The Nibelungenlied
An itinerary to see where the story is set
Who hasn't heard of Siegfried, the dragon-slayer? He who courted Kriemhild, the princess of Burgundy, who was murdered by Hagen of Tronje and whose death was most brutally avengend.
This medieval epic was put into writing in the 13th century. The anonymous author, who had good local knowledge of the Danube valley, set the story in several towns in the area.
But in some parts of the plot it also often remains unclear where the story took place. Thus several Odenwald communities claim to be among the settings of the Nibelungenlied. The home towns of the main characters are also considered "Nibelungen Towns".
One thing is certain, and that is the route taken by the heroes of the story. Xanten, Siegfried's home town in the north-west, is threfore the starting point. The route leads along the Rhine to Worms, which is the location of a large part of the plot. Esztergom on the Danube, where the Nibelungen became the victims of Kriemhild's revenge, marks the end of the route.
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