“Nighttime is the right time to fight crime… I can’t think of a rhyme… PJ Masks, PJ Masks, PJ Masks, PJ Masks, PJ Masks!”
If someone had asked me what the soundtrack to my Germany trip was going to be it, definitely wouldn’t have included the toddler approved cartoon theme song but alas, it was. In hindsight, a cartoon super hero theme song is actually perfect considering our road trip through Northwest Germany’s Fairytale Route included several major storybook villains, heroes and quests.
From a live performance of the Pied Piper in the city where the legend was born to sleeping next to princess Rapunzel’s tower (the one where she let her hair down), our road trip weaved magic and mystery, well-known Brothers Grimm stories with lesser-known, more abstract legends.
Not only was this our first European family vacation, this was my first time to Germany and I was so excited to finally explore this unique country.
If you’re considering your family’s first European trip, we have tons of tips, but overall feel like a road trip is such a fun, easy way to transition into European travel, especially for Americans who are used to road trips. With a toddler, sometimes you have more luggage than you might if it’s just adults, and having a safe place to hold all the extra stuff really helped us out. You can fly into the start of the road trip and out of the end of the trip so you’re only traveling one way. The rental cars were pretty inexpensive, and this allowed us to maximize our time each day.
Know before you go:
- The summer really comes alive on the Fairytale Route, with special performances and tours only available May through September. Another amazing time to visit would be around Christmas time, when many towns and villages on the route have special Christmas markets.
- The 600km route has many more stops than listed before, and I highly suggest looking at the full map before planning your trip to see if there are any other stops you might add to your road trip. For example, a stop in Kassel will allow you to visit the Brothers Grimm museum, and if you have older kids, that might really add to the context of their lives while seeing all the fairytale moments.
Day 1-2: Hamburg to Bremen, overnights in Bremen
We started our Fairytale Route in Bremen, easily driving from Hamburg to Bremen in less than two hours. Bremen has a lot to explore, but we managed to do all of the below in 36 hours. If you have a more gentle approach to travel (we love to see as much as possible in bigger cities) then you could easily stay in Bremen for a full 48 hours or longer.
Before your visit, pick up a copy of the Brothers Grimms’ Bremen Town Musicians to read to your toddler or kiddos. Augustine loved reading the story the night before we saw the statues and had a more in-depth tour on the four outcasts. If you can’t find one before you go, there are plenty of copies in Bremen, and I truly think knowing the story rounds out the visit so much.
Where to stay:
We stayed at the Best Western Bremen City, in one of their family apartments. The apartment had a full living room that was huge, a kitchenette, a master bedroom and bathroom. There was even a little mudroom entry that was perfect for raincoats and umbrellas drying after a quick storm.
Another fun option would be to stay onboard the Alexander Von Humboldt ship. The rooms are much tighter- you are on a boat, after all – but what a unique experience and a fantastical way to start the fairytale route.
What to do:
- Explore the Market Square
- Wander through the tiny streets of Bremen’s oldest and most historic area, Schnoor
- Eat lunch on a pirate ship and try some of Germany’s unique pancake combinations
- Book a Bremen Town Musicians Tour, kids will love the little train that takes you from spot to spot *travel tip: book the tour in English, in advance
- Have dinner under the town hall
- Take the train out to the Universum Bremen (plan at least 2 hours here, as this interactive museum has 4 levels, plus an awesome outdoor area that is perfect for kids who want to touch everything)
- Drive out to the Botanika, a gorgeous botanical garden that focused on different Asian landscapes
Day 3: Stop in Hamelin, Overnight at Rapunzel’s Tower and Castle
Head out early from Bremen and stop in Hamelin for an early lunch and tour of the Pied Piper’s town. If you visit on a Sunday, May through September, you can watch a live retelling of the Pied Piper story. The show is in German, but even my toddler understood what was happening and it really helped flush out the other experiences in the town. For example, there are little rats everywhere and my daughter loved pointing them out. The museum became approachable even for a toddler because she knew the story and could point out all the characters. The main historic town is really easy to walk around in a short afternoon. We sat down for lunch in a restored restaurant and had ice cream before returning to the car to continue the road trip.
Try to arrive at Hotel Trendelburg before 3 p.m. so you can see Rapunzel let down her hair from the tower. The entire hotel, tower and grounds are so beautifully romantic and truly feel like you’re in a fairytale- no matter your age.
