all to be seen from the fortress at 120
metres above the river. One can rarely
leave the profession behind and as a
conveyancer I find myself peering in all
of the estate agent’s windows looking at
the prices of these grand properties and I
find myself dreaming a little!
The Ehrenbreitstein fortress fortifications
were built in the 9th/10th century and
during the 16th century, work began to
turn the castle into a fortress that could
withstand gunpowder weapons. In 1799
it was handed over to the French and
between 1817 and 1828’s the fortress
was re-constructed by the Prussians.
The fortress was said to have been the
largest military fortress in Europe except
for Gibraltar. Ehrenbreitstein could be
defended by up to 1200 soldiers and
today it is open to visitors and houses
several museums and holds open-air
concerts and plays – an old fashioned
children’s puppet show was a delight for
my five year old and many other children.
Beneath, in the German Corner stands
an enormous bronze s tatute of Kaiser
Wilhelm I on horseback towering
majestically over the two rivers and
measuring 37 meters (with is plinth)
in height and weighing 53 tons. This
statue is a replica of the former copper
statue that was badly damaged in the
bombing in 1945, however it stands
proud as a symbol and monument to
a united Germany.
You certainly will be spoilt for choice
as this captivating historical city not
only appeals to the boy in every man,
but will appeal to most and offers an
unforgettable experience, and for all
the little girls in us ladies…. there is an
additional delight to all of these wonders
and that is the sensational shopping
- which of course drives my husband
around the twist!
By Sylvia Garcia
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