Siebengebirgsmuseum

About the museum

The beginnings go back to the 1920s, when a Königswinter festival committee gave rise to the Heimatverein Siebengebirge (local heritage association), which built up a local history collection. In 1934 it received its own building: the Baroque townhouse between Kellerstraße and Klotzstraße, built in 1732 by the stonemason entrepreneur Johann Peter Meurer with facades of Wolkenburg stone.

Closed during the Second World War and then used as emergency housing, the museum reopened in 1956. From 1977, the town of Königswinter took over the redesign and eventually the sponsorship, while the collection remained the property of the Heimatverein. An extension from 1980 and two neighboring houses added in 1994 enlarged the exhibition space.

As part of "Regionale 2010," the building was extensively renovated and reopened in 2011 with an annex, a new foyer, a roof terrace with a view of the Drachenfels, and a bakehouse with a historic Königswinter oven. The permanent exhibition covers the formation and use of the landscape, quarrying, Rhine shipping, and the history of tourism; since 2011, the Rhine Romanticism gallery, in cooperation with a private collection, has presented changing selections of pictures.

Highlights

• Model of a large Dutch raft
• Rhine Romanticism gallery with works from a private collection
• History of tourism with a recreated hotel lobby, souvenirs, and instant photographers
• Stone quarrying and oven building in the Siebengebirge
• Bakehouse with a historic Königswinter oven
• Roof terrace with a view of the Drachenfels

Permanent exhibitions

• Königswinter, Drachenfels und Siebengebirge – A tour through the formation, use, and history of the landscape: volcanism, quarries and rafting, historic sites, and a walk-in archive.
• Rheinreise – Tourismus im 19. und 20. Jahrhundert – From educated traveler to day tripper: luggage, souvenirs, amusement machines, instant photographers, and the donkey ride up the Drachenfels.
• Galerie Rheinromantik – A changing selection of Rhine landscapes from the private RheinRomantik collection.

Operated by

Stadt Königswinter

Director

Dr. Sigrid Lange

Admission & discounts

Proof may need to be brought for concessions.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

According to the museum, it is accessible, with an elevator and a wheelchair-accessible restroom. Information in Easy Language on the website. Königswinter train station is not accessible.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Regular family tours "Von Eseln und Drachen" (Of Donkeys and Dragons) with fairy tales followed by a creative activity (approx. 90 min., free, registration required), vacation workshops for children, museum detectives and museum quiz for children's groups, scavenger hunts, and children's birthday parties from age 6 (max. 10 children). The museum backpack on quarrying (grades 3–6) can be borrowed.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A3 (exit Siebengebirge) or via the A59/B42 (exit Königswinter).

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

One or more museum rooms can be rented; details are set out in the fee schedule.

Plan your visit