This summer, we took an enchanting mini-road trip with our family along the German Fairy Tale Route, where the stories of the Brothers Grimm come to life. Five days filled with castles, canoe trips, and camping. We visit Alsfeld, the fairy-tale backdrop for the famous story of Little Red Riding Hood, and meet Mother Hulda in charming Hessisch Lichtenau. We admire the iconic Rapunzel tower and discover the magic of Sleeping Beauty’s castle. In this blog, I will take you along our route – perfect for those who love a bit of magic on their travels and want to relive the fairy tales from their childhood.
The German Fairy Tale Route, also known as the Deutsche Märchenstraße, is a tourist route of approximately 600 km that runs from Hanau to Bremen. Along this route, you can discover places connected to the fairy tales of the Grimm brothers.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were German writers from the 19th century who dedicated their lives to documenting stories, legends, and fairy tales that had been passed down orally from generation to generation. Their famous collection ‘Kinder-und Hausmärchen’ contained around 200 fairy tales, of which ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Hansel and Gretel’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’, ‘The Wolf and the Seven Goats’, and ‘Rapunzel’ are among the most well-known.
We choose to cover part of the route from Kassel to Hofgeismar with stops in Alsfeld, Hessisch Lichtenau, Heilbad Heilingenstadt and Trendelburg.
Our starting point is in Kassel, easily accessible by car or camper.
- From Brussels: 5 hours drive
- From Eindhoven: 3.5 hours drive
- From Amsterdam: 5 hours driving
Kassel, the cultural heart of the Grimm fairy tales
Kassel is a medium-sized city in the north of the German state of Hesse, picturesque located by the Fulda River. It is the city where the Brothers Grimm lived and worked for many years, and where the first edition of their famous fairy tale collection was published in 1812. Because of this heritage, Kassel is often referred to as the ‘Grimmstadt’.
We visited the UNESCO World Heritage site Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with its spectacular water features, the Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, and the Löwenburg castle. In addition, we learn more about the lives of the Brothers Grimm at the GRIMMWELT museum. We relax at the thermal baths of Kassel.
Read more: What to do in Kassel? | German Fairy Tale Route
Alsfeld, the picturesque fairy tale town
Our next stop is the charming medieval town of Alsfeld. This town is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful German cities, featuring more than 400 restored half-timbered houses in its historic center.
We are taking a city walk and visiting the Fairy Tale House and taking a walk on the Berchta Trail in the footsteps of the little witch Berchta.
Read more: What to do in Alsfeld | German Fairy Tale Route
Hessisch Lichtenau, the enchanting world of Mother Hulda
In the middle of the nature park Frau-Holle-Land, you can find the charming Hessisch Lichtenau. Here, the legend of Mother Hulda lives on.
Together with Mother Hulda, we visit artworks and remarkable buildings of the city. We also visit Holleum, an interactive museum in a beautiful half-timbered house.
Read more: What to do in Hessich Lichtenau | German Fairy Tale Route
Heilbad Heiligenstadt, spa town and inspiration for fairy tales
Heilbad Heiligenstadt is primarily known as a spa town, but it is also the place where the Brothers Grimm first worked on the German dictionary and the city where the German writer Theodor Storm found inspiration for the fairy tale of Regentrude.
We visit the fairy tale park of the Brothers Grimm, stroll through the Kurpark, along the Regentrude waterfall into the city, and visit the literature museum of Theodor Storm.
Read more: What to do in Heilbad Heiligenstadt | German Fairy Tale Route
Trendelburg, visiting Rapunzel
The next destination on our route seems to come straight from a fairy tale. The tower of the medieval castle rises high above the town. This is where the Brothers Grimm drew their inspiration for the fairy tale of Rapunzel.
We canoe on the Diemel and visit the tower of Rapunzel. There we have have lunch with a beautiful view over the valley.
Read more: What to do in Trendelburg and Hofgeismar | German Fairy Tale Route
Hofgeismar, town of the Sleeping Beauty’s castle
Our final stop is certainly not the least. Hofgeismar is the base for a visit to Sababurg, the magical castle of Sleeping Beauty.
We visit Tierpark Sababurg, one of the oldest animal parks in Europe, walk through the Sababurg primeval forest along oak trees that are hundreds of years old, and explore the charming town of Hofgeismar.
Read more: What to do in Trendelburg and Hofgeismar | German Fairy Tale Route
Our quick visit to Germany allowed us to relive the fairy tales from our childhood, showed us beautiful castles, and enchanted us with the picturesque towns. We have become very eager to explore the rest of the Fairy Tale Route in the coming years as well.
Have any questions or comments on the German Fairy Tale Route? Don’t hesitate to send us a message.