Koblenz & the Hubert Käppel Competition: a guitarist's travel guide
Koblenz International Guitar Festival & Hubert Käppel Competition · Koblenz, Germany
Where the Rhine meets the Moselle, Koblenz hosts one of the largest guitar festivals in the world, a nine-day gathering that has run for more than thirty years and draws players and teachers from dozens of countries. Its competition, named for the guitarist Hubert Käppel, sits at the heart of a week of recitals, orchestral concerts and masterclasses in a beautiful stretch of the Rhine valley.
Getting there
Koblenz is on the main Rhine railway, about an hour from Cologne and a little over an hour by direct train from Frankfurt Airport (FRA), the most convenient gateway. The riverside station puts you within reach of the festival venues and the old town.
Compare trains, buses & flights to Koblenz on Omio →
Where to stay
Base yourself near the old town and the Deutsches Eck, the point where the two rivers meet, and much of the festival and the sights are walkable. Koblenz is a relaxed river city, well set up for a few days of music and walking.
An interactive map of hotels, apartments and B&Bs across Booking, Expedia, Airbnb and more, centred on Koblenz.
See stays in Koblenz →What you'll hear
The competition runs through several solo rounds to a final for the best half-dozen players, while the surrounding festival offers a nightly concert series, a gala with the local orchestra, and masterclasses with star teachers. It is the scale that impresses: a whole town given over to the guitar for more than a week. Recent winners such as Marko Topchii and Hao Yang have gone on to lead the field.
If you play as well as listen, explore Johann Kaspar Mertz, master of the Romantic guitar on Sheet Music Plus →
Where to eat
This is Rhine and Moselle country, so eat regional and drink Riesling: Sauerbraten, the marinated pot roast, potato pancakes with apple sauce, and the wines of the surrounding slopes. A glass on a terrace above the river is the classic way to end a concert night.
While you're there
Ride the cable car across the Rhine to the great Ehrenbreitstein Fortress for the view, then take a boat south into the Rhine Gorge toward the Loreley rock and its castles. The whole Upper Middle Rhine valley is a UNESCO World Heritage landscape. A rental car makes the day trips simple, and GetYourGuide lists guided tours and tickets across the region.
Enter the pieces you play, and GuitarComp shows how your programme maps to this competition's rounds and which other events you qualify for.
See full competition details →Competition dates, deadlines and the current compulsory work change each edition, so always confirm at the official site: rhineguitar.de.