One of the most wondrous journeys you can ever embark on is to follow the Fairy Tale Trail on a road trip around Germany, tracing the inspiration behind the Brother’s Grimm Fairy Tales and discovering magical places such as the Sleeping Beauty Castle, the Devil’s Cave, and the Trendelburg Fortress.
The route is long and branching, and unless you have a month to spare, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to visit every town and city on the Germany Fairy Tale Route map.
Based on this, in this Germany road trip itinerary, I will retrace the route I followed myself, which I believe covers quite many of the key sights of the journey, and is a great way to spend a week in the country!
We travelled in December and enjoyed many different German Christmas markets along the way, but Summer is also an excellent time to tour as a lot of the special performances and tours on the route only occur between May and September.
The Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm, otherwise known as Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, were two German librarians who interviewed friends and family in the early 19th century, recording stories that had been passed down from generation to generation in order to save them from fading into obscurity. They eventually published their collection of folklore and fairy tales in Children’s and Household Tales in 1812.
The collection became known as Grimm’s Fairy Tales over the years, and by the seventh edition, contained over 200 stories.
Some of the most famous fairy tales found in Grimm’s Fairy Tales include Hansel and Gretel, The Pied Piper of Hameln, Rumpelstiltskin, Cinderella, Snow White, The Frog Prince, Little Red Riding Hood, and The Wolf and the Seven Little Kids, amongst many others. The stories are darker than their more modern adaptions, such as Disney’s Cinderella and Snow White, and often have grim endings, intended as warnings for children and adults alike.
An 8-Day Fairy Tale Route Itinerary
The Fairy Tale Road in Germany, otherwise known as Deutsche Märchenstraße, starts in Hanau, officially at the monument to the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm on the Neustädter Marktplatz. The journey ends at the statue of the Bremen Musicians in front of the Ratskeller in Bremen.
There are more than fifty places to visit on the Fairy Tale Route from Hanau to Bremen, and while the distance between the two points can be covered by car within 5-6 hours, it will take quite a lot longer to visit every location on the Fairy Tale map.
A quick location guide to our German Fairytale Route:
- Frankfurt
- Hanau
- Steinau
- Freiensteinau
- Alsfeld
- Kassel
- Sababurg
- Trendelburg
- Hameln
- Bad Oeynhausen
- Bremen
- Hamburg
Day 1 | Frankfurt
The official starting point of the fairy tale route is in Hanau, and the closest airport to the town is in Frankfurt. Once you’ve flown in, pick up a rental car (it’s best to book in advance, though do some research using a comparison site like rentalcars.com to make sure you chose the best car rental company for you that offers the insurance and additional extras you need).
Before starting off on the fairy tale route, take an afternoon to explore what the city has to offer. These are the best things to see in Frankfurt’s Altstadt, or old town:
- St. Paul’s Church
- Römerberg Square
- Fountain of Justice
- Frankfurt Cathedral (Kaiserdom)
- Old Opera House
- Old Nicholas Church
If you’re visiting in December you can visit the Christmas Market held in Römerberg Square. It features a 30-metre tall Christmas tree and is surrounded by historic half-timbered houses that look like something straight out of a fairytale.
Park at: Parkhaus Dom Römer, Domstraße 1, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Stay at: I-motel Birkenwaldstr. 46, Obertshausen, 63179
Eat at: Gaststätte Zum Storch, Saalgasse 5, 60311 Frankfurt am Main
Day 2 | Hanau
The official starting point of the Fairy Tale Route, Hanau is known for being the birthplace of Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm. If you visit between May and July, you can take part in the town’s celebrations of the Grimm Brother’s Fairy Tales.
As for things to do in Hanau, the first thing you might want to do is indulge in a delicious German breakfast. On a Friday, you can visit Kardinal-Volk-Platz between 8am and 1pm for their Farmer’s market and pick out fresh bread, meats, cheeses and more. Not a Friday? No problem! There are plenty of other Cafés in the area that serve a hearty breakfast.
Park at: Steinheimer Vorstadt 70, 63456, Hanau
Wildpark Alte Fasanerie
Walk off breakfast around Wildpark Alte Fasanerie, getting up close to animals like wolves, lynx, moose, deer, boar and more.
Park at: Wildpark Alte Fasanerie, Fasaneriestrasse 106, 63456 Hanau/Klein-Auheim
Opening Hours: 9am – 5:30pm, every day from 1 January to 28 February. 9am – 7pm, every day from 1 March to 31 October. 9am – 5:30pm, every day from 1 November to 31 December (Wednesdays from 10am).
