A cultural centre above the RhineEhrenbreitstein Fortress

What the fortress is today

The site belongs to the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and is run by the Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe, the state heritage authority. Its official name is “Kulturzentrum Festung Ehrenbreitstein und Landesmuseum Koblenz”. The Landesmuseum shows permanent and temporary exhibitions in four exhibition buildings; the themes are photography, archaeology, wine and food, and economic and cultural history.

Among the things to see are the “Stationen der Festungsgeschichte” (stages of the fortress's history), the Turm Ungenannt, the Haus des Genusses, the Fahnenturm with an excavation and a multimedia staging, and the houses of cultural history and archaeology. Events, costumed guided tours and staged theatre run alongside them.

Opening hours and what they cost

There are two seasons, and the difference is considerable – not only in the hours but in the price.

29 Mar – 1 Nov 2026

10–18 full price

2 Nov 26 – 20 Mar 27

11–16 about 50 % less

after that

to 24 free

Once the chargeable hours end – from 18:00 in summer, 16:00 in winter – access to the grounds and the catering is normally free. Closed-off areas and events run by outside organisers are excluded. The exhibition buildings are shut on 24 and 31 December. On “Christmas Garden” days separate rules apply: no entry between 16:00 and 16:30, and after that only with an event ticket.

Four ways up – and what they cost

This is where the real decision lies. The fortress always costs the same; the difference is made on the way up.

Honestly: This is the sentence this page exists for. With the fortress lift the same visit costs €11.00 instead of €21.90 – half. The lift runs all year from 06:00 to 01:00, takes three minutes for 94 metres of height and is step-free. And with a valid VRM ticket for fare zone 106 or a Deutschlandticket the ride is free – then you pay only the €10.00 entry. Bicycles and dogs travel free as well.

Rule of thumb: The cable car is not a feeder service, it is the attraction. Wanting the flight across the Rhine costs about €11 extra – and you get something for it. If you just want to get up there, take the lift.

Everything about the cable car – the engineering, the operating times, all the fares – is on Koblenz cable car and Koblenz cable car prices.

The beer garden and the catering

There is catering on the site, and it is tied to the entry fee – while the chargeable hours run, you need a ticket to visit the restaurants too. After that you do not: from 18:00 in summer and 16:00 in winter, access to the grounds and the catering is normally free until midnight.

Rule of thumb: If you want an evening drink overlooking the confluence, you pay no entry – only the ride up. With the fortress lift that is €6.10 return, and with a Deutschlandticket nothing at all.

Staying the night in the fortress

The Koblenz youth hostel is inside the site. Two things are different for DJH overnight guests: they do not need a fortress ticket to reach the hostel during chargeable hours, and they pay less on the fortress lift – €3.10 for adults, €1.50 for children from 7.

Getting there

• Fortress lift: bottom station “Vor dem Sauerwassertor” in the Ehrenbreitstein district, top station right at the fortress entrance and the youth hostel.
• Bus: routes 9/19, 10, 460 and the N9 night bus to “Festungsaufzug / Jugendherberge”; route 8 to “Ehrenbreitstein Bahnhof”, about ten minutes' walk from there.
• Train: to Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein station, also about ten minutes on foot to the lift.
• Car: set the satnav to Greiffenklaustraße, 56077 Koblenz. Parking at the fortress is limited and chargeable.
• On foot: the fortress lies on the Rheinsteig. According to the operator the plateau and the path towards Vallendar can also be reached bypassing the fortress – demanding in places.

“I am taking the cable car and want the ride and entry in one.”

Koblenz: Cable Car Tickets with Optional Entry to Ehrenbreitstein Castle

Entry ticket · cable car alone or with the fortress · ★ 4.6 from 657 reviews

from, per person€17.80

View on GetYourGuide

Honestly: This is the cable car combi, in other words the dearer of the two ways up, and the price shown varies with the country you browse from – at the desk the combi is €21.90. The fortress lift remains half that at €11.00. Book this if you want the crossing over the Rhine, not if you simply need to get up the hill.