Dear friends and followers,

in the second part of my series about the Drachenfels (Dragon's Rock), I want to tell you a bit more about the ruined castle Burg Drachenfels, an abandoned Hotel called "Burghof" and some gorgeous trees.

But first of all, I want to reveal the secret of the two orange figures, that sit on the viewing platform.

They have been created by an artist named Bettina Meyer and are called "two forms". Initially, the design was submitted under the title “Nebelfrauen” (fog women), which refers to a line of a poem by Heinrich Heine.

Their positioning on the stairs of the Plateau has a specific purpose, as some visitors regularly stumbled on the stair treads, probably because of the stunning view, so the figures are an artwork, that also serves as a warning signal.

Right behind the two forms you can already see the remains of the castle Burg Drachenfels, which had been constructed in the 12th century.

History

The ruined castle Burg Drachenfels, on the summit of the hill, was built between 1138 and 1167 by Archbishop Arnold I of Cologne and is one of the earliest extant keeps which can be dated exactly.

It was originally intended for the protection of the Cologne region from any assault from the south. Originally it consisted of a bergfried with court, chapel and living quarters for servants. The castle was slighted in 1634, during the Thirty Years' War, by the Protestant Swedes and never rebuilt. As a strategic asset it had outlived its usefulness.

Source

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The keep was approx. 25 m high, with three storeys, and built out of large blocks of trachyte – after all that was the type of stone available nearby. On the inside, the walls were probably plastered. The main entrance was on the eastern side. The ground floor was 4.28 m high, the first floor 4 m and the second floor 4.20 m. On the first floor, there are still traces of a fire place.

Source

The ongoing quarrying on the slopes of the Drachenfels took its toll on the remaining parts of the castle. In 1788, some walls of a residential building and a part of the chapel crashed down the hill towards the Rhine.

Source

Erosion undermined much of the remains and only a small part is left today.

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You may notice the scaffolding in the left picture. It had been raised as part of the necessary restoration measures of the steel anchors and nails, that had been placed in the 1970s to give the mountain additional support against erosion.

The sign below warns against climbing the ruins and leaving the path, as there is a danger to life.

There is a gorgeous tree on the path, which has simply stunning roots.

On the way down, there is another interesting building, which is called "Burghof". Originally it had been used as a residential house for the owner of the nearby castle named "Schloss Drachenburg" and turned into a "Swiss style" hotel in 1904.

There is a beautiful Thuja tree next to the building, which is about 20 meters high.

After it has been abandoned for about 25 years, there are plans of restoring it by a local real estate developer.

No wonder considering the stunning view...

A few steps further down the hill, there is a neogothic castle called "Schloss Drachenburg", where a special festival of lights takes place once a year.

Schloss Drachenburg is a private villa in palace style constructed in the late 19th century. It was completed in only two years (1882–84).

Source

You can read more about the history of this castle at the official website.

Here is a view of the entrance building and you will see a lot more pictures of this castle in the last part of my series.

So stay tuned!

@shortcut - art, photography & more

Links

• Part1 of my series about Dragon's Rock
• A live webcam from the Dragon's rock
• An interesting article about the Drachenfels history
• Wikipedia entry about Drachenfels