Drachenfels

Where Siegfried fought with the dragon

With a height of 321 metres the Drachenfels mountain is not the highest one, but it is definitely the most famous mountain of the Siebengebirge. According to Karl Simrock, an expert regarding the Nibelungs legend, it is right here where Siegfried’s fight with the dragon took place.

In 1140, Arnold I, the Cologne Arch Bishop, began to erect the fortress at the Drachenfels mountain as a border fortification. In 1634, another arch bishop of Cologne had the castle be pulled down apart from the donjon, which can still be seen today as the ruin of a fortress. From here you have a wonderful view to the Rhineland; under ideal weather conditions you can even see the two towers of the Dome of Cologne .The legendary ruin of a fortress is located on top of the Drachenfels, which has a height of 321 metres. According to the legend, it is right here where Siegfried’s fight with the dragon took place. You can reach the top of the Drachenfels mountain either on foot, with a hackney or – just half way – on the back of a donkey. A little more comfortable though is a ride with Germany’s oldest rack railway, the so-called Drachenfelsbahn, which was taken into operation on July 17, 1883 for the first time. Our tip: with the Bonn Regio WelcomeCard you get a 20 % reduction on your ride with the Drachenfelsbahn!