Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [432]
Hotel Hamm ( 303 210; www.hotel-hamm.de; St-Josef-Strasse 32-34; s €49-59, d €75-85, q €120; ) Unpretentious and unsurprising, this 30-room hotel is popular with businesspeople and offers good value. It’s located in a residential area three blocks south of the Hauptbahnhof and 1.5km from the Altstadt, to which it’s linked by bus 1.
Diehl’s Hotel ( 970 70; www.diehls-hotel.de; Rheinsteigufer 1; s €64-98, d €79-134, breakfast €13; ) A family-run hotel on the Rhine’s east bank, with a stylish 1980s vibe and 60 comfortable rooms offering watery views of Koblenz. The restaurant has a gorgeous terrace overlooking the Rhine – perfect for a romantic sunset dinner. Situated about 1km south of Festung Ehrenbreitstein.
Contel Koblenz ( 406 50; www.contel-koblenz.de; Pastor-Klein-Strasse 19; s/d from €75/79, buffet breakfast €11; ) This 185-room hotel’s exuberant bad taste begins with the electric-blue facade and gets wilder inside – some new outrage against bourgeois good taste awaits around every corner. Some rooms have kitchenettes and three rooms come with waterbeds. Situated 1km west along the Moselle from the Altstadt; served by bus 3, whose nearest stop is Ludwig-Erhard-Strasse.
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Eating & Drinking
Many of Koblenz’ restaurants and pubs are in the Altstadt, eg around Münzplatz and Burgstrasse, and along the Rhine. Diehl’s Hotel has a romantic restaurant with lots of German dishes (mains €11.50 to €21.50).
Kaffeewirtschaft ( 914 4702; Münzplatz 14; mains €5.20-12.20, salads €4.40-8.70; 9am-midnight Mon-Thu, 9am-2am Fri & Sat, 10am-midnight Sun & holidays) An old-fashioned cafe with minimalist designer decor, old marble tables and weekly specials (including vegetarian options) that take advantage of whatever’s in season.
Cafe Miljöö ( 142 37; www.cafe-miljoeoe.de, in German; Gemüsegasse 12; mains €7.90-11.90; 8am-1am or later) ‘Milieu’ (pronounce it like the French) is a cosy, bistrolike cafe with fresh flowers, changing art exhibits, lots of vegie and vegan options, and a great selection of coffees, teas and homemade cakes. Breakfast is available until 5pm.
Irish Pub ( 973 7797; www.irishpubkoblenz.de; Burgstrasse 7; 4pm-1am or later Mon, Tue, Thu & Fri, 1pm-2am or later Wed, Sat & Sun) A Koblenz institution since 1985, this drinking establishment screens major sports events, hosts live music and has karaoke (Wednesday) and quiz nights (Tuesday in winter).
For self-catering, try Aldi supermarket (Bahnhofstrasse 50; 8am-8pm Mon-Sat), two blocks north of the Hauptbahnhof.
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Getting There & Away
Koblenz’ Hauptbahnhof is served by frequent regional/IC trains going north to destinations such as Bonn (€10.30/13.50) and Cologne (€16.70/20), south to Mainz (€16.70/20) and Frankfurt (€22.20/26), and southwest to Trier (€19.20/24). Regional trains serve villages on both banks of the Romantic Rhine, including Bingen (€11.30, 50 minutes). Some of the Rhine villages are also served by buses (www.rmv-bus.de, in German) that stop outside the Hauptbahnhof – bus 650 goes to Boppard via Schloss Stolzenfels, while bus 570 goes to Braubach/Marksburg.
Several boat companies have docks along Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer, along the Rhine south of the Deutsches Eck.
A number of highways converge in Koblenz, including the B9 from Cologne/Bonn. The nearest autobahns are the A61 (Koblenz-Nord exit) and the A48/A1 to Trier.
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Getting Around
Bicycles can be rented from Fahrrad Zangmeister ( 323 63; Am Löhrrondell; 9am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat), half a block east of Löhnstrasse 89a.
Bus trips in the city centre cost €1.60; longer trips (eg to the hostel or Schloss Stolzenfels) are €2.40. Day passes cost €3.60/4.80 for one/two zones. Bus 1 links the Deutsches Eck with the Hauptbahnhof.