Sitting opposite Koblenz on the banks of the Rhine, there has been a castle of some sort at Ehrenbreitstein since the early Middle Ages. Its current form dates from the early 19th century, when it was expanded into Europe’s largest fortress to protect the town on the outer reaches of the Prussian empire.

Today the castle has a more peaceful task: to house the Regional Museum of Koblenz, which is in the casemates and is dedicated to the wines of the region. It also houses an exhibition on Rhineland inventions and commercial successes (which include Audi cars) as well as a small collection of archaeological artifacts excavated from across the region.

A visitor trail through the complex encompasses canons, a multimedia show on the history of the fortress, and peerless view from the viewing platform of the flag tower; it provides the perfect vantage point overlooking Deutsches Eck (German Corner), the country’s premier memorial to reunification.