Drachenburg castle - Bonn - Heilige Stiege - Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

Route: Dusseldorf - Drachenburg castle - Bonn - Heilige Stiege - Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler - Dusseldorf
Duration: 10 h
Our first stop will be at the castle Drachenburg is located in the Seven HIlls region in a picturesque surrounding, facing the river Rhine. It was built at the very end of the 19th century to serve as a representation house for a wealthy local banker. Formerly a summer resort, Christian boarding school, Nazi elite school, and eventually training center for the German Rail Regional Office, Schloss Drachenburg was constructed in just two years, between 1882 and 1884.During our visit you will see the interior to see ornate decor and paintings--and for views of the river below. Great zoned gardens, inspired by english gardening style, terraces and parks do not leave you unimpressed. ‍Next we will visit to Bonn where you know why could such a small city once become the capital of Western Germany or  how did Beethoven’s career start, also you get to know the local stories and anecdotes about the city, its lifestyle and history . During our visit  you will see favourite sightseeing spots of the city center: Beethoven’s birth house, market, university of Bonn, Münster church and everything in between. Together we will discover the history of the Poppelsdorf Chateau, the Südstadt (a very special late 19th century residential area) and walk along Poppelsdorf Avenue to Bonn University, the former residence of the electors of Cologne. We will visit the Minster Cathedral, the Beethoven monument, the market place with the old town hall, the birth place of Ludwig van Beethoven and the Old Toll, a site that offers a beautiful view towards the Siebengebirge and the Drachenfels. Also we will visit to the Heilige Stiege (holy steps) on the Kreuzberg hill in Bonn are not only a pil­grim­age site, but also a late Baroque work of art. In all its finery, they are a re­mind­er of the Pas­sion of Christ.The model for the Heilige Stiege is thought to be the “Scala Sancta” in Rome, the stairs brought by the holy Helena from Jerusalem to Rome in 326, and over which Jesus is said to have walked to his Roman judge Pontius Pilate. The stairs in the Bonn district of Endenich were built in 1751 by Baroque master builder Balthasar Neumann on orders from the Archbishop of Cologne and prince-elector Clemens August, and lead to the choir of the pilgrimage church on the Kreuzberg hill, which was built in 1627/28. During this time, the pilgrimage church was given its sumptuous Baroque façade and interior. The two-storey façade of the Heilige Stiege is intended to show the house of Pontius Pilate, the Roman persecutor of Christians. On the balcony above the entrance, the famous scene from the Bible is displayed in which Pontius Pilate appears before the people with Jesus. Next we will visit  to the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler which is tucked away in a unique natural environment and embedded in vineyards of the Ahr valley. It is one town with two centres, the atmospheres of which could not be more diverse, but at the same time they create a charming and harmonious combination of new and old. The romantic half-timbered houses in the centre of Ahrweiler are surrounded by the medieval town walls, which are still entirely preserved, whereas in Bad Neuenahr you surrender to the exquisite flair of the spa town and the new art buildings, as well as the charm of the elegant salons of the casino and the extremely modern health and fitness centres. Celts, Teutons, ancient Romans, Lords, Archbishops and the French settled one after the other in Ahrweiler. The medieval town walls with their moat, gates and towers built in the 13th century are still almost entirely preserved. The old town centre is a car-free zone, which offers you the opportunity of a relaxed walk around the picturesque sleepy half-timbered houses. The „Wolffsche Haus“, a half-timbered house built in 1621 with its highly ornamented bay window in particular is worth seeing, as well as the courtyard „Blankartshof“ built in 1680. The market square is characterized by Saint Laurentius (from 1269) - the first Hall Church in the Rhineland from the early Gothic period, as well as the antique town hall (Late Rococo, 1778). The famous spa town Bad Neuenahr is characterized by the charming health quarter, the most beautiful bathing centre, the casino, the marvellous parks as well as the famous the Apollinaris Mineral Water spring. After we return to Dusseldorf.
Price: per person