Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Germany - Drachenfels


Ruin of Castle Drachenfels.

Sent by Stefan, a postcrosser from Germany.

This is from Wikipedia : The Drachenfels ("Dragon's Rock", German pronunciation: [ˈdʁaxənˌfɛls]) is a mountain 321 metres (1,053 ft) in the Siebengebirge mountain range near Bonn, Germany. The ruined castle atop the mountain bears the same name. A newer castle, recently restored (2003) and down the Rhine, is named Schloss Drachenburg.

A German legend recounts that Siegfried – the hero of the Nibelungenlied – killed a dragon living in a cave in the mountain, then bathed in its blood to become invulnerable. Hence, the mountain is named the "Dragon's Rock" -- Drachenfels.

A mountain railway, the Drachenfels Railway, connects Königswinter with the summit of the Drachenfels.

About a third of the way up is the Nibelungenhalle, built in 1913, a gallery of paintings by the symbolist painter Hermann Hendrich depicting scenes from Richard Wagner's operas.

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