Festival of Fantasy

A Day Full of Arts Above the Rhine

The Fest der Fantasie is one of the most beautiful street art festivals in the Rhineland — and the only time of year when Schloss Drachenburg opens its park for a continuous artistic program. The organizer is Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH, a subsidiary of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which manages the late-Romantic building on the Drachenfels above the Rhine near Königswinter in the Rhein-Sieg district.

30 Artists, Eight Nations

On each festival day, around 30 artists from eight nations perform — international street art, as is otherwise typically experienced in Avignon or Edinburgh. The program includes clowning, acrobatics, puppetry, unicycling, Cyr Wheel, magic, comedy, singing, and live music. Special walk acts entertain along the paths between the fixed stages.

Castle Park as a Venue

The artists are spread across several stations around Schloss Drachenburg. In front of the fixed stages and on the expansive picnic meadow, visitors can spread out their blankets and experience the program at their own pace. The castle park opens from 1 p.m.; the festival runs until 7 p.m. — a day event with a family focus.

Schloss Drachenburg — The Setting

Built from 1882 to 1884 by Baron Stephan Sarter, Schloss Drachenburg is considered the most spectacular private residence of late Romanticism on the Rhine. From the castle park, there is a unique view of the Siebengebirge, the Rhine, and the Bonn Bay. In clear weather, the panorama extends to Cologne. The fact that world-class street art takes place here amidst this backdrop gives the festival its special character.

Königswinter and the Rhein-Sieg District

Königswinter is located on the right bank of the Rhine in the Rhein-Sieg district, southeast of Bonn. The town, along with the Drachenfelsbahn — Germany's oldest still-operating cog railway — and the Drachenfels itself, is one of the oldest tourist destinations on the Middle Rhine. The Fest der Fantasie leverages this visibility to open street art from around the world to a broad audience.