Königswinter II

More information about the history

Image: Postcard, Königswinter, around 1920

The Rhine, the Drachenfels and the Siebengebirge countryside still define the Königswinter townscape. This applies in particular to the old Königswinter – today known as the “old town” – located right on the river and at the foot of the famous hill. From a long distance away, castle ruins and – since the 19th century – Drachenburg castle and the grand villas and hotels on the banks of the Rhine caught the eye of tourists and day trippers as they approached the town by ship.

Image: Königswinter marketplace, around 1925

The life of the residents and the fortifications which used to dominate the townscape are still evident within the town. Road names such as “Winzerstrasse” [Winemakers’ Road] and “Kellerstrasse” [Cellar Road] tell the story of important sources of income, such as winegrowing. Although only remnants of the town walls are still standing, the course of the wall and its moats can still be traced in the town’s layout – and on the basis of road names such as “Grabenstrasse” [Moat Road] and “Kleiner Graben” [Small Moat]. The location for exchanging information and trading goods was the market square near the church, which was originally much smaller.

Image: Original building at Hauptstrasse 419

Most of Königswinter’s medieval buildings fell victim to the serious town fire in 1689. French soldiers started it so that they could pillage the town undisturbed while the residents were busy putting it out. One of the few original old half-timbered buildings left standing today is on Hauptstrasse. After the devastating blaze, the citizens rebuilt their town again based on the old layout.

Practical information

You can find out more about the history of Königswinter at the Siebengebirgsmuseum:
Siebengebirgsmuseum Königswinter, Kellerstraße 16
Tue–Fri 2 PM–5 PM, Sat 2 PM–6 PM, Sun 11 AM–6 PM, Mondays closed > Website