Visiting Zons – A German Fairytale Village

In recent years, the term fairy tale villages has become popular with travelers throughout central Europe.  Many of the most widely know fairy tale villages are in Germany, and in fact we have created a list of almost 30 of the prettiest towns in Germany, known for their historic architecture, cobblestone streets, and medieval walls.  Whether you call them German fairy tale towns, German medieval villages, or walled cities, they are found in almost every German state.  And, there are many German fairy tale villages that most of us have never heard of.

Zons, Germany is a perfect example of an utterly charming medieval era, walled city, along the Rhine River. Not a name you are familiar with? We figured Zons was a perfect example of a little known German fairy tale village. We had not heard of it either, and in fact we came upon Zons by accident.  We are so glad we did.

Located within the city limits of the industrial town Dormagen, about halfway between Düsseldorf and Cologne, Zons has been called the Rothenberg ob Tober of Nordrhein-Westphalia, and the Rheinland Rothenberg. The truth is that Zons has a very different look, and you will not see a lot of half-timbered buildings, such as are more traditional to the Black Forest region of Germany.  The traditional structures of northern Germany are simpler, with a style similar to the Netherlands and Denmark. Nonetheless, Zons is filled with original structures from the middle ages, and it has an rustic charm, that is a breath of fresh air in an area that was once dominated by heavy industry.

We highly recommend visiting Zons city for anyone traveling through Nordrhein-Westphalia, or when spending a few days in Düsseldorf or Cologne. In another article, we actually suggest it as one of the perfect unique day trips from Düsseldorf. Hopefully we have piqued your interest, and you want some pictures of Zons. We have plenty of photos, and we will share how to get to Zons, getting around in Zons, and all of the top attractions within the medieval walls. But this is Gypsy With a Day Job, so first, we gotta give you some history.

Zons, Germany – A Brief History

Zons began as a Rheintor, or a tollway along the Rhine River, like Kaiserwerth to the north, but 200 years later. During the middle ages when much of central Europe was regulated by the Holy Roman Empire through various factions of kingdoms, river transport was the fastest way to transport goods across the continent. Control of the river ways was powerful means of dictating what and who came into particular territories, and generating income. Toll gates were established along many of the major rivers across the continent for this purpose, a practice which continued for centuries.

The toll gate at Zons, or the Rheintor, was established for this purpose by the Archbishop of Cologne in 1322, but the management and security of a toll required personnel and soldiers. This prompted the building of the wall around the city, and various structures for administrative purposes, to protect the funds and interests of the state. There is an area called the castle, although it was not a castle of royalty, but an administrative castle for defense.  While it had a moat, so it is not what is normally expected or associated with other moated German castles, or the castles of regional royalty.

Throughout the centuries, the city of Zons underwent a number of different tragedies and challenges. It was all but destroyed by fire on 3 separate occasions, in the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. It was also ravaged by the plague 3 times, all within the 17th century. It was damaged by artillery in the Burgundy War and the War of Cologne, and took direct cannonball fire from the Hessians in 1646, during the Thirty Year War.

But, despite all of that, it is flooding that has brought havoc on the city with the most frequency.  The Rhine has spilled forth from its banks and flowed into the streets of Zons many times. The highest level of water and the greatest destruction took place in 1784, when the waters spread across the town, and crept higher than the house doorways. The 1920s were especially catastrophic, with flooding in 1920, 1924, and 1926. (This is a bit hard to grasp when seeing the tiny Rhine of today, constrained by the levees.) There is a house in the center of town that is marked with the highest water levels of various years. Finally the Zonser Dike was built in 1929, and has successfully restrained the Rhine since then.

Eventually, water transport was no longer central to trade across the continent, the Holy Roman Empire died away, and the Rhine Toll was revoked. No longer holding a position of political importance, Zons lost its right to call itself a city under new governments with differing economies. It was just another old village that people forgot about. Ultimately, it was incorporated by Dormagen, a city which was virtually non-existent in earlier centuries, and Zons legally did not exist.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the reunification of Germany, cities and communities gradually began to recognize the historical gems in their area. Being of little military importance, Zons and the surrounding farmlands had remained relatively undamaged in WWII. With its intact city walls, gates and towers, it was unique in the lower Rhine Valley, and Zons medieval village was recognized as a historical monument.

In 1992, the Dormagen City Council voted to grant the area of the Zons the right to call itself the City of Zons, or Stadt Zons, in recognition of this significant historical value. Although the term fairy tale villages had not become a thing at that time, that essence was already part of the experience, as the Marchenspiele, or Fairy Tale Theater at Zons, became a popular summer attraction, and other similar activities were gradually being added to the events calendar. Zons was truly a German fairy tale village, even though it was unknown to the rest of the world.

