Schloss Drachenburg

Om museet

The palace was commissioned by Stephan von Sarter, the son of a Bonn innkeeper, who had grown rich as a stockbroker in Paris – partly through stakes in the Suez Canal – and had been ennobled in 1881. From 1882 he had a prestigious residence built below the Drachenfels castle ruins, half villa and half castle. The plans came from the Düsseldorf architects Leo von Abbema and Bernhard Tüshaus and were revised by Wilhelm Hoffmann, who lived in Paris. Sarter himself never lived in the palace; he died in Paris in 1902.

Afterward, owners and uses changed frequently: his nephew Jakob Biesenbach opened the rooms to paying visitors from 1903 and built a hotel, and later owners planned an amusement park. From 1931 the Brothers of the Christian Schools ran a boarding school here until the Nazis closed it in 1938; from 1942 an Adolf Hitler School moved in. In the final days of the war the palace was badly damaged, and almost all of the stained-glass windows were lost. From 1947 to 1960 the railway used the estate as a training center; after that it fell into disrepair and only narrowly escaped demolition.

In 1971 the textile merchant Paul Spinat bought the ensemble, had it refurbished to his own taste and made it accessible again from 1973. In 1986 Schloss Drachenburg was placed under heritage protection; the NRW-Stiftung took it over and, from 1995, had it elaborately restored together with the state and the town. Since 2010 the refurnished rooms have been fully open to visitors, and the landscape park was completed in 2011. Today Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH runs the palace as a museum of Gründerzeit-era domestic culture (the period of Germany's rapid industrial expansion in the late 19th century).

Højdepunkter

• State rooms on the piano nobile, such as the Nibelungen Room, Art Hall and Music Room
• Reconstructed murals and historicist stained glass
• North tower with views over the Rhine and the Siebengebirge
• Landscape park on the Straße der Gartenkunst zwischen Rhein und Maas (Garden Art Route between the Rhine and Meuse)
• Arrival by the historic Drachenfelsbahn (rack railway) to the middle station
• Exhibition on the eventful history of the palace

Permanente udstillinger

• Beletage und Privatebene – Tour through the restored and refurnished state and living rooms, which showcase Gründerzeit-era domestic culture with murals, carvings and stained-glass windows. The free Lauschtour app accompanies your visit.
• Dauerausstellung zur Schlossgeschichte – The exhibition traces the many changes of ownership and use – from Sarter's residence to the boarding school and railway training school, to its rescue and restoration by the NRW-Stiftung.

Grundlagt

1882

Ejer

Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH (Eigentümerin: NRW-Stiftung)

Ledelse

Joachim Odenthal

Entrépriser & rabatter

Admission includes the piano nobile and private floor, the park, the permanent exhibition on the palace's history and the north tower. Annual pass €30 (individual) or €60 (family), not valid for special events such as the Fest der Fantasie or “(K)ein Weihnachtsmarkt”, for which different prices apply. Tickets on site or in the online shop; prices valid until December 30, 2026.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: findes ikke
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: findes ikke
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

Certified under “Reisen für Alle” (Travel for All) (10/2025–09/2028): accessible for people with walking impairments. Exhibition rooms are step-free or reachable by elevator, but elevators may only be used accompanied by staff – please ask at the ticket desk. The north tower and parts of the park and terraces only via stairs. The palace can only be reached on foot (paths with gradients of up to 14%) or by the Drachenfelsbahn to the middle station (from there 60 m to the entrance). Rollators and handcarts available to borrow. No induction loop, no information in Braille or Easy Language; the Lauschtour is also available as text in German and English.

Børn og familie

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette – spørg venligst museet direkte.

Transport & parkering

Service & spisesteder

• Café
• Restaurant: findes ikke
• Museumsbutik
• Wi-fi

Café with terrace and Rhine views in the palace (no table reservations); further dining options on the Drachenfels plateau and in Königswinter. Museum shop in the ticket area. Free Wi-Fi “SD-Guest”. Dogs on a short leash only in outdoor areas.

Arrangementer & udlejning

Så vidt vi ved, udlejer museet ikke lokaler til eksterne arrangementer.

According to the FAQ, no rentals for private weddings, parties or photo shoots. Under “Mieten” (Rent), only two vacation suites in the palace are offered (Suite Nord approx. 110 m², €300/night; Suite Süd approx. 90 m², €250/night; max. 2 people, min. 2 nights) – fully booked for 2026 and 2027.

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