~ Ehrenbreitstein, 06.03.2025 ~
The killing fields before the fortress's walls, whose bastions cover any possible angle of approach, is now a large, open park. Cable cars carry people down and across the river into Koblenz.
The ditch is quite deep and wide, and the geometric angles of the fort, although harmonious from above, are rather desorienting on the ground (as the probably should be towould-be attackers).
The vastness and emptiness of the space, the corners and angles, and the stark shdows of the late winter sun created an interesting atmosphere.
The top of the crownwork guarding the entrance, and the entrance itself, are quite sightly.
Inside, the vast courtyard opens up to a grand, panoramic view of Koblenz, the Rhine, the Moselle, and the entire region.
Today, the barracks, batteries and casemates host cafés and museums.
There are a few gardens too that I didn't visit this time.
Rebuilt in its current form by the Prussian administration after the Napoleonic wars as a bulkwark against the French, the fortress never saw any real use in war, but it continues to serve well in peace.
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress towers over the confluence of the rivers Rhine and Moselle across from the city of Koblenz, and guards the German lands against the French.