Ticket Prices: Adults €7, children between 3-14 €3.50
Philippsruhe Castle
The beautiful Philippsruhe Castle is surrounded by huge greenery with an orangery and sculpture park. It also hosts a historical museum dedicated to local, cultural and arts history. It’s especially nice to visit in the Summer, when the Brothers Grimm Festival takes place in the covered amphitheatre.
Park at: Parkplatz Hanau Schloss, 63454 Hanau
Museum Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm Tuesday – Sunday.
Museum Ticket Prices: Adults €4
Marktplatz Hanau
Visit the official starting place of the Fairy Tale Route at the feet of the national monument to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in Marktplatz Hanau. Then explore what the rest of the city centre has to offer, like the Altstädter Markt, German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus), Freiheitsplatz and more.
In Winter, a Christmas Market is held in the Marktplatz, set below a massive magical advent calendar that truly gets you into the Christmas spirit.
In June, the Lamboy Festival runs over three days throughout the alleys and plazas of the old town, offering magicians, musicians and lots of good food.
Park at: Tiefgarage am Markt 24h, Am Markt 20, 63450 Hanau
Stay at: Hotel Royal Hanau Salzstraße 14, Hanau am Main, 63450
Eat at: Emma’s Steakhaus, Jakob-Rullmann-Straße 17, 63454 Hanau
Day 3 | Steinau & Freiensteinau
Our next stop after Hanau is Steinau, a beautifully-preserved old town. Just walking around the streets brings you straight back to the time of the Brothers Grimm! Explore the Brothers Grimm House for a detailed look into their lives, admire the stalactites in the “Devil’s Cave“, visit the Brothers Grimm Fairytale Fountain and admire Steinau Castle for just some of the things to do in Steinau.
Park at: Bahnhof P1, Bahnhofstraße 1, 36396 Steinau an der Straße
Brothers Grimm House Opening Hours: 11am – 5pm daily from March to October, 11am – 4pm daily from November to February.
Ticket Prices: Adults €6, Children €3.50.
Eat at: Literaturcafe, Brüder-Grimm-Straße 27, 36396 Steinau an der Straße
In the afternoon, hop over to Freiensteinau and visit the Nieder-Mooser See Lake for a relaxing hike around the lake. Alternatively, head to the Vogelsberg ponds (Rotenbach Teich, Ober-Mooser Teich and Reichloser Teich) for a spot of bird-watching of rare species such as red kites, black-necked grebes, black storks, great crested grebes and little grebes.
Park at: Am Camping 1, 36399 Freiensteinau
Stay at: Gästezimmer Vogelsberg, Kiesslersweg 1, Freiensteinau, 36399
Day 4 | Alsfeld & Kassel
Red Riding Hood plays a special role in Alsfeld, as it’s said that the Brothers Grimm were inspired by the region’s traditional costume with its red cap for the story. You can’t miss the Alsfeld Fairy Tale House on your visit here, where different rooms in the half-timbered house are decorated with themes from different fairy tales, and a ‘witch’s parlour’ can also be found. It also hosts a doll-house collection.
Throughout the year you can enjoy many festivals in Alsfeld, including the Herb and Fairy Tale Day (held in 2023 on Sunday 18 June from 11am – 6pm), a Whitsun Market, and a Christmas Market.
Park at: Parkplatz, Hinter d. Mauer, 36304 Alsfeld
Fairy Tale House Opening Hours: 10:30am – 12:30pm & 2pm – 5pm on Saturdays, 2pm – 5pm on Sundays.
Eat at: Bäckerei & Konditorei Günther, Obergasse 10, 36304 Alsfeld
Travel to Kassel in the afternoon, and take the time to explore Grimmwelt Kassel, where you can read the personal copies of the Tales of Children and the Home by the Brothers Grimm with notes, comments and additions, tracing their work throughout their lifetime.
Afterwards, pay a visit to Kassel’s city centre, where you’ll find the Brothers Grimm Festival in the Summer, and a bustling Christmas Market in the Winter.
Park at: Friedrichsplatz, Dy-Ry-Strasse 1, 34117 Kassel, or Parkplatz Philosophenweg Aue, Philosophenweg 4, 34121 Kassel
Stay at: Ferienwohnung Katzenberger, Beverungen Weserbergland, Margeritenweg 8, 37688 Beverungen (2 nights)
Day 5 | Sababurg Castle & Trendelburg
Spend the good part of a day at Sababurg Castle, also known as the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and the surrounding gardens and zoo.
