Koblenz Cruise Port

Koblenz sits on the Rhine and Moselle rivers in Germany's Rhineland-Palatinate state, at the point where these two rivers meet. It is the state's third-largest city by population. This is not usually a turnaround port but a port of call on river cruises through central Europe.

The city was founded as a Roman military post around 8 BC, and its name comes from the Latin word for confluence. At the point where the two rivers meet, known as the German Corner, stands an equestrian statue of Emperor William I, a symbol of German unification. Koblenz marked its 2,000th anniversary in 1992.

The setting is naturally dramatic and carries layers of history in its streets as it was heavily bombed during World War II then rebuilt afterwards. Koblenz marks the northern end of the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, a 65 kilometre UNESCO World Heritage section added to the list in 2002 for its beauty as a cultural landscape and its role in European trade. Roughly forty hilltop castles dot the valley, many left in ruins after the Thirty Years War, and they draw cruise ships that travel the river. Vineyards terrace the steep banks on both sides. The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress dominates the skyline from the opposite bank of the Rhine.

The city itself rewards a walk. Half-timbered houses line narrow streets, and there is a riverside promenade. A cable car carries visitors up to the hilltop fortress, and the cobbled Old Town holds Roman ruins, artisan shops and historic churches. Each August, Koblenz hosts one of the annual Rhine in Flames firework displays, best viewed from a boat on the river. The city remains a major wine trading hub, so local wine bars and cafés are part of the experience which is also why many ships pass through or call at Koblenz.