Hi Hivefriends,

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Since I still visit my home state of NRW often, it was only a matter of time before I would also visit Schloss Drachenburg. Especially during the Corona period, I visited many castles and palaces along the Rhine. Of course, Drachenburg Castle was not to be missed. Schloss Drachenburg is a castle directly on the Drachenfels in Königswinter. I travelled with a friend from Cologne main station to Rhoendorf, which took about an hour and a half by train, luckily there was a direct connection with the RB27. From there we had to walk up to Schloss Drachenburg for another half an hour. We visited the castle about half a year ago.

Many of my friends have already visited Schloss Drachenburg, I don't know anyone who lives in NRW and hasn't been there. It's already a major attraction on the Rhine. No wonder, the castle looks like a little dream castle. It's also set against an incredibly beautiful backdrop, directly on the Rhine and very elevated.

Drachenburg Castle and the Rhine behind it

A virtual tour of the castle and a virtual 3D replica to see rooms that are otherwise closed off.

I was also very enthusiastic about the Schloss Drachenburg website. The castle is very digitally set up, which I didn't expect! You can even take a virtual castle tour, on 2D and 3D. Yes, there is even a 3D model!
That means you can even explore the castle from home. Nevertheless, an exploration tour with my blog is definitely much more exciting ;)). However, one advantage is that otherwise closed and inaccessible rooms can now be visited virtually. At the time, the interior of the castle was not accessible, so we only looked at the castle from the outside.

I would have loved to show you the 3D model here on my blog and take some screenshots of the interiors, but I'm not sure about copyright issues ;)

Drachenfels, Germany's most "climbed" mountain

Another way to get to the Drachenfels mountain and thus visit the castle is to take the rack railway. Did you know that the Drachenfels near Königswinter is Germany's most "climbed" mountain? It's not surprising, because from here you have a good view far across the Rhine. The castle is not quite on top of the mountain, but about halfway up. Maybe this will encourage some of you to hike up after all ;).

From the "Venus Terrace" you can even see the Cologne Cathedral

Two large golden stags welcomed us directly at the entrance. Anyone who has ever been to Schloss Drachenburg will recognise them. They are characteristic of the castle. They stand on the so-called "Venus Terrace" - great name, what do you say? Behind them is a larger staircase that led us to the castle.

Already on the terrace you have a very good view of the surroundings, and not only of them - you can even see the Cologne Cathedral, right next to Cologne's main railway station, from where we started. At least on good days ;) You also have a view of many forests and the Siebengebirge nature park. The "romanticism of the Rhine" is most likely to be found here. ,

a great view of the rhine

How did this mixture of villa, castle and palace come into existence?

Yes, I think it's really a mix of these three things. A villa, a castle and a palace. What do you think looks most like the building? If I had to assign a fixed term to the building, I would say it's a Schlsos, so I would go with the official title. It has too many halls and towers to be a villa. The castle was built by a stock market speculator in 1882, Baron Stephan von Sarter.

Why he had the castle built is still not known. I don't think there necessarily has to be a reason for such a building. The castle itself is reason enough, isn't it? The baron himself never lived in the castle, but in a rented flat in Paris until his death. A year after his death, the château was opened to the public for "summer retreats".

In between, the castle repeatedly threatened to fall into disrepair. And yet there were always people who saved it from decay. As a result, the castle can still be visited in its original state today. You can even rent a suite in the tower room at the very top, if you have the necessary change. From there you must have an incredible view over the Rhine valley.

Schloss Drachenburg - villa, castle, or chateau

The Drachenfels Ruin

The view is certainly even better from the very top of the Drachenfels. From here you can see the Rhine and the Siebengebirge even better. A highlight that can only be found up here:
the remains of a 12th-century castle can be found. I love ruins. Do you? In fact, to get up here, you either have to take a one-hour walk or ride the cogwheel railway up here. We preferred to walk.
For refreshments, you can sit down in a panorama restaurant right next to the ruins on the Drachenfels plateau.

the ruin with a great view of the rhine

Mountain railway in the Siebengebirge on the Drachenfels

the ruins up close

the view from the very top

A dragon that is said to have lived in the ruins in the Siebengebirge

The Drachenfels ruins are located in the nature reserve. Many legends and stories are spun around them. It is also an extremely good starting point for this, because the ruins are located on the 321 meter high Drachenfels in the Siebengebirge. That's why Drachenburg Castle got its name, as did the ruins: from the dragon that is said to have lived here. It is said to have been a lindworm. The surrounding residents are said to have offered human sacrifices to him. Do you believe in mythical creatures? I would be very interested in your opinion!

How did you like my post? Would you also like to visit the castle on the Rhine? Feel free to write me in the comments. I look forward to my next post!