The castle dates back to 1334, and while it’s currently being renovated (as of March 2023), you can still visit the zoo and gardens where the castle is visible from a distance. Sababurg zoo is the oldest zoo in Germany that’s been preserved in its original area, and just a short walk away is the Sababurg Primeval Forest, where you can be awed by the centuries-old Hute oak trees and extensive beech forests.
Sababurg Zoo Opening Times: 10am – 4pm November to February, 9am – 5pm March, 8am – 7pm April – September, 9am – 6pm October.
Ticket Prices: Adults €10.50, Children 4-15 €6
On your way home, stop off in Trendelburg to see Rapunzel’s Tower, where you can see a golden braid thrown down from the window just waiting for a prince to climb. Make sure you also take a walk around the picturesque old town for the historical architecture and half-timbered houses.
At Castle Trendelburg, you can catch the Fairy Tale Festival in May, or the Bewitching Lights at the end of November.
Day 6 | Hameln & Bad Oeynhausen
One of the most famous and darkest tales of the Brothers Grimm, the influence of the Pied Piper can be seen all over the town of Hameln, from the golden rat tiles that adorn the streets, to the Pied Piper himself immortalised as a statue on the Rathausplatz.
Visit the Hameln Museum to find out more about the legend of the Pied Piper, the history of Hameln, and for a short, genuinely quite disturbing performance of the fairy tale. Afterwards, go for a walk around the beautifully restored old town, keeping your eyes peeled for all the detailed little touches that bring the place to life.
If you’re visiting between May and September, you can catch an open-air performance of the Pied Piper every Sunday at 12pm, and in the Summer, the musical “RATS” plays every Wednesday at 4:30pm.
Park at: Parkhaus Kopmannshof, Kopmanshof 32, 31785 Hameln
Museum Opening Hours: 11am – 6pm Tuesday to Sunday
Ticket Prices: Adults €6, Children 6-17 €3
Take the afternoon off at Bali Therme in Bad Oeynhausen, a therapeutic spa complete with thermal pools and access to an enchanting spa garden. Impressive buildings surround the area, and the German Fairy Tale and Weser Legend Museum lies in a beautiful villa nearby.
Stay at: Pension Hartenstein, Galgenkamp 29, Vlotho, 32602
Day 7 | Bremen
There’s no better way to end the Fairy Tale Route by spending the whole day in Bremen, the place where the Bremen Town Musicians travelled to make their fortune. Visit their bronze statue by the Town Hall and officially finish your Fairy Tale journey.
Afterwards, take in the impressive Town Hall itself from the Marktplatz. It’s also surrounded by the equally gorgeous Chamber of Commerce building and the St. Petri Cathedral. Greet the Bringer of Light before walking down Böttcherstraße to admire its unusual architecture and visit its small smattering of shops, museums and restaurants.
Spend the afternoon in the Kunsthalle. This impressive art museum contains pieces spanning 600 years of history, and features frequently changing exhibitions.
Over Christmas you can visit the rustic Schlachtezauber Christmas market along the waterfront.
Park at: Breparkhaus Pressehaus, Langenstraße 31, 28195 Bremen
Kunsthalle Opening Hours: 10am – 9pm Tuesday, 10am – 5pm Wednesday to Sunday
Ticket Prices: Adults €10
Stay at: Apartments Am Werdersee, Buntentorsteinweg 293, Neustadt, Bremen, 28201
Day 8 | Hamburg
You’ve officially finished your Fairy Tale tour! But before you drop off your rental car and fly back home from Hamburg, visit Miniatur Wunderland.
It’s the largest model railway in the world, but there’s so much more to Miniatur Wunderland than trains! You’ll see most of the world in miniature here as well, from Italy to South America to Las Vegas. Entire cities have been painstakingly recreated in miniature, taking over 760,000 hours to build in entirety. The rooms cycle from day to night, with lots more to discover as the lights go down. There are also plenty of moving parts to keep you entertained alongside the trains!
It’s populated with a huge amount of tiny figurines, going about their daily life in the various scenes. The best part of walking around is looking for all the hidden easter eggs the builders have left behind. You can find a tiny ET, Ewoks, a mermaid lounging in a fountain, and scuba-diving cows among others! The more you look, the more you’ll find, and you’ll easily find the hours flying by.
A great ending to a magical trip!
Park at: Parkplatz Kehrwieder, 20457 Hamburg
Opening Hours: Check the website as the hours vary daily
Ticket Prices: Adults €20, Children up to 15 €12.50
For the entire Fairy Tale Route in Germany and all of its destinations, you can check the map here.
Check out where else I’ve travelled in Germany!