After Bonn in 2023 and Münster in 2024, Dennis and I went further than North Rhine-Westphalia for our 2025 Christmas market in Germany outing. We went to Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, at the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle rivers. Hence the name of the city. 

In preparation of this escapade to Koblenz, Booking proposed Dennis a Christmas cruise on the Rhine. 20 euros for an hour, a glass of mulled wine, or Glühwein, included. There was also a three-hour cruise, all the way to the Lorelei. But we stuck to the one hour cruise on La Paloma. 

Now, afterwards the Marksburgschifffahrt Vomfell shipping company website removed information on the Christmas cruise (as I wrote this blog post after Christmas). But I could reconstruct some elements. 

La Paloma is one of the most familiar and characterful passenger vessels on the Middle Rhine, a ship that feels perfectly at home in the landscape it navigates. 

Built in 1992 and operated by the family-run company Marksburgschifffahrt Vomfell, the vessel is designed for comfortable sightseeing rather than speed. Broad decks, panoramic windows and a warm interior atmosphere make it equally suited to summer castle cruises and winter journeys such as the Christmas Boat Tour, where hot mulled wine and softly lit riverbanks give the Rhine a quieter, more reflective character. On board, the rhythm of the river sets the pace, allowing the scenery and its long history to unfold naturally.

The one-hour Christmas cruise begins in Koblenz, along the city’s Rhine promenade, where La Paloma eases away from the pier and heads south, following the river upstream. 

Almost immediately, the historic layers of Koblenz reveal themselves. 

One of the first landmarks to appear is the Electoral Palace of Koblenz, a long, elegant residence built in the late eighteenth century for the Elector of Trier. Its restrained neoclassical façade, facing the river, reflects the ideals of the Enlightenment and marks a moment when Koblenz was as much a courtly residence as a fortified town. From the water, the palace appears calm and composed, a contrast to the defensive structures that dominate other parts of the Rhine.

Not far beyond the palace, the industrial heritage of the city comes into view with the Koblenzer Brewery. Though more modern in appearance, it represents another long-standing Rhine tradition: brewing, trade and river-based industry. For centuries, the Rhine has carried not only soldiers and princes but also raw materials, beer barrels and commercial goods, making towns like Koblenz both cultural and economic hubs.

Rising above the urban landscape is the Koblenz television tower, a distinctly modern landmark that punctuates the skyline. Its presence is a reminder that the Rhine is not a frozen medieval tableau, but a living corridor that continues to evolve. Seen from the river, the tower forms a visual counterpoint to the historic buildings below, linking the city’s contemporary life to its ancient setting.

As La Paloma continues upstream, the cityscape gradually gives way to steeper banks and vineyard-covered slopes. The river narrows slightly, the atmosphere becomes quieter, and the sense of Rhine Romanticism begins to take hold. This change in scenery prepares you for the cruise’s focal point: Schloss Stolzenfels, the turning point of the journey.

Stolzenfels Castle rises above the left bank like a vision from a romantic painting. Originally a medieval toll castle controlling traffic on the Rhine, it fell into ruin before being dramatically rebuilt in the nineteenth century at the request of King Frederick William IV of Prussia. 

Rather than restoring it as a strict historical fortress, the king transformed Stolzenfels into a romantic ideal of the Middle Ages, complete with decorative towers, battlements and terraced gardens. From the river, the castle appears carefully composed within its landscape, framed by vineyards whose cultivation dates back to Roman times. Here, La Paloma slows, allowing passengers to take in the view before gently turning back toward Koblenz.

On the return journey, the river feels subtly different. Familiar landmarks reappear, now framed from a new angle, and the city gradually draws closer again. This time, however, La Paloma continues beyond the original boarding pier, heading toward one of Germany’s most symbolic river landmarks: the Deutsches Eck.

As the ship approaches the confluence of the Rhine and the Moselle, the monumental equestrian statue of Emperor William I (Wilhelm I) comes into full view. The Deutsches Eck has been a place of significance since Roman times, but the modern monument, erected in the late nineteenth century, turned it into a powerful symbol of German unity. 

Destroyed during World War II and left empty for decades, the statue was re-erected after German reunification, reinforcing the site’s enduring political and emotional resonance. From the water, the scale of the monument and the meeting of the two rivers are particularly striking, underscoring why this point has always held such importance.

As La Paloma finally turns back toward its berth, the lights of Koblenz shimmer on the surface of the Rhine. In the space of just one hour, the cruise has traced a compact but eloquent story: from princely palaces and industrial landmarks to romantic castles and national monuments. 

Enhanced by the warmth of mulled wine and the calm of winter on the river, the Christmas Boat Tour offers a gentle yet deeply evocative introduction to the Rhine – a river that has shaped cities, kingdoms and imaginations for centuries.

Life on board

The cruise was far from fully booked so we had options to sit and move around for photos. The mulled whine was included, and so was the Christmas music. 

I had hoped for explanations of what we saw, but we only heard music. Christmas music in all genres. We missed the commentary, which would have made the tour more interesting. 

Koblenz and its Christmas markets 2025

1. RHINELAND-PALATINATE | Kurioos and Queer Koblenz.
2. REVIEW | Four Point Flex by Sheraton Koblenz near Koblenz Main Station.
3. REVIEW | Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum or German Gemstone Museum in Idar-Oberstein.
4. GERMANY | Schloss Oberstein and Burg Bosseltein in Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate.
5. GERMANY | Koblenz Christmas Market or Koblenzer Weihnachtsmarkt in Rhineland-Palatinate.
6. KOBLENZ | Deutsches Eck, the German Corner at the confluence of the Moselle and the Rhine.
7. KOBLENZ | The Middle Rhine Museum or Mittelrhein-Museum at Forum Confluentes.
8. RHINELAND-PALATINATE | Seilbahn Koblenz cable car and Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.