{"id":24476,"date":"2023-09-15T10:13:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-15T08:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=24476"},"modified":"2023-09-08T09:42:54","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T07:42:54","slug":"ehrenbreitstein-fortress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/rhineland-palatinate\/coblenz\/ehrenbreitstein-fortress\/","title":{"rendered":"High above Koblenz – Ehrenbreitstein Fortress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The cable car from Koblenz reaches the top station and we get off. High above the city, on the right side of the Rhine, lies Ehrenbreitstein Fortress on Mount Ehrenbreitstein. It already looks big and mighty from the Rhine valley, but we will explore whether it is really that impressive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\"Koblenz<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We get off the cable car and first we are drawn across a large open space, which is part of the former BUGA site, to a viewing platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free vantage point on Koblenz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The viewing platform was built for the BUGA. It can be visited free of charge. We reach the highest point of the observation tower via a ramp that slowly winds upwards, and a breathtaking view of the surroundings opens up before us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"kostenloser<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Directly in front of us, the Moselle flows into the Rhine. We can watch ships sailing across the rivers – large cargo ships and river cruise ships can be seen. It is particularly exciting when one of these huge ships “turns” into the Moselle coming from the Rhine. The current of the water pushes the ship around at an amazing speed. The captain will have a lot to do on his bridge to prevent the ship from being pushed into the embankment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blick<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is not only a lot to discover on the water. We can also see interesting places on land. There is the L\u00fctzel district of Koblenz on one side of the Moselle and the old town of Koblenz on the other. Both areas are connected by bridges over which numerous cars, trains, cyclists and pedestrians change sides of the river every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blick<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the district of L\u00fctzel we discover the remains of the Kaiser Franz fortress, which was closely connected to the Ehrenbreitstein fortress. Unfortunately, not much remains of this fortress after it was blown up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blick<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the opposite side of the Moselle, above the main railway station, lies another fortress complex, which can be easily seen from the viewing platform. The fortress of Grand Duke Constantine is much better preserved and formed another strategically important site in the defence of the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Reiterdenkmal<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Certainly, however, the most important place that every visitor wants to see is the German Corner. The monument to Emperor Wilhelm stands tall and mighty here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From this free vantage point over Koblenz you really have a great view. After getting an overview of the city, we were drawn to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Location of Ehrenbreitstein Fortress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fortress is located on a 180-metre-high mountain spur whose rocky slopes lie directly on the Rhine valley. This location made the fortress almost impregnable. On three sides (south, east, west), high steep slopes prevented the enemy from reaching the complex. Only the plateau in the northeast had to be strongly defended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origin of the fortress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Around the year 1000, there must have already been a castle on Ehrenbreitstein. The first mentions of it date back to this time. For a time, this complex was the residence of the prince-bishops of Trier. Even at that time, it was considered the safest castle in the region and important shrines of the country were kept there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"erste<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In the early 16th century, Archbishop Richard von Greiffenklau zu Vollrads had the castle expanded into a fortress. In this way, he wanted to ensure the protection of the complex despite the constantly developing war technology. Greiffenklau also had the first cannon cast for the fortress, which can be seen in the museum today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Festung<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1794, French revolutionary troops captured the city of Koblenz in the First Coalition War and besieged the fortress four times from 1795. Almost starved to death, they surrendered the fortress to the French in 1799 after a good year of blockade. Only a short time later, the French were forced to abandon the right bank of the Rhine and thus the fortress as well, due to a peace plan. In 1801, shortly before their withdrawal, they blew up the fortress so as not to have to hand it over to the enemy. Unfortunately, Philippsburg Castle below the fortress suffered so much damage from the blast that it had to be demolished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New construction of the fortress by the Prussians<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After the Congress of Vienna, the area around Koblenz is awarded to the Kingdom of Prussia. King Frederick William III issued the order to refortify the city and Ehrenbreitstein Fortress in 1815. This led to a flurry of construction activity over the next few years, creating one of the most extensive and modern fortification systems in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Festung<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the Ehrenbreitstein, the remains of the destroyed complex were used to build a large citadel. The Prussian engineer Carl Schnitzler was responsible for the planning and implementation. The result was a defence system that could withstand all weapons and types of attack known at the time. In the event of war, 1500 soldiers with 80 guns were to defend the Ehrenbreitstein. The soldiers were exclusively professional soldiers and conscripts, who also lived there in new casemates. The accommodation was quite modern for the time, with stove heating, windows and their own beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Kanone<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to its military use, part of the complex also served as a prison. From the 1830s until 1909, officers and civilians served fortress arrest or imprisonment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fortress was in active service until 1890. However, as war technology continued to develop, those responsible decided to discontinue its use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Geb\u00e4ude<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles actually stipulated that the fortress should be demolished. Fortunately, the cultural value of the fortress was recognised and it was not demolished. During the Second World War, art objects and archives from Koblenz, Cologne and Wuppertal were stored in the casemates. However, these did not offer sufficient protection and so the objects were brought to safety in other places. Koblenz was 87% destroyed in this war, but the fortress suffered hardly any damage. In early 1945, US soldiers occupied Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, and later the French army moved in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And today?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The fortress complex is the property of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Not only is the Koblenz State Museum located here, but also a youth hostel. Events are held on the grounds and, of course, you can visit the old walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Festung<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since 2002, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Upper Middle Rhine Valley” and a protected cultural monument.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What can you see in Ehrenbreitstein Fortress?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After passing through the turnstile at the entrance to the fortress, we followed a slightly sloping path to the field gate that led us behind the truly imposing walls. From now on, it was time to go exploring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We didn’t follow a plan, we didn’t have a fixed destination, we just wanted to explore and let the huge complex take its effect on us. It was only here that we really realised how big Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is. Behind the walls are courtyards, buildings, corridors and, above all, a wonderful view of the Rhine, Moselle and Koblenz at various points. We were on the road for 3 hours and only saw part of the exhibitions. So if you visit the fortress, you should bring some time with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n