Ehrenbreitstein

Is it okay to admit feeling a little wary, when the four-year-old beside you is bouncing with anticipation? To be fair, he did hold the advantage, having experienced the same 890 meter long gondola in daylight just days before. How rightly proud he was, showing we adults the ins and outs. Thankfully there were new sights for him also; the true beauty of tasteful christmas decorations only reveal themselves after nightfall.

Taking the Koblenz gondola across the Rhine provides the oddest feeling. The eye sees city lights and river cruise ships diminishing below, as you rise about 120 meters, yet the ride itself is so smooth as to remove any sensation of movement. 

Arriving at the top, a short walk across a grassy area dotted with leafless trees brings you to the glorious Christmas garden, situated within the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

The UNESCO site presides above not only Koblenz, but also the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle rivers. The existing fortress replaced an earlier castle which the French blew up in 1801, (rather than let anyone else use it), but the site had been occupied from about 4000BC, with fortifications from about 1000BC. Having gone to the trouble of destroying it, the French then had to pay fifteen million francs towards it’s rebuild less than twenty years later. A lot of money, perhaps proving crime doesn’t pay. The fortress’s name comes from one Ehrenbert who built a castle on the site about 1000AD. Why his name should be more important than any other noblemen who built there eludes me.

Astonishingly, it was never attacked during World War One, and was left alone afterwards due to the protection of an American General, Henry Tureman Allen, who believed it to be historically valuable. It continued to be used by armies though, with several differant groups based there at various times. During the second World War it was used as a safe house for archives and historically important artifacts. After the war the site was used variously as a refugee camp, housing complex, museum, and youth hostel, before finally becoming the multi-purpose venue of today, with restaurants, museums (five maybe?), hostel, exhibition and events centre. Quite a story.

But on the night I visited, it was the Christmas Garden which held the limelight. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the adornment of cannons, but their beauty was unmistakable.

Inside arched tunnel-like areas, artifacts and history were interspersed with season-related items. I’m not sure how versions of the Madonna there are (no, not the singer) but this site has a good many, with some surprising guises. Clearly each creator had a differant image in their heads at the time of carving, though maybe some were restricted by orders, resources, and the desire to keep one’s skin.

Moving through from the historic exhibition area, the courtyard where mulled apple could be enjoyed around open fires was just one of so many highlights. When purchasing your drink, the customer paid for their mug, and so could keep it as a memento, or return it for a refund. This seems to be a widespread practice in Germany and does away with the need for throwaway mugs.

My young friend decided to hang out with Father Christmas; they do look like they are waiting for the bus, or maybe reindeer?

Another courtyard held where an ever-changing mural on high walls, set to rich orchestral music was far too absorbing to turn your back on.

But turn you must; there’s the telescope to master. It helps if you pay the coinage, but then, oh, the pleasure in seeing the city and Rhine below in their night glory. 

And under the arch, there’s mistletoe. The wish I made for my hosts as they kissed has since come true; never underestimate the power of belief.

Further on, an ice-skating rink, and more glittering highlights….

…. before entering a walkway lit with laser-like dots for the creative to make patterns within. It wasn’t just the four-year-old playing.

Another area, another theme. I wasn’t sure how witches with their shrill laughter fitted with Christmas, despite them signifying centuries-old stories. But then, through another alley to enjoy a wall of dancing light, where small boys could sit on their father’s shoulders and become huge shadow boys waving their arms to be ten meters tall.

A surprising yet humbling sight as we turned a corner; a wreathed wall insert paying homage to those killed in the world wars. The sleeping statue surrounded by flowers a sobering reminder that today’s joy was hard won, and painful for families on every side.

On ŵe went, after thoughtful pause, to enjoy yet more snow and christmas-related activity. 

But suddenly it was all behind us. Leaving was tempered by the gondola ride gliding us into the city, over river cruise boats and a moonshined river surface, where silver interwoven with black sped by. The whole evening had exuded an air of magic and glitter, where anything was possible, and joy abounded, and yet the organizers had woven into it a recognition of the pain and history to get here. All credit to them for an outstanding job.