Andernach is one of the oldest towns in Germany and is located just under 10 kilometres from Koblenz on the left bank of the Rhine in Rhineland-Palatinate.
The town is best known for its cold-water geyser, which can be visited here. If you want to know more about the geyser, you should read our article “The highest cold-water geyser in the world is in Germany”.
If you stroll through the alleys of the city, you will discover some interesting and also beautiful places.
Sights in Andernach
I was able to get to know Andernach a little on a guided tour of the town. The alleys of the old town are really beautiful and many small shops invite you to shop.
Round tower
The fortified tower from 1450 is the town’s landmark. Originally, it formed the north-western corner of the city wall. The “round tower” is 56 metres high and its walls are up to 5 metres thick. This makes it one of the highest defence towers on the Rhine.
The tower was a youth hostel for many years and today you can climb 136 steps and enjoy the view over the city from a viewing platform.
Rhine Gate (Kornpforte)
Around 1200, the main entrance to the town of Andernach was the Rhine Gate, which faced the riverbank and was used to transport goods from the Rhine to the town.
We first walked from the town side through the double gate, which is very plain from there. In the gate hang the effigies of the two most famous baker’s boys of the town. There is a legend in which the baker’s boys play an important role and that is why they were hanged at the scene of their crime.
According to legend, the people of Linz wanted to take revenge on the Andenachers because the Rhine toll had been transferred back to Andernach. When they wanted to invade the town at night, the population and also the guards were crooked. Only the two baker’s boys were awake and they were able to prevent the attack by throwing beehives at the attackers.
From the Rhine side, the gate is much more beautiful and representative.
Historic city wall and Koblenz Gate
In the past, Andernach was completely surrounded by a city wall. Today, parts of the wall are still preserved and at two points you can enter the old town through the old town gates. The Koblenz Gate is one of the two gates. It stood directly at the town’s castle and is therefore also called the castle gate.
The town castle was built in the 12th century. Over the years it was extended by a powder tower and a keep. In 1689, the French destroyed the fortress of the Archbishop of Cologne. Today, the town castle is only preserved as a ruin.
Bollwerk Andernach – Old customs station
The bulwark is located directly on the Rhine. It is an old customs station built in the 17th century.
The Rhine was a real source of finance for the towns on its banks. Anyone travelling on the river with their goods had to pay at 60 customs stations on the Middle Rhine alone before they could continue their journey. If you tried to avoid paying, you were shot at with arrows or other weapons tried to destroy the ship.
Today, the Andernach bulwark serves as a memorial to the fallen of the two world wars.
Andernach – Edible City
Andernach advertises itself with the slogan “Edible City”. Until my visit to the city, I had no idea what that meant.
An “edible city” offers places and sites in urban space where plants and farm animals exist that can be used for food. The concept is that the inhabitants of the city participate in the cultivation, harvesting and use of the products produced. The aim of this project is to give city dwellers a better relationship with nature and to bring children closer to nature. In this way, it is also possible to make urban space greener again – to breathe new life into unused areas by growing herbs, for example, and to create a healthy mixed culture in the city.
If you walk through the city, you will notice a wide variety of projects that deal with the production of food. The nice thing about all the ideas is that everyone is allowed to harvest free of charge. For example, in the middle of the pedestrian zone there are raised beds with herbs, and in front of the town hall there is a trailer that is regularly used by classes in schoolyards for projects.
The “Edible City” project becomes impressive when you walk along the castle wall and the moat. Here, for example, orange trees, banana plants and hops grow, and right next to them you can find tomatoes, courgettes and strawberries. And here, too, you can just walk by and harvest. A very great idea, in my opinion.
Another very interesting place is the Historical Garden in Andernach. The garden is located near the city centre between Kirchstraße, Hochstraße and Merowinger Platz. For decades, more than 50-metre-high silo towers of the Weissheimer malthouse stood on this spot. After the demolition, archaeologists discovered important finds from the Roman period and the early Middle Ages on the 3200 square metre section. These have been partly integrated into the concept of the garden and partly covered up again with a protective layer. The green space has been integrated into the concept of the Edible City. Here you can find plants that were already known to the Romans and in the Middle Ages. For example, there is a medicinal herb bed, vines and a vegetable garden.
The only product that is also produced in the city, but is not distributed free of charge, is the honey of the city bees. The income is used to finance parts of the project.
Hotel tip in Andernach – Einstein Hotel am Römerpark
Separated only by a street and the riverside promenade, the Einstein Hotel is located directly on the Rhine. Many of the 46 rooms offer a perfect view of the river.
The hotel opened in 2020 at Römerpark and offers its guests an ideal starting point for a wonderful time on the Rhine. The old town of Andernach is within walking distance and the train station is also about 15 minutes away on foot.
I stayed in a really nice room with a view of the Rhine and felt very comfortable. The view of the river in the morning, when the day slowly reveals more and more of the landscape, was particularly beautiful.
The day begins at the hotel with a good breakfast from the buffet. If you want to end the day in a cosy atmosphere, there is a skylounge with a restaurant and a bar. From there you have a great view of the Rhine. A little tip: the restaurant is always very busy and you should definitely reserve a table!
Sculpture garden around the hotel
Something special is the beautiful sculpture garden around the Einstein Hotel. The hotel owner has set up his private collection of different objects here. He thinks art should be accessible to everyone and so you can wander through his collection here free of charge.
I quite liked some of the objects and the presentation is also very successful. Who would have a sculpture at their hotel that at first glance could be mistaken for two boys who want to enter the hotel through a window without being asked? When you walk across the hotel terrace in the evening, you pass some illuminated objects that create an imaginative world.
The visit to Andernach was part of a blogger event organised by Antje Zimmermann and Romantic Rhine Tourism.
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