Once in your room, Hotel Trendelburg really comes alive. Everything from the bedding to curtains to little touches the property so delicately arranges is out of a fairytale. The dinner and breakfast are just as picture perfect, overlooking the town and valley below. We cheered with a glass of Champagne as Augustine, dressed head to toe in a Rapunzel costume, played outside on the patio. The mist over the mountains added to the mystery and allure of this castle on the hill. We went to bed that night just floating on cloud nine. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a more magical experience, ever.
Day 4: Lunch in Hann.Münden, coffee at Waldeck castle and overnight in Marburg
Hann.Münden is one of the most beautiful towns I’ve ever seen. From anywhere in the town you can see thick tree-covered mountains and more than 700 fully restored half-timbered houses in a variety of colors with the most ornately designed doors. Spanning six centuries, besides the houses, you’ll see 12 historic fortified towers, medieval bridges and city walls. The town had no damage from the Second World War, so it’s pretty amazing to see a medieval town look very similar to how it would have back so long ago. The town is at the confluence of three rivers, and is a great spot to head off on a biking trip (if you want even more adventure and have kids up for the task). We stopped to learn about the most famous resident of Hann.Münden, Doctor Ironbeard, and stop for lunch. This stop can be as quick or long as you want, but definitely give yourself at least two hours to explore. If you have longer than our suggested route, you could easily spend the night, and embark on a bike ride tour or hike in the mountains. There is also kayaking and paddle boarding on the river.
Back in the car, it’s a scenic drive through national parks to Waldeck Castle, a stone castle on a hill overlooking lake Edersee and Kellerwald-Edersee nature reserve which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage of Germany’s Ancient Beech Forests.. We stopped to wander around the castle, took the gondola down to the river and then back up, and had a quick snack before heading back on the road. Again, if you have more time, you could easily stick around for a full afternoon, especially if the weather is nice, to enjoy some of the hiking trails and the lake. We wanted to get to Marburg, so we stopped for a quick visit and then continued our drive.
We arrived in Marburg, the university town where the Brothers Grimm attended school, around 6 p.m., just in time to check into our hotel, hear the nearby St. Elizabeth Church bells, and head to a local beer garden, Gartenlaube. The restaurant was recommended by the hotel and might have been the best meal of the entire trip. The steak was perfect and the beer very cold. The restaurant is perfect for families and you can sit outside on the covered patio or inside the large restaurant (although it still felt very cozy inside).
Day 5: Explore Marburg
The next morning we again got up early and set out on foot to capture some pictures and watch the city wake up. Marburg felt very different from the rest of the route – with so many young people from the university wandering around. The city came alive much earlier than the other places we had been visiting. Around 10 a.m., we met with a local tour guide so we could get a more in-depth history tour and learn how the Brothers Grimm became what they are known for today. The city is built on a hill, so we started at the bottom near St. Elizabeth’s Church and then climbed up hundreds of steps to finally reach Marburg Palaceabove. The tour detailed the brothers’ lives and luckily about every five minutes or so was another statue or reference to a fairytale. There was a basket that represented Little Red Riding Hood’s basket she took to grandmother’s house. There was a big frog with a crown, covered in ivy, which represented the Princess and the Frog story. There was a huge glass slipper to represent Cinderella. All these little touches made the tour very doable and exciting for Augustine, as she loved guessing what each statue represented.
At the end of the tour, we learned a bit about the castle on top of the hill and then had lunch at Bückingsgarten, a gorgeous outdoor beer garden and restaurant with the most spectacular views of the whole city below us.
There are many more stops along the 600km route that we did not make it to on this trip. You could easily expand this itinerary by another 5 days to slow down, rent a bike one day or take a boat cruise, and add a few more stops. Personally, I could have stayed at Rapunzel’s Tower and Hotel Trendleburg for another night, living out my own childhood fantasy. Additionally, you could continue past Frankfurt and visit Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration behind Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty Castle.
This road trip will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was our family’s first European vacation. We drank a lot of German beer, ate a few pretzels, tried Schnitzel and Königsberger Klopse, and just fell asleep very happy every single night. There are few trips that I recommend to everyone so wholeheartedly, and this is one of them. If you have kids or are a kid at heart, I can’t think of a more magical vacation than this one.
This post was produced in partnership with Travel Mindset and Germany Tourism.
