Rheinallee

More information about the history

Image: Postcard, Rhine promenade, 1910 (Virtuelles Brückenhofmuseum)

For those who visit Königswinter by ship, the large grand hotels along the Rhine promenade are still the first things that catch the eye. Most of the impressive tourist residences originate from the 19th century. In those days, a lot of wealthy travellers came to the Drachenfels – including aristocracy and royalty. They wanted respectable accommodation, which they found at the “Europäischer Hof” and “Berliner Hof” hotels, as well as at the “Hotel Monopol” (today the “Hotel Loreley”), which can be seen on the postcard from 1910.

Image: Postcard, banks of the Rhine, 1905 (Virtuelles Brückenhofmuseum)

Rheinallee has not always been an elegant boulevard. As late as the beginning of the 20th century, the banks of the Rhine along the southern section of the avenue were still unsurfaced - as can be seen here where the Maritim residential and hotel complex is located today. The photograph from 1867 (on the information board) shows the beginning of the development of the avenue, whereas the baking oven makers’ workshop and the stocks of tuff stone can be clearly seen on the right, in the foreground. A few years later, these stone workshops moved to the new Königswinter railway station, from where their materials were then also transported.

Image: Laying tracks on Rheinallee

For the construction of the Siebengebirge railway along the banks of the Rhine, Rheinallee turned in a building site for many years at the beginning of the 20th century. The road surface had to be removed, earth taken away and rails laid.

Image: Postcard, banks of the Rhine, 1913 (Virtuelles Brückenhofmuseum)

An 18th March 1913, the new section of the Siebengebirge railway track from Beuel to Königswinter was opened. Here, a train with the destination “Bonn” is travelling near the “Düsseldorfer Hof” hotel on the lower part of Rheinallee.

Top image: Banks of the Rhine, 1914 (Postcard, Virtuelles Brückenhofmuseum) Bottom image: High-water marks, Kellerstrasse

Floods, caused by regular high water on the Rhine, are a part of the history of Rheinallee. Previous floods are chronicled by the water level marks in Kellerstrasse. The town protects its inhabitants by means of a high water alarm plan and emergency measures. For example, the light rail system suspends service from a water level of 6.7 m, from 7.60 m the ferry no longer runs between Königswinter and Mehlem and from a level of 10 m it is high time for the residents to be evacuated.

Practical information

Here you can find out more about the history of the town of Königswinter and the Siebengebirge.
Siebengebirgsmuseum Königswinter, Kellerstrasse 16
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Virtuelles Brückenhofmuseum
> Website