Drachenburg Castle (Germany)

With its dreaming spiers, battlements feints and square clock tower, Schloss Drachenburg Palace, which is located on a wooded hill above the River Rhine near the sleepy town of Königswinter, looks like a cross between a medieval castle, a gothic cathedral and Big Ben.


According to German folklore, Siegfried slayed a dragon just a little 'further up the mountain. But the story of this beautiful building, a mix of architectural styles built in less than three years in the late 19th century by a wealthy stockbroker, it is quite strange to become a legend in itself.
has just completed a $ of € 31.5 million (44 million), the renovation of 15, which is part of an extensive investment units to attract visitors from the Rhine region the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the the most beautiful parts of Europe, for sprucing up its attractions. Drachenburg means "Dragon" Castle, and its fairytale appearance would make a position worthy of a Harry Potter film.

Over the years, eccentrics have used the building as a canvas for their great visions. In 1910, an entrepreneur plans to turn it into a complete tourist resort of landing area Zeppelins and a concert hall to rival the Opera Bayreuth Wagner Festival.

In 1970, one owner used to lavish parties during which he dressed in costume of an admiral and guests treated to concerts gave a fake organ, with music played by a hidden recorder. Would impress tourists filling the building with historical artifacts of dubious authenticity, including a sculpture by Michelangelo and he thought it was a flamboyant chair he said it was the throne of King Louis XIV.