located just 90 minutes north of wiesbaden, near bonn, drachenfels, or dragon's rock, overshadows the resort town of königswinter. bustling with tourists in summer, the area is quieter this time of year.the hiking path starts out steep, offering spectacular views along the way. roughly a third of the way up is the nibelungenhalle, a domed structure housing a reptile zoo, where relatives of the dragon, fafnir, such as crocodiles and alligators, still live.at the halfway point along the trail is the cog train's intermediate station and location of the spectacular neo-gothic schloss drachenburg, a beautiful mixture of villa, mansion and castle constructed in the 19th century. drachenburg has its own fascinating history. plans to turn it into an amusement park around 1910 failed. during world war ii, the nazis used it as a school for the elite for a time. the damaged castle was then occupied by the americans; later, refugees were housed there. a lengthy restoration project was completed in 2010.
