The best traffic-free bike rides around Wolken

Just a few kilometers from the city center of Koblenz, in the district of the same name, high above the left bank of the Rhine, stands Stolzenfels Castle. In terms of art and cultural history, the castle, built in the 19th century from the ruins of a 13th-century castle, along with its associated park and gardens, is considered one of the most remarkable achievements of Prussian Rhine Romanticism. Originally built by the Archbishop of Trier, Arnold von Isenburg, Burg Stolzenfels was used to collect the Rhine toll until 1412. In 1689, the French destroyed the castle during the War of the Palatinate Succession. After Napoleon's defeat, the complex passed into the possession of the city of Koblenz. In 1823, the city finally gifted the ruin to the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm... https://www.visit-koblenz.de/sehenswuerdigkeiten/schloss-stolzenfels

Very impressive old railway bridge in the middle of the forest.

Great viewpoint above Metternich and the Moselle River; Several trails lead downhill. Metternich Owl War Memorial on the Kimmelberg Keywords: War Memorial Subject area(s): Cultural Landscape Management, Regional Studies Municipality(ies): Koblenz District(s): Koblenz State: Rhineland-Palatinate WGS84 Coordinates: 50° 21′ 35.85″ N, 7° 32′ 59.33″ E, 50.35996°N, 7.54981°E UTM Coordinates: 32,396,849.55 m, 5,579,659.06 m Gauss-Krüger Coordinates: 3,396,883.41 m, 5,581,451.20 m The so-called Metternich Owl is located on the Kimmelberg hill in the west of the Koblenz district of Metternich, which lies on the middle river terrace on the left bank of the Rhine. The Metternich Owl is located on the Moselle side of the river. It is the town's landmark and can be seen from afar. The Metternich Owl is a war memorial erected in honor of the Prussian soldiers from Metternich who fell in the Franco-Prussian War. The planning and construction of the memorial were initiated by the Metternich Veterans' and Reservists' Association under the leadership of Max Weidtman, owner of the Weidtman Manor (Trierstraße 388). The foundation stone was laid on June 15, 1913, and subsequently, the design by architect Otto Bäppler was executed by the Frankfurt architect Wilhelm Müller, who then erected the memorial. It is thanks in particular to the newly arrived resident Max Weidtman, owner of the Weidtman Manor, that the memorial could be ceremonially inaugurated on October 18 and 19, 1913, as he largely financed its construction. The monument, standing nine meters tall, was erected as a patriotic memorial, a theme reinforced by the figure of the eagle, which sits with folded wings atop a relatively high, conical pedestal. The eagle was crafted from a single block of trachyte by the Metternich master stonemason Wilhelm Geisen, according to the plans of the Frankfurt sculptor Carl Storck. A 16-meter-wide flight of steps leads to the monument. The monument itself tapers conically upwards. The pedestal has a square base with sides measuring 5.5 meters and consists of rusticated blocks whose edges are reinforced like pillars. An eagle figure with folded wings sits atop the pedestal. At the level of the eagle's feet, an Iron Cross bearing the letter W in honor of Wilhelm I and the year 1870 is affixed. The dates of the laying of the foundation stone and the monument's dedication are inscribed between the blocks. These dates are historically and politically significant, as they coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Leipzig and the 25th anniversary of Kaiser Wilhelm II's accession to the throne. A wide, two-tiered staircase leads from the surrounding lawn to the monument. The meaning of the monument has changed over time. Initially, the eagle was interpreted as the Prussian eagle, dedicated to the fallen Metternich soldiers of 1870 and 1871. Later, the eagle was reinterpreted as the imperial eagle, a symbol of the new German Empire and a tribute from the local population to the Kaiser and the nation. As part of these reinterpretations, the names of those who participated in the First World War were added. During renovations in 1964, the monument's inscriptions were altered. They now commemorate the soldiers who fell in the wars of 1864-1870/71, 1914-1918, and 1939-1945. For the 80th anniversary of the war memorial in 1993, it was restored once again and rededicated as a "Memorial of Peace." New plaques were attached to the base, bearing, among other things, the inscription "In honor of the dead, as a reminder to the living," and on the reverse, "In memory of the dead of the four wars of the last two centuries." The Metternich Owl is a protected cultural monument. It is surprising that it is referred to as an owl and not an eagle. The residents of Metternich are proud of their owl. It gives its name to the residential area in Metternich at the foot of the monument: Eulenhorst (Owl's Nest). Many houses feature pictures of owls or sculptures of them, and even the fair in Metternich is named after the owl, "Eule-Kärmes" (Owl Fair). Today, the Metternich owl is a significant landmark and one of, if not the, symbols of Metternich. (Friederike Meiers and Anna Serwas, University of Koblenz-Landau, 2014) (Friederike Meiers and Anna Serwas, University of Koblenz-Landau, 2014)

Now that the leaves are thinning again, there is a beautiful view here again!

Beautifully landscaped still waters to take a break and observe water birds

From here you have a great view of the castle...and a beautiful but steep path downhill to Stolzenfels.

At the end of the valley, continue on the Panzerstraße or down to the Meerkatzbach and the Mallendarer Bachtal, also very beautiful and easy to cycle.

Bike park feeling right on your doorstep.