From the Northern Vosges we had some additional time as we had arrived at this point sooner than expected. We decided that a visit to the Rhine River valley would be a good choice and set off in that direction. Unfortunately the day we choose was one of the few wet days we experienced on the trip, so while the drive along the banks of the Rhine River wasn’t bathed in sunshine, like our previous trip 10 years earlier, it didn’t take away seeing the impressive castles and towns dotted along the banks. The Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz is a definite to do if you’re in the area and most people see it from one of the many ferry that carry people on sightseeing cruises, even on this wet day they were running.

At the end of this beautiful section of the Rhine, is the small town/city of Koblenz, which is described as Germany’s prettiest corner. This is where the water of the Mosel River meets the Rhine and on that corner stands a huge monument of German Emperor Whilem I built in 1897 by the Germans. The town itself has a Fort on the East bank where you can get a great view over the city and the small medieval district and a massive 19th Century government building on the Western River bank.