During the Oktoberfest itinerary, because I chose to go to Königssee, I missed the attractions of Neuschwanstein and Hohenzollern Castles, the two major Denham castles. When I come back to Cologne, I can arrange a visit to the castles along the Rhine. This day Go to Schloss Drachenburg, located on the opposite bank of Bonn, to experience the beautiful historical architecture that combines mansions and castles. On the return trip, visit Bonn, where Beethoven’s former residence is located. In the evening, continue to the opposite of Cologne Cathedral across the Rhine. KölnTriangle Building, from the roof to admire the Cologne Cathedral in the afterglow of the setting sun, complete a day's rich Rhine River tour itinerary.
Transportation: How to get to Longyan Fort?
Longyan Fort is located in the city of Königswinter in northern Germany. There are DB and U-Bahn stations in the city. You can take the German railway RE8/RB27 to Königswinter station, or take the U-Bahn Route 66 gets off at either Clemens-August-Str. or Fähre station. From either station, walk about 600 to 900 meters to reach the cable car station.
We were living in Cologne at the time. From Cologne Central Station, we took the Deutsche Bahn RE8/RB27 train. The interval was half an hour. It took about 40 minutes by car to reach Königswinter from Cologne, and from the Deutsche Bahn station to the cable car station. The walking distance is about 700 meters.Königswinter and Bonn face across the Rhine, and take tram No. 66 to Bonn on the return trip. After visiting Beethoven's house, take the German railway from Bonn back to Cologne.
The travel from Cologne to Bonn or Königswinter is covered by the VRS four-zone one-day ticket (Preisstufe 4 [RegioTicket]). You can take the regional railway lines of Deutsche Bahn, RE, RB, and S-Bahn ( If you go out early and move quickly, you can visit two city attractions in one day at the same time. However, the mountain cable car is not in the scope of the VRS one-day ticket.
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▲ Longyan Mountain is located in Königswinter, and there is a cable car station at the foot of the mountain.
▲ Take the Deutsche Bahn route RE8/RB27, with a half-hour interval, and you can reach Longyan Fort in 40 minutes.
▲ Cologne Central Station is located next to Cologne Cathedral, and the glass reflection of the station is the Cologne Cathedral.
▲ Prepare to take the RB27 route to Königswinter.
▲ The walking distance from the German railway station to the cable car is about 700 meters.
Longyan Mountain Cable Car
The Drachenfels Cog Railway (Drachenfels Cog Railway) started operation in 1883. It was originally a steam-powered train. Since 1953, it has been converted to an electric-powered train. It is currently one of only four remaining operating cog railways in Germany.There are three stations, Königswinter Drachenfelsbahn, Drachenburg, and Drachenfels from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. The middle station is located in front of Longyan Fort, and the top station is located next to the remains of Longyan Mountain. The top of the mountain is 289 meters above sea level.
The round-trip fare for the Longyan Mountain Climbing Cable Car is 10 euros, and the one-way ticket is 8 euros. In the past, 16-euro round-trip tickets, Longyan Fort and Nibrungen Pavilion three-in-one tickets (Kombitickets) were sold, but now only for Christmas During the festival, a 12-euro round-trip ticket and Longyan Fort package will be provided. For the latest package sales information, please refer to the official website.
We bought a three-in-one ticket for 16 euros and prepared to visit Longyan Fort and Nibelungenhalle. Later, due to time constraints, we walked down from the top of Longyan Mountain to Longyan Fort, and then skipped Nibelungenhalle. Museum, directly take a ride back to the foot of the mountain.Those who have plenty of time are advised to buy a one-way ticket, go directly to the top of the mountain and then walk down the mountain, the physical burden will not be too great, and they can also visit the main attractions along the way.
▲ Commemorative coin vending machines installed in Yamajiao Station.
▲ There are different scenery inside the train carriage and on the pedestrian bridge.
▲ Climbing to the top of Longyan Mountain, you can overlook the beautiful scenery of the Rhine River.
Longyan Mountain Ancient Fort Ruins
The downtown area of Königswinter is adjacent to the Rhine River, and there is the Siebengebirge (Siebengebirge) consisting of seven hills in the territory. Longyan Mountain is one of the mountains. It is the closest to the city and the Rhine River. The wind of the Rhine River, this place is the birthplace of the legend of Nibelungen (Nibelungen Saga), the most famous is the story of the dragon-slaying hero Siegfried (Siegfried), and later Wagner integrated Norse mythology and wrote "Nibelungen Saga" Der Ring des Nibelungen (Der Ring des Nibelungen)" opera, it is said that Tolkien's inspiration for writing "The Lord of the Rings" came from this.
There is a Burgruine Drachenfels (Burgruine Drachenfels) on the top of Longyan Mountain. The German translation of Burgruine means the ruins of the ancient castle. There are only two remnants of the city wall. At that time, I saw a group of people doing outdoor teaching. I really need an explanation to understand the meaning of the ruins. , But because the ruins are located at the highest point of the mountain and close to the Rhine River, it is actually quite good to come here as a high-altitude view and simply appreciate the high-altitude landscape.
▲ The cable car station on the top of Longyan Mountain is equipped with a restaurant, and there is a mountain road next to it that leads to the remains of the old castle above.
▲ Monument to Emperor Wilhelm (Kaiser Wilhelm Denkmal).
▲Visit the main scenic spots in Germany, you can always see outdoor teaching scenes.
▲ We didn't wait for the cable car and walked down the mountain to Longyan Fort.
Introduction and visit experience of Longyan Fort
Schloss Drachenburg is a new Gothic castle built in 1882. It was funded by Stephan Sarter. He was the son of a small hotel owner in Bonn. After he became rich from stock exchanges and funding for the construction of the Suez Canal , Began to build a luxurious villa named Schloss Drachenburg, but Stephan Sarter chose to settle in Paris and did not live there all his life.
Longyan Fort has been modified and designed by many architects, and it has been successively converted into museums, schools and other uses. Now it has become a famous tourist attraction. The entrance ticket is 7 euros per person. The official website also provides room reservation channels. You can make an appointment to stay in the castle every night. The price starts from 150 euros. The opening period is from March to October, and the museum is closed during the winter. The detailed opening date is recommended to be announced on the official website.
Longyan Fort is a hybrid building that combines a mansion and a castle. Although it is not as large as the two largest castles of Neuschwanstein and Hohenzollern in southern Germany, it has many magnificent furniture and murals, and there are very few tourists. We can Strolling through the castles is a bit more leisurely, and it also makes up for the regret of not being able to visit the second largest castle in Germany during the trip in Munich.
▲ There are restaurants and souvenir shops at the entrance of Longyan Fort, and the climbing railway station is at the entrance.
▲ Longyan Fort is open for visits, and a Christmas market will be held on Christmas Day.
Restaurants and souvenir shops in Longyanbao
The reception building hall at the entrance of Longyan Fort is equipped with a simple restaurant and a souvenir shop. After visiting the Longyan Fort building, you can rest here and buy souvenirs.Because the train station is right in front of the entrance of Longyan Fort, it is recommended that you take a good look at the arrival time of the climbing train, rest in the Longyan Fort reception hall and wait for the train to arrive. Of course, you can continue to walk down the mountain and continue to visit Nibelungenhalle.
▲ Cologne's famous 4711 perfume brand, the birthplace of cologne with the name of Cologne Water.
▲ At the railway station in front of Longyan Fort, we are going to take the mountain train down the mountain.
◎ Longyan Fort. Schloss Drachenburg
– Address: Schloß Drachenburg, Drachenfelsstraße 118, Königswinter
– Official website: https://www.drachenfelsbahn.de/
