Route of Rhine Romanticism

The Rhine Valley, one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe, looks back on over 2,000 years of history and countless legendary stories. The Rhine Romanticism Route stretches from Cologne to Mainz/Wiesbaden, lined with numerous historical and scenic highlights. Even the Romans recognised the beauty of this world-famous river landscape and to this day the traces of the past bear witness to the historical events of this cultural landscape.

At the beginning of the 19th century, numerous poets and artists from Germany and abroad discovered the wildly romantic Rhine Valley and were inspired to write their works. They thus founded the epoch of Rhine Romanticism. The most famous representatives of Rhine Romanticism include German artists such as Clemens Brentano, Richard Wagner and Heinrich Heine, as well as the British painter William Turner and the French writer Victor Hugo.

The extraordinary density of castles and palaces along the Rhine is particularly impressive. Well over 60 contemporary witnesses perch on the heights and look down on Father Rhine. Many of the castles and palaces offer tours and allow visitors to immerse themselves in times gone by. Some of the historic buildings also offer overnight accommodation. So if you want to spend the night like a real lord of the castle, you'll find what you're looking for along the Rhine.

The important and eventful era of Rhine Romanticism, to which countless famous works of architecture, literature and music are indebted, can be experienced along the route that was originally launched as the "Rhine Legend Trail" and repositioned in 2016 - by car, boat, on foot and by bike.

Two large golden stags welcome visitors on the Venus Terrace before they enter the castle via a large flight of steps. From the terraces, the view sweeps over the densely wooded Siebengebirge Nature Park, and even Cologne Cathedral can still be seen in the distance. Poets like Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Hölderlin once raved about the Rhine romanticism. But it was a stock market speculator, of all people, who fulfilled an architectural dream by building Schloss Drachenburg in the midst of this idyll. In 1882, Baron Stephan von Sarter laid the foundation stone for the stately Gründerzeit building.

If you like it romantic, it is best to rent the suite with tower room and enjoy the breathtaking view over the Rhine valley from high above. The view of the river and the Siebengebirge is even better further up from the summit of the Drachenfels, where, by the way, the remains of a 12th-century castle can still be found. In a panorama restaurant on the Drachenfels plateau, visitors can enjoy the expansive view and fortify themselves for the way back. But if you don't feel like the approximately one-hour walk, you can also take the cogwheel railway down into the valley from up here.