600 km Magical Journey from Hanau to Bremen on the German Fairy Tale Road:
Once upon a time, we were told many children’s fairy tales, some kids more than others! I must admit that as a child growing up in Asia, I had no idea where these fairy tales came from. It sufficed that they were captivating, and going on the adventures with the characters was exciting and rewarding, especially if has a “happily every after” ending.
I now know that we have the Brothers Grimm to thank for classic fairy tales like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Grethel and much much more.
The Brothers Grimm collected and published over 200 folktales, fairy tales, songs and legends during their times. And now, the German Fairy Tale Road lets us see the places where these fairy tales are set and the vestiges of the fairy tale collectors themselves such as the Memorial to the Brothers Grimm in Hanau, their house in Steinau, the university in Marburg where Jacob Grimm studied, the Brothers Grimm Museum in Kassel and Göttingen where the two brothers worked .
About The Fairy Tale Road
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were born in Hanau. Hence the German Fairy Tale Road starts from Hanau (near Frankfurt) in the south and stretches for over 600 km to Bremen in the north,
There are footpaths and cycle trails which will whisk you away to the wonderful world of Grimm fairy tales where childhood fantasies spring to life… to the land of daring princes, the seven dwarfs and their seven mountains, enchanting fairies, the Pied Piper and Little Red Riding Hood.
The Fairy Tales Road is not just for kids only. The road covers a wealth of art and culture and along the route are quaint old villages, romantic towns, historical and medieval towns of half-timbered houses, castles, fortresses, museums and art galleries. The road travels through ever changing landscapes including charming mountain regions, dense woodlands, green countryside and river scenery.
If you’re planning a family holiday, the German Fairy Tales Road is a magical journey where kids and adults can share and live out their childhood fairy tales. In many places the fairy tales do come true when the visitors are greeted by genuine fairy tale figures.
For more details of the route map and the German Fairy Tales Road see the Deutsche-Maerchenstrasse website.
Carol says
As a point of fact, there are no fairies in the tales from Brothers Grimm. Fairies are primarily from the British Isles. It’s more accurate to call them folktales. Cheers -C