Part two of my Cologne-Koblenz trip began a bit rough.
Walking into the train station, I realised I had no idea where my platform was. I looked at the overhead signs and walked down the departure hall but didn't see the correct platform anywhere. I finally decided I had better get some help before I ruined my weekend. I'm still not clear on what happened as I had thoroughly researched and planned my tickets beforehand. But... I either booked the ticket from the wrong station, messed up the time or the train just left early. Thankfully one of the women working was very kind and put me on a transfer over the river, where I was able to catch my original train and finally breathe again.
Arriving in Koblenz it was around 5 and getting dark. I had booked a room at Hotel Hohenstaufen which was across the street from the Hauptbahnhof (main train station) and in close proximity to the main train station. I could actually see the station from my room which was pretty neat.
It's a bit blurry, but the station is there on the left.
I went up to the second floor only to find I could not get the door to my room open. I don't have a photo of it, but the key was quite old-fashioned and strange to navigate. Amidst flashbacks of being locked out of apartments on previous European trips, I worked at it for a while before finally succeeding in getting it open. And of course, as these things often go, it wasn't actually that complicated.
After settling in and finally plugging my phone in for a much-needed charge, I ate downstairs at the hotel restaurant called Mondrian burger & co. I ordered a vegan burger with sweet potato fries as I was eating vegetarian/vegan for January. The burger wasn't great as it was overly sweet and didn't taste at all healthy, but the suss-kartoffel (sweet potato) fries were okay. It might have been my first time eating alone at a real restaurant, but despite my trepidation, it ended up being a really nice experience.
Sunday morning, I walked to the Altstadt (old city) area of Koblenz in search of the perfect alley shot. by the time I found an area I liked, the streets were pretty crowded, and it was difficult to get photos without other people in it.
I actually waited in the alley for about fifteen minutes to get this photo. And while not thrilled with the result, it'll do.
Historiensaule or The History Column, was gifted to the city of Koblenz marking its 2000-year anniversary. It stands approximately 10 meters high and tells the story of the city of Koblenz in ten scenes from top to bottom beginning with the Roman times as it was established a military post in 8 B.C.
The German name Koblenz actually comes from the Latin cōnfluentēs meaning (at the confluence) as the Rhine and Mosel Rivers join here at the Deutsches Eck (German Corner). There's a tram that goes over the river with beautiful views, but unfortunately it was closed when I visited.
This 46-foot statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I the first Emperor of a united Germany, stands as a Memorial of German Unity. Destroyed by the Americans in World War II, a replica was erected in 1993 after the 1990 reunification.
Inside the monument, I was surprised to find a narrow staircase leading to a higher level with telescopes for even more views across the river.
On the curved wall there is a pillar representing each of the sixteen German Länder (states). I stayed in Karlsruhe, which is in Baden-Württemberg, the third largest state in Germany.
I just had to include this photo as it reminds me of all those British mystery shows on BBC, I was so obsessed with growing up.
I ended up following a path along the river for quite a while. Enjoying the mild weather and snapping photos along the way. I was absolutely mesmerized by these very unique looking birds. I didn't get a good photo as I was a bit frightened by them and wasn't sure if it was illegal to get too close. I looked them up later and found they are Egyptian Geese, which also reside in parts of the United States.
Later on in true Elsie fashion, I ended up walking to photograph a building that caught my eye and ended up lost in a neighborhood a good distance away from my intended destination. I never found the building, but I was just thankful to find my way back to the Hauptbahnhof with plenty of time before my train departed.
Overall, Koblenz is an amazing little city full of history and if you ever have the chance, I highly recommend spending at least a day there.
Here are a few more photos from the day.
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