On the wild, jagged Drachenfels towering up so mightily above the river, there once stood a proud castle, of which today only the high tower is still to be seen. The hill and the castle enjoy enjoy tremendous popularity and are visited yearly by countless numbers of people. The view from the 1050-ft.-high summit is considered one of the most famous on the Rhein. The former masters of the castle, the Counts of Drachenfels, had a winged, fire-spitting dragon in there coat of arms. This ties up with the saga of Siegfried, who is reputed to have slain the dragon, which lived in a cave on the hillside, and then bathed in the blood. Lord Byron and many other poets glorified the Drachenfels. In the last century the hilltop and the tower were jeapordized by the stone quarries, which had been continually extended, untill the Government stepped in, taking over the peak and safeguarding the ruins from any further danger of subsidence.

These ruins are open to the public all year round.

[Text taken from Castles On The Rhein]