The “Siegfriedsfelsen” (Siegfrieds Rock) with the Dragon Hole (Drachenloch) is said to have been the site where hero Siegfried, so the German “Nibelungenlied” (song of the Nibelungs, an epic poem) knocked dragon Fafnir dead and bathed in his blood to become (almost) invincible and drank the blood. It is also connected to Nordic countries like Iceland, and tales, similar to the Nibelungenlied, exist in those countries. The town of Worms with the steps of the Worms Cathedral (one of the empire cathedrals) plays an important role in that story. In Worms lived Burgundian princess Kriemhild, Siegfried fell in love with and had to help Kriemhilds brother Burgundian king Gunther to be allowed to marry Kriemhild. A ring plays a role too in the story which let German composer Richard Wagner write and compose the famous opera serial “Der Ring der Nibelungen”. Some versions and paintings have it that it was not the ring which played the important role, but the belt of Brünhild, queen of Iceland, but in the end it all comes to same cause, the hate and jealousy of women.

The Siegfriedsfelsen with the Dragon hole is part of the Drachenfels mountain with his iconic old and new castle (19’th century), Netherlands highest mountain. (nickname because of the many tourist from nearby Netherlands)

The Name “Drachenfels” might stem of the rock type “Trachyt” of which the mountain is made of and which was used to build the Cologne Cathedral and which gives the wine planted at its side the mineral taste. It is one of the few sites where Burgundy wine is planted in Germany.

Clemens-August insited to have some Pfälzer Saumagen whith the whine from the Siegfreidsfelsen in the Restaurant of the familiy of the whine makers.

We also braught home some blood of the Dragon as a Souvenir, an excellent wine of course (Burgunder)

Disappointing was the fact, that we did not find a „Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte“ on the trip along the Rhine but I found something to pick Sheila up again.

 

But Sheila has her own theory, the dragon still lives here and it even throws stones down on the people once in a while.

The problem was even discussed in the parliament of the state “North-Rhine-Wesphalia”.

As we saw and heard breeding falcons in the wall of the Siegfriedsfelsen we asked about them and learned that poachers tried to steal eggs of the protected birds and sell them to Arabian customers (one egg 38.000 Eur).

Credit: Maps Icons Collection, https://mapicons.mapsmarker.com

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