Friday 10 June 2011

Friday is for Fairy-Tales: The German Fairy-Tale Route

This is a meme hosted by me every Friday.



Today's post is about: The German Fairy-Tale Route

If you ever travel to Germany, make sure to check out the German Fairy-tale Route. It is a journey from Bremen to Hanau, linking more than 70 towns and villages associated with the Brothers Grimm and the realm of fairytales, sagas, myths and legends. The official website offers a lot of information and since by summing them up, I might overlook crucial information, I will copy and paste the text this time. Enjoy!

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Fabulous footpaths and cycle trails whisk you away to the wonderful world of fairytales where childhood dreams spring into life... to the land of daring princes, the seven dwarfs and their seven mountains, enchanting fairies, the Pied Piper and Little Red Riding Hood. Between Heiligenstadt and Göttingen you can walk the Frau Holle trail - Frau Holle could still be shaking out her featherbeds to "make it snow" and you will feel like Hans in Luck.

On the German Fairytale Route your daily routine will seem like an eternity away. Covering more than 600 magical kilometres from the River Main to the sea, it runs through a region full of literary invention all the way to Bremen's market square and the statue of the Bremen town musicians. It takes in Sleeping Beauty's palace and Cinderella's castle, the quaint little town where the pranksters Max and Moritz got up to their tricks, as well as the enchanted castle where Rapunzel let down her hair. This route boasts a wealth of art and culture, eight nature reserves, charming highlands and river scenery. Quaint old villages and romantic towns associated with the Brothers Grimm follow hot on one another's heels, like turning the pages of a story book. Enjoy the lush, green countryside and the shady forests, feel the energy in the vibrant towns and enjoy the hospitality along this route, one of the oldest and most popular in Europe.

Trendelburg Castle, for example, where the Rapunzel tower offers glorious views of Reinhardswald forest, Sababurg Castle, where Sleeping Beauty was woken by the prince's kiss, and Ebergötzen mill museum, which features the rascals Max and Moritz and their seven pranks. In delightful Schwalmstadt we recall Little Red Riding Hood and the wolf, on Mount Hoher Meissner we find ourselves in the fairytale land of Frau Holle. Hamlyn awaits with the tale of the Pied Piper and in Polle we are on the trail of Cinderella. The German Fairytale Route is also glorious walking terrain. A land of fantasy for young and old alike, it offers open-air plays, puppet festivals, fairytale festivals - one celebration after another.

In some places visitors come face to face with "real" fairytale characters. No visit is complete without a historical feast - there are buffets and fairytale meals with all the trimmings, barn parties, regal banquets and all the pleasures of medieval dining. The German Fairytale Route offers culture and history, enchanting medieval towns, bewitched castles, fairytale palaces, museums, galleries, concerts and theatres - a charming blend of colourful town life and local folklore traditions. Sleeping Beauty, Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel – who could resist the idea of going in search of the characters from our favourite childhood fairytales. Many fairytales start with "Once upon a time..." Travel the German Fairytale Route and create a fairytale that is yours to keep.

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I found the information HERE.

So, what do you think? Would you travel the fairy-tale route? Does this interest you?

Have a great fairy-tale Friday!

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6 comments:

Blodeuedd said...

Now this sounds like so much fun, oh and I love castle so any route that brings me by one, yay

Jo K said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jo K said...

This sounds wonderful, just like my kind of trip. Thanks for sharing.

danya said...

Sounds like such a fun trip - very scenic too!

The Insouciant Sophisticate said...

This sounds AMAZING-the Brothers Grimm are my favorite fairy tale writers and due to my German ancestry, I've always wanted to visit the country. The presence of castles is the cherry on top of this delightful sounding excursion!

Jan von Harz said...

Oh how much fun would it be to travel this route. Thanks for the info, maybe someday I will get to see this!