunnebach-koblenz\"<\/a>
Wine dinners at Weingut Karl Lunnebach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If you end up taking the Rhine cruise, then disembark at the small village of Boppard. There, you will want to make your way to the Konditorei Caf\u00e9 Hahn. Another small family business, this is operated by the 80-year-old man, his wife and daughter. The father has been making mouth-watering cakes for 50 years.<\/p>\n

Once you arrive back in Koblenz, if you are still hungry for lunch or dinner, try Wacht am Rhein<\/strong><\/a> right on the waterfront. The inside looks like the owner\u2019s house with everything from cupboards, couches, trinkets, and whatever else he felt he couldn\u2019t live without. But for the best experience, sit outside and enjoy Italian or traditional German cuisine such as sauerbraten in a sour sauce with red cabbage.<\/p>\n

\"festungsbrau-fortress-in-koblenz\"<\/a>
Beer specially made for the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Koblenz is a city to which many people might just give a cursory look while passing through on a river cruise. But, there is much more here that blends the old with the new and that begs for some serious time exploring its rich treasures. However long your visit, however, Koblenz is sure to leave a lasting impression.<\/p>\n

Recursos<\/strong><\/p>\n

Historic Highlights of Germany<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014P\u00f3ngase en contacto con Ron Stern en <\/em>travelwriter01@comcast.net<\/em><\/a> or visit his blog at originalglobalgumshoe.blogspot.com. <\/em>This was a sponsored visit, but all opinions are solely the author\u2019s.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where the Rhine and Mosel converge By Ron Stern | Global Gumshoe It would be hard to find a lovelier off-the-beaten-track city to visit in Germany than Koblenz. Ideally situated where the Mosel River flows into the Rhine, this city has a history dating back 2,000 years starting from when it was a Roman settlement. […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":229072,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11555","_seopress_titles_title":"Koblenz, Germany","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11547,11551,11555],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-250960","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-news","category-uptown-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250960","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250960"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250960\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229072"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250960"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250960"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250960"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}