Romantic Dragon's Rock [Part2]
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.
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.
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.
Erosion undermined much of the remains and only a small part is left today.
The ruins of Burg Drachenfels these days (left) and around 1900 (above).
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).
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
Very nicely done! I really liked the way you framed the river between the two figures.
Will there be a part 4 with your sketches of Drachenfels? ;-)
Thanks a lot! As you might know, I’m not that good in drawing reality, but maybe the Dragon‘s hill will become a part of a female figure in one of my next „soul drawings“. Who knows?
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I love old castles and ruins .. looks like a place to visit !
Thank You for your documentary ! :-D
Thanks, it's definitely a great place to visit. You should watch out for the last part of my series ;-)
Hiya, just swinging by to let you know that this post made the Honorable Mentions list in today's Travel Digest!
Thanks a lot for the mention. Much appreciated :-)
The individual beauty of the tree roots are wonderful. I bet the festival of lights at the neogothic castle is something to behold. Thanks @shortcut.
Absolutely, glad you liked the roots as much as I did.
@shortcut , Your creative photography of the two orange figures and its history surprised and impressed me. I have liked reading your historical post with seeing fascinating photography. Thank you for sharing this post with us.
You’re welcome :-)
The trees does indeed looks pretty great while the 'Two Forms' does indeed looks great and moreover the the ancient creations are always great !
Nicely taken images buddy the view is indeed stunning as you say !!
Thanks a lot!
the art on dragon rock is quite beautiful with creativity and feel i am roaming with your photo through the castle along with history.
Cool, thanks for your feedback!
Incredible place this is to visit after looking at the pics this is very interesting to me :)
This is historical and incredible to see the place through your post wonderful