Koblenz Sights: Palace, Basilica, Museums

October 31, 2026

Sights by area

Koblenz packs its main sights into a few small areas. Start at the confluence, move through the Old Town, then decide whether to cross the Rhine to the fortress or head south to Stolzenfels.

The confluence

At the Deutsches Eck, the Moselle flows into the Rhine beside a free public headland. The Teutonic Order took the site in 1216. The giant Kaiser Wilhelm I monument went up in 1897, and the American artillery fire of March 1945 brought it down. The pedestal became a unity memorial in 1953, with the arms of the German states and later pieces of the Berlin Wall, and a new bronze statue followed in autumn 1993. The monument is a solemn place, and visitors are asked to behave quietly. See the tourism page for restrictions on event days.

Next door, in the former commandery of the Teutonic Order at Esther-Bejarano-Straße 1, the Ludwig Museum shows French art made after 1945. It opens Tuesday to Saturday 10:30 to 17:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 18:00.

The Old Town

Basilika St. Kastor, Kastorhof. Consecrated in 836, it is the city’s oldest church. It was the setting for the 842 talks among Charlemagne’s grandsons, which led to the Treaty of Verdun in 843. It is free and open 09:00 to 18:00.
Liebfrauenkirche. The highest church of the Old Town, with onion-domed baroque towers on a Romanesque base. Free.
Historiensäule, Görresplatz. A fountain column cast in 1992, 10.59 metres tall, with ten tiers that run from Roman Confluentes to postwar rebuilding.
Mittelrhein-Museum, Zentralplatz 1. European painting from the 13th century onward. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00.

The Electoral Palace

The palace, finished in 1793, was the home of the last Elector of Trier, and later of Prince Wilhelm, the future emperor. Its rooms house federal offices, so you stay outside. The long garden beside the Rhine is free every day, and the Grand Cafe Schloss Koblenz is attached.

Across the Rhine

The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is one of the largest preserved fortresses in Europe. The cable car arrives on the plateau, and the Landesmuseum, the 1524 cannon Greif and a viewing platform over the confluence are the focus. A memorial to the German army stands within the grounds and calls for quiet. Admission is 10 EUR, or 21.90 EUR with a cable car return. Hours were 10:00 to 18:00 from 29 March to 1 November 2026 and are shorter, about 11:00 to 16:00, in winter.

Out of town

Schloss Stolzenfels stands about 5 km south on the left bank, a Schinkel castle with gardens and a German-language tour of the interior for 6 EUR. It is closed in December and January. Details are on the official page .