Getting to Zons

Zons lays along the west side of the Rhine, midway between Düsseldorf and Cologne, within the city limits of Dormagen. If coming from Düsseldorf, like we did, cross to the west side of the Rhine in one of the cities, and use route 9. You can also drive south to the suburb of Urdenbach and use the ferry to cross the Rhine. The ferry drops just north of the parking area for Zons. In all honesty, approaching Zons on the east side of the river is not exactly a lovely drive through the country, as it passes through some industrial areas.

If you are coming from Cologne, highway 57 will take you most of the way to Zons.

Another option for visiting Zons from either of the two major cities is a Rhine cruise.  Both cities offer day trip cruises to Zons.  The only disadvantage to these cruises is the amount of time free to explore Zons is a bit short.  While it might be enough for the curious or an Instagram tourist, it would not be enough for a real traveler, or someone with a real historical interest.

There are 2 parking areas outside of the city walls. Residents do park at their homes, and some of the businesses within the walls have a parking spot for customers, so there are some vehicles within the city. But generally, visitors park in one of the two parking lots, or Parkplatzs.

One lot lies on the southwest corner of the town, with walkways leading to an entrance through the city wall on the west side, and is referred to as the “Old Field Entrance”. This entrance is exactly what the name implies, as it was the way that village residents returned home after a day of work in the fields. Coming from this direction is kind of like entering the city through the back door.

The other parking area lies on the north east corner of the city, along the Zonser dike, which leads to the main city entrance at the Rheintor, or Rhine Gate. From here you can walk directly to the city entrance, of you can take the walking trail which circles the city walls. There are also a few services set up for tourists near this gate, if you have come from afar. We chose to stop for some fries and currywurst at the outdoor seating area of Stratos, but another choices is the historic Zum Volksgarten Restaurant. For those who wish to spend a night and have all day to explore Zons, there is also Hotel Schloss Friedestrom. (There are plenty of other places for a meal or snack, and a couple guesthouses, within the city too.)

You can reserve a night at Hotel Schloss Fiedestrom right now!

Visiting Zons, Germany

Zons Points of Interest

Outside the Rhine Gate there are some informational signs that point out some historical information about the city and the points of interest. The map is big enough to take a photo so you don’t miss any of the attractions. The officially listed Zons point of interest include:  the Rheintor, or Rhine Gate; the Rheinturm, or Rhine Tower; the Zollturm, or toll tower; the Pfefferbusche, or pepper box; the Krotschenturm, a tower with no literall translation; the Schweinebrunnen, or pig fountain; St Martinus, the local parrish church; the Mühlturm, or mill tower; the Juddenturm, a tower with no literal translation; the Kreismuseum, or circular museum; and the Schloss Friedestrom, or Friedestrom Castle.

Getting Around in Zons

Some visitors begin with a list of the attractions, and make a route designed to go by each of them. However, we were in a very relaxed mood on the day of our visit. We were with good friends in a beautiful place, so we went the route of walking and stopping for whatever attracted our interest. The downside of this of course, is that we did miss the Scheinenbrunnen outside of the Old Field Gate. However the upside is that we happened upon the herb garden, and the flood house, which were not listed on the map, and we were glad we saw both of them..

It is impossible to get lost in Zons, so if you are more comfortable with the walking and discovering approach, there is nothing to worry about. There are only 5 streets running north to south, and 4 streets running east to west, within the city walls.

Running north to south, Rheinstraße runs along the eastern wall of the city, with several attractions and a full array of restaurant choices. Museumsstraße is second, ending at the Kreismuseum.  Grünewaldstraße leads to the Juddenturm, and Hubertusstraße runs alongside of St. Martinus. All of these streets run pretty much all the way across the city.  Mühlenstraße is only 1 block long in the far southwest corner of the city, but you do want to get there if you hope to visit the windmill.

Running east to west, the first street is Mauerstraße, which is lined by the city walls on one side, and looks quiet upon first glance, but the far end is rather scenic, and is actually a favorite photo spot for many travelers. Turmstraße is primarily residential, although quite charming. At the end the name changes to Hohes Ortchen, so don’t let that confuse you. Zehntstraße is only 1 residential block between Museumstraße and Grunwaldstrasse, and it is quite possible you will never see it unless you go looking for it.  Schlossstraße is last, running from Rheinstraße and the Keismuseum, past the Juddenturm and Mühlenstraße , across the city and exiting the Old Field Gate.

The Rhine Gate Entrance

This entrance is very pretty, and has a formality to it. It feels as if you are entering the city the appropriate way, the way it was meant to be entered. There is a wide street, with a small plaza on the left side. The trail head for the path around the city walls departs at the end of the plaza, and there is an ice cream shop with an outdoor seating area.

Just outside the gate is the statue of Erzbischof Friederich von Saarweden, who was essentially the founder of the city Zons. Friedrerich held the position of Archbishop of Cologne, and county Elector, a duality which was not common. He was also said to be benevolent, yet a brilliant military strategist, and financial mastermind. All of this is reflected in the ornate detail of the statue, from the formal robes of the clergy, to the armor beneath, from the keys to heaven and earth held in his left hand to the coins of the day on the base plate.