Day trip from Frankfurt to Koblenz. Train to Koblenz from Frankfurt every hour, and it takes about 2 hours. Got a Quer-Durch-Deutschland ticket for 2 people for 49€.
Koblenz is a charming town and I seriously have no idea why people on this forum are told there is nothing there to see and basically to avoid staying or visiting here! For those who want to explore the Rhein and the Mosel, it seems to be the perfect town to stay in.
We visited 3 different churches that were really beautiful as well as old, plus the basilica had some nice music playing that added to the medieval atmosphere inside. The views along both of the rivers was fantastic, especially with the fortress overlooking the Rhein and there were plenty of lovely old buildings in the Alt Stadt to admire. Yes, we climbed up the monument to Kaiser Wilhelm. Interesting place and wonderful views. Great pedestrian shopping zone, with all of the streets festively decorated. We found at least 4 Christmas markets, and on a Thur. afternoon it was easy to see everything. Later in the evening, around 18:30, they were all quite full, but they were not overwhelming. Had coffee in a gorgeous old cafe, that made us wish we hadn't already eaten lunch at the market. As far as Christmas markets go, I think I would put it on my list as a city to visit.
We had combi- tickets booked for the Christmas Garden that was up in the Ehrenbreit fortress, that included the gondola ride. We went up a bit early so that we could get sunset photos and boy was that worth it. So beautiful. We sat and waited for it to get a bit darker and then made our way into the Christmas Garden. Had gone to the one in Frankfurt last year so sort of knew what to expect, but this exceeded all of my expectations. It is a photographers dream, but also quite fun for everyone. Probably has to do with the setting in the fortress, but I found it to be very well done and certainly worth the entrance price. These Christmas Gardens are popping up in many cities and they are a good alternative to going to Christmas markets, especially for those with kids or those in wheelchairs.
Riding the gondola back down was fun too. As soon as you leave the "station", the lights inside go out, so you have this fantastic view of the river, the ships and Koblenz.
https://www.christmas-garden.de/en/koblenz/
Honestly, I can't wait to go back to Koblenz in the summer, when the cafes in city and along the river are open.