A day trip to Koblenz – My experience
The summer months in Germany are excellent for day trips. You get plenty of day hours; hence you can travel farther, explore more places and yet manage to return home by the end of the day. By avoiding a hotel stay, one can save considerably on the costs too. Thankfully, Darmstadt has plenty of lovely places nearby. Located 132 kilometres northwest of Darmstadt in the state of Rheinland Palatinate, Koblenz makes for an excellent day trip from Darmstadt. Recently we visited this lovely city, and I would love to share my experience with my readers about our day trip.
Koblenz is one of the oldest cities in Germany and gets its name from the Latin word Confluentes which means Confluence in English. The city is located at the confluence of Mosel and the Rhine, justifying its name.
How we reached Koblenz?
We took the train from Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof. It took approximately 2.5 hours to reach. However, one can also use the car. Koblenz is a 1.5-hour car drive away from Darmstadt.
Our day trip experience in Koblenz:
We arrived around 12:00 pm and started our day by exploring the market area and stopping for lunch at the marketplace.
The market area is huge, with plenty of eateries and shopping opportunities. There are many beautiful old structures to admire. It was about 2 pm when we crossed the market area and reached the riverside.
It took us about 30 minutes to walk along the river till we reached the Deutsches Eck, an artificial headland at the confluence of Mosel and Rhine. This place also has the monumental equestrian statue of the first German Emperor, Wilhelm I. The place is surrounded by lots of greenery.
Do consider subscribing! It assures me that the content is useful and motivates me to write more 🙂
We spent about 1.5 hours exploring the place, clicking pictures, and playing frisbee in the open space behind the monument.
The distinguishable colours of the two rivers and the way they merge is a sight worth seeing.
After spending a relaxed time at the Deutsches Eck, we headed to the cable car station, located just a few meters away.
The cable car took us to the fortress ‘Ehrenbreitstein’ (Festung Ehrenbreitstein in German), located 118 meters above Koblenz on the east bank of the Rhine.
The fortress is massive, and the beautiful gardens surrounding it are lovely. Various species of plants and colourful flowers enhance the beauty of the garden. A walk through the garden takes you to the museum shop/ticket counter. The cable car ticket included entry to the museum, so we headed directly to the museum and checked out the museum shop after the visit.
After visiting the museum, we relaxed at the cafe, enjoying beautiful views of the rivers and the city of Koblenz.
It took us approximately 2.5 hours to go up the hill in the cable car, see the fortress and the museum and return to the base.
After coming to the base, we walked along the bank of the river, grabbed something to eat, and then headed to Koblenz Hauptbahnhof, from where we took our return train to Darmstadt Hauptbahnhof.
Click here to read a more precise article on the Top 5 things to do and experience in Koblenz.
Koblenz is one of Germany’s most beautiful cities, and its proximity to Darmstadt makes it an ideal destination for a day trip.
To read about other places in and around Darmstadt, click here.
Follow me on:
Leave a Reply