Haus Metternich, Former aristocratic town residence at Münzplatz, Koblenz, Germany

Haus Metternich, also called Metternicher Hof, is a former noble residence at Münzplatz 7/8 in Koblenz's old town. The surviving building is a plain three-storey structure with a rendered facade and six window axes; its present form dates largely from the 19th century, when about a third of the main building was separated and rebuilt.

The building traces back to a medieval residential tower that was part of a late Roman fortification and was gradually transformed into a town palace over the following centuries. In the 19th century, the Metternich family gained wide recognition across Europe through Klemens von Metternich, one of the most influential statesmen of his time.

The house is named after the Metternich-Winneburg-Beilstein family, who received it as a fief in 1644 and had it rebuilt for 600 thalers. Its best-known resident, Klemens Wenzel Lothar von Metternich, was born here in 1773 and later shaped the Congress of Vienna. In 1818 he revisited his birthplace and wrote to his mother that the house was in a wretched, filthy state.

Haus Metternich stands at Münzplatz 7/8, a short walk from Koblenz's central pedestrian zone. The building now houses a museum of contemporary art and a youth meeting centre; the permanent exhibition is titled "Peace needs specialists – Alternatives to violence". Check opening times before visiting, as access is limited to exhibition hours.

Behind the baroque facade, the core of the building still contains the structure of a medieval tower built on Roman foundations, making it one of the few places in Koblenz where layers from Roman times to the 17th century are physically stacked on top of each other. This hidden depth is not visible from the outside and goes unnoticed by most visitors.