Fairy Tale Route: Bremen to Hanau

Every part can be changed to suit your group.

1. Day 1 Bremen

   Arrive in Bremen, the northern end of the Fairy Tale Route. Your guide shows you the market square with the Gothic Town Hall and the Roland statue, both UNESCO World Heritage, and the bronze Town Musicians: donkey, dog, cat and rooster stacked on each other's backs. Rub the donkey's legs for luck. Then wander through the Böttcherstrasse, an expressionist lane with a porcelain carillon, and the tiny houses of the Schnoor quarter.

   
2. Day 2 Hamelin

   The coach follows the Weser river to Hamelin, the town of the Pied Piper, who in 1284 led 130 children away. Rat motifs are everywhere, from the pavement to the bread in the bakeries. Admire the Weser Renaissance façades of the Rat Catcher's House and the Wedding House, and on summer Sundays watch the open-air Pied Piper play. Overnight in a half-timbered hotel in the Weser Uplands.

   
3. Day 3 Göttingen and Sababurg

   In the morning visit Göttingen, the lively university town where the Brothers Grimm taught until 1837, when they lost their posts for protesting against the king. By tradition every new doctor climbs the market fountain to kiss the Goose Girl statue. In the afternoon drive into the ancient Reinhardswald forest, with oaks more than 800 years old, to Sababurg, known as Sleeping Beauty's Castle, surrounded by roses and an old animal park. Enjoy coffee and cake in the castle garden.

   
4. Day 4 Kassel

   Kassel is the city where the Grimms collected most of their tales. Visit GRIMMWELT, a modern museum where you walk through the stories and see the brothers' own annotated copies, part of the UNESCO Memory of the World. In the afternoon the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, also UNESCO, with the Hercules monument high above the city; on summer Wednesdays and Sundays watch the water features cascade down the hill.

   
5. Day 5 Marburg and Steinau

   Marburg climbs a hill crowned by the Landgrave's castle, with steep stepped lanes and half-timbered houses that inspired the Grimms during their student years here. Visit St. Elizabeth's Church, one of the first Gothic churches in Germany. Then continue south through the Kinzig valley to Steinau an der Strasse, where the brothers spent their childhood. Visit their family home, now a museum with their drawings and letters, and the Renaissance castle with its famous marionette theatre, where fairy tales come to life.

   
6. Day 6 Hanau and departure

   The final stop is Hanau, birthplace of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, where their large bronze monument stands on the market square in front of the town hall. Nearby, Philippsruhe Palace on the Main river has a small museum about the brothers and their tales. After a farewell coffee our driver takes you to Frankfurt Airport, only 30 minutes away, or to Frankfurt station for your onward journey. From Bremen to Hanau through the world of the Grimms: our team stays in touch after the trip.