Mature Solo Travel: off beaten track

Koblenz, Off the Beaten Track Tour Stop Two

Leaving Munster early on Sunday morning, the train south to Koblenz took less than 3 hours through villages and farmlands
not yet showing results of spring planting.

The Mosselle and Rhine river meet

Koblenz another UNESCO World Heritage city, may not be as well known as other towns in Germany but it should be on your list of river towns with a rich history to explore.

With less than two full days in each town you hit the ground running and thanks to the Koblenz Tourist office who had arranged a wonderful schedule for me.

First, bus #650 across from the tourist office will take you a short distance out of town to the Stolzenfele Scholossweg. My first German castle.

Watch for the sign on the right and take the road up, up and up the hill. The paved road takes you the entrance at the back of the castle (the path took me to the dead end at the front of the castle)

Tours are offered, none in English but they kindly provided an abbreviated written outline of the information.

Great river views from the castle

Back to to (bus stop is across from where you got off) I visited the Tourist Office. The lobby has a coffee cafe offering snacks, cake and WIFI. Middle Rhine Museum, Romanticum interactive exhibit and the municipal library are also in the building but as most restaurants and all stores, it was closed on a Sunday. A great collection of 'things to do' and I would keep this in mind for a winter traveler or perhaps a rainy day.

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The narrow streets and squares throughout town take you from historic churches to former municipal building all with the charm I had always assigned to Germany. Kolblenz's has many great places to explore: take the 'cable car' across the river and up to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

Not just an historic site, multi use complex that hosts festivals and concerts. It is a perfect vantage point to sit and view the hills and river for miles. In 2020 Ehrenbreitsteint was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Far more can be told about the history of this fort. Allow enough time to explore. Remember the last cable car crossing or you will be hiking to a bridge down the river that crosses the Rhine.

You can spend the entire day exploring the site, the museum, enjoying lunch at the cafe or even stay at the hostel. The buildings are used for conferences, events and perhaps weddings.

My patient guide Ms Wiebke Heitmann

My guide suggested one of the older hotels in the Jesuitenplatz (square) as a perfect solo friendly lunch location. The Altsadt Hotel had a friendly cafe and a large outside dining area. I had a late lunch here to try there featured Bread and Spreads. You select from a wide variety of German breads and pick three spreads. It was delicious, comfortable seating and no rush to vacate your table.

One of the staff members spoke English and I suspect the other young woman understood me.

The coffee was excellent. This would be my recommendation to a solo traveler who might not enjoy a more formal restaurant. Jesuitenpl, 1 Koblenz, Germany www..altstadt-hotel-koblenz.de

The 14 room boutique hotel above the cafe (from the web site) would be a great location and easy walk to the riverside, train station or other sites in the city. Not open for dinner.

I was the guest of the Koblenz Tourist office at the Winzerstube and Amalfi restaurant on the river front. An unusual mix of two restaurants side by side with one entrance: Italian to the left and German to the right. On Sunday night they were very busy but found me a table.

Herr Meithoff owns the restaurant and has a fondness for Italian cinquecentos! He has one parked IN the restaurant..

The German side

I chose a potato soup that was excellent.

The massive chicken salad was amazing. I never cook so I had to ask the waitress what they cooked the chicken in. After sever attempts it was explained the flavoring was balsamic vinegar.