Coblenz

Coblenz, a strongly fortified city, upon the tongue of land formed by the junction of the Moselle and Rhine, each of which rivers is crossed by a railway bridge, and by a foot bridge, that over the Moselle being of stone, and that over the Rhine a bridge of boats. The old town is dirty and irregular, but the new town by the Rhine is of a modern character. There are some fine buildings; among them the church of St. Castor, at the extreme point of the tongue of land, which dates from the 12th century, and occupies the site of the oldest Christian church in Rheinland. The Liebfrauenkirche and the old town hall are also interesting. The ancient palace of the Electors of Treves is now a factory, as is also the archiepiscopal palace. The palace of the last century has some fine Gobelin tapestry. Coblenz is the centre of an active wine trade, and exports a vast quantity of mineral waters, and manufactures japanned ware, linens, cottons, and tobacco. Known to the Romans as Confluentes, Coblenz belonged to Treves almost till the war of the French revolution, when it was made capital of the French department in 1798, and was given to Prussia in 1815. Across the Rhine opposite Coblenz is the famous fortress of Ehrenbreitstein.