Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
13 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
17 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Königswinter Burg Drachenfels

Burg Drachenfels

A ruined castle stands atop a hill surrounded by dragon lore.

Königswinter, Germany

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Burg Drachenfels seen from Mehlem.   Dmitry Tonkonog and Ksenia Fedosova/CC BY SA 3.0
Burg Drachenfels seen from Mehlem.   Dmitry Tonkonog and Ksenia Fedosova/CC BY SA 3.0
Burg Drachenfels, c. 1890-1905.   Unknown/Public Domain
A view of the Drachenfels from Mehlem.   Dmitry Tonkonog and Ksenia Fedosova/CC BY SA 3.0
The castle ruins on the Drachenfels, Königswinter, 2014.   af. Fotografie/CC BY-SA 2.0
A monument to Burg Drachenfels’s last burgrave.   Tohma
The ruins of Burg Drachenfels, c. 1850-60.   Unknown/Public Domain
An engraving depicting the castle, c. mid-17th century.   Matthäus Merian/Public Domain
  Mary Brook / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Drachenfels, a thousand-foot hill in Germany, is a site surrounded by legends. At the summit of the hill lie the ruins of a 12th century castle known as Burg Drachenfels.

Literally meaning "Dragon's Rock," the Drachenfels abounds with dragon-related legends. One claims that a dragon lived here, but a Christian maiden's prayers made it fly away and never return. In another, a different dragon is said to have been defeated by the use of gunpowder. According to another, Fafnir, the son of a dwarf king was turned into a dragon by a cursed ring and later slain by the mythical hero Sigurd. Fafnir lived in a cave full of treasure, which legend holds was located in the Drachenfels.

It has been suggested that the "dragon's rock" originally referred to the trachyte ore extracted from the hill. The Drachenfels has been known for its trachyte quarries since the Roman times. Around the year 1000, stones quarried from the hill were used to construct the St. Maria im Kapitol church in Cologne.

In 1138, Archbishop Arnold I of Cologne started the construction of Burg Drachenfels, which was purchased and completed in 1149 by Gerhard von Are, provost of the St. Cassius Abbey in Bonn. It was originally intended to defend the city of Cologne from potential invaders. In the early 17th century, during the Thirty Years' War, the Swedes attacked the hilltop castle and heavily damaged it. The Lord of Drachenfels, who lived at Gudenau Castle, had no interest in restoring it despite having been offered funds. Having lost its strategic importance, the castle was never rebuilt and remains in ruins to this day.

Following the Napoleonic Wars, the Drachenfels and its castle ruins were visited by the likes of Lord Byron and often became a subject of poetry. This invigorated the tourism in the area, especially after the Drachenfels Railway made access easier in 1883. Around this time, a gorgeous neogothic castle called Schloss Drachenburg was constructed on another side of the hill. Because of its popularity among Dutch tourists, the Drachenfels has earned the humorous nickname of "the Highest Hill in Holland."

Related Tags

Castles Ruins Legends Dragons

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

Mary Brook

  • Mary Brook

Published

May 28, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Burg Drachenfels
1 Drachenfels
Königswinter, 53639
Germany
50.665236, 7.210165
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Nibelungenhalle

Königswinter, Germany

miles away

Heads of Saints Cassius and Florentius

Bonn, Germany

miles away

Bonn Cherry Blossoms

Bonn, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Königswinter

Königswinter

Germany

Places 2

Nearby Places

Nibelungenhalle

Königswinter, Germany

miles away

Heads of Saints Cassius and Florentius

Bonn, Germany

miles away

Bonn Cherry Blossoms

Bonn, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Königswinter

Königswinter

Germany

Places 2

Related Places

  • Caisteal Maol

    Isle of Skye, Scotland

    Caisteal Maol

    This ruined castle is said to be the legendary keep of a Viking princess.

  • Rozafa Castle

    Shkodër, Albania

    Rozafa Castle

    According to a local legend, this old castle could only be built after a woman was immured in the walls.

  • Chateau de Machecoul

    Machecoul, France

    Château de Machecoul

    The ruins of a medieval castle linked to the murderous French lord that inspired the famous legend of Bluebeard.

  • Tintagel Castle

    Tintagel, England

    Tintagel Castle

    A fantastic castle rumored to be the birthplace of King Arthur.

  • Tharandt, Germany

    Tharandt Castle Ruin

    Near Dresden, a scenic medieval castle ruin offers atmospheric views, educational ties to forestry, and a glimpse into Saxony’s past.

  • Castle Mound.

    Cambridge, England

    Castle Mound

    This hill is all that remains of Cambridge’s former castle.

  • The Tomb of Piers Shonks in St Mary’s Church in Brent Pelham, Hertfordshire

    Brent Pelham, England

    Tomb of Piers Shonks

    A knight said to have slayed a dragon with the help of his winged dogs is buried inside the walls of a church.

  • The Dragon Mark

    Hanö, Sweden

    Drakmärket (Dragon Mark)

    According to local lore, a flying dragon was blinded by a lighthouse and crashed, leaving a permanent mark on this island rock.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.