GoBreezing

Rain is pouring.  Clothes clinging to our bodies. Youngest got muddy water all up his back. 

– Let’s hook you up to the tow rope and pull you along for a bit?
– No. I can ride myself! 

He can. Of course he can. But the others are getting cold, and are suddenly questioning our travel choices.

– My friends all go to places with pools and beaches. 
– Yeah.. 

It is obviously time to hit the breaks. We find shelter at a tired inn along the trail. Waiting for that promised sun to get back. Dry clothes on, some fries, and rest for the legs. 

We roll the final stretch to our stay by the riverbank, his face beaming with a sense of accomplishment and joy at the others cheering him on. 

SUP boards are found and swimwear put on. Nobody misses a pool. 

And somehow, it all feels like part of a tale. After all, this is a route built on stories. 

They appear along the way: The castle of Sleeping Beauty, the village of Snow White. Hansel and Gretel. And the Piped Piper, reminding us the darker origins of these tales.

The forest was dark
And the child was alone

The road moves through farmland and small towns, with stretches of cornfields and villages defined by half-timbered houses. There are volcanos and traces of dinosaurs. Rivers to paddle and hundreds of kilometers of cycle paths, all the better when the sun is out. 

The route doesn’t need to be followed in full. Simply stepping off the motorway and stopping in a few of the smaller towns is worth it. 

We try schnitzels at a local inn.Oordering mostly with pointing, nodding, and a bit of laughter cause language falls short, while the kids play football with local children. On the pitch, they understand each other.

Nibble, nibble, little mouse. who is nibbling at my house?

Good to know:

The Deutsche Märchenstraße runs through central Germany, linking towns and landscapes connected to the work of the Brothers Grimm. they collected and published more than 200 stories from this region in the early 1800s.

Hanau marks the official southern start of the road, while Bremen, and The Town Musicians, mark its northern end.

* Map shows only a handful of discoveries along the Route. Take your time and let the story unfold along the way.