Festung Ehrenbreitstein

Cultural enjoyment with vision

118 meters above the Rhine, from the Festung Ehrenbreitstein you have probably the most fantastic view of Koblenz and the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle. The Festung Ehrenbreitstein, the second largest preserved fortress in Europe, was built in its current form between 1817 and 1828. Its origins date back to the year 1000.

Führungsgruppe im Hof der Festung Ehrenbreitstein auf der Wein und Kultur Führung ©Koblenz-Touristik GmbH, Johannes Bruchhof

Recommendation:
Fortress tour

During the one-hour guided tour, you will experience how history comes alive on the basis of original historical sites, from the fortified buildings of the Romans to the castles of the knights and the Prussian fortifications.

Koblenz

Landesmuseum Koblenz

The State Museum has permanent collections documenting important aspects of the region’s technological developments as well as its economic and social history. Exhibitions on archaeology and the history of the fortress are two of the more recent...

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Flug über die Festung

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Image: Bird Griffin. The impressive cannon, the largest in Europe in its time, which still reminds us of this century.

From Ehrenbertstein to Ehrenbreitstein

The Conradine Ehrenbert had a castle built around the year 1000, whose name "Ehrenbertstein" became "Ehrenbreitstein" in the course of time. In the 11th century, the castle became the property of the Trier archbishop Poppo, whose successor enlarged the complex. In the 12th century, the castle hill was enriched by Helfenstein Castle, seat of the later counts. In the 15th century, under Archbishop Richard von Greiffenclau, the castle was expanded into a fortress protected against artillery.

Kanone Vogel Greif im Landesmuseum Koblenz ©GDKE Rheinland-Pfalz / Pfeuffer

During the Thirty Years' War, the castle experienced a lively change of ownership. in 1797, French troops laid siege to the fortress, but were only able to force a surrender by starvation in 1799. in 1801 they had the fortress blown up. In 1815, after the Congress of Vienna transferred the Rhenish territories of Kurtrier to the Kingdom of Prussia, King Frederick William III ordered the expansion of Koblenz into a fortified city, and one of the largest fortifications in Europe was built.

Float 800 meters over the Rhine to the fortress plateu

The Seilbahn Koblenz

Tickets & Information

Die Seilbahn Koblenz hinterbeleuchtet von der Sonne mit Rhein im Vordergrund und Festung Ehrenbreitstein im Hintergrund ©Koblenz-Touristik GmbH, Dominik Ketz

Alternative arrival

With the fortress elevator up to the cultural center Festung Ehrenbreitstein

Since 2011, the Ehrenbreitstein fortress elevator has connected the former residence Ehrenbreitstein, located on the right bank of the Rhine, with the cultural center in just under three minutes. The fortress elevator, which is connected to the public transport system, is operated like an elevator with call and start buttons. All tickets - single, return or combined with the fortress - are available from the ticket machines at the top and bottom stations of the fortress elevator.

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Festungsaufzug Festung Ehrenbreitstein ©Koblenz-Touristik GmbH

The fortress system without equal

Explore the fortress city

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Luftaufnahme von dem Koblenzer Stadtteil Ehrenbreitstein mit der Festung, dem deutschen Eck und dem Zusammenfluss von Rhein und Mosel ©Dominik Ketz | Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH

Guided tours on the Festung Ehrenbreitstein

A number of informative and entertaining guided tours await all those who wish to delve deeper into the turbulent past of the fortress. You should not miss a guided tour of the fortress.

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Festungsführung in Festung Ehrenbreitstein wo Führer die Funktionalität preussischer Waffen zeigt ©Koblenz-Touristik GmbH

Konzert im Innenhof der Festung Ehrenbreitstein ©PlusPunktFilm — Events on the Festung Ehrenbreitstein

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Learn more about the accessibility of Festung Ehrenbreitstein.

Nearby

Seilbahn

Dikasterialgebäude

Ausstellung vom mittelalterlichen Schiff im Rhein-Museum ©Koblenz-Touristik GmbH

Rhine Museum

Mutter-Beethoven-Haus im Koblenzer Stadtteil Ehrenbreitstein ©Rheinland-Pfalz Tourismus GmbH, Dominik Ketz

Mother Beethoven House