Germany The Fairy-Tale Road

Back in the 9th century, Breman was a small village in northwestern Germany situated on the banks of the Weser River around 60-70 km south of the North Sea estuary. It was the ideal location to construct a port, which it did in the 10th century and so became an important port and industrial center. Bremen is a city-state (the smallest of the 16 federal German states) and is a significant economic power.

You are In Hannover and you have to meet someone and you ask: “Where shall we meet?” And the reply is: “You have two main options, we can meet under the Clock or under the tail (this expression predates  the cell phone).

Marburg is a university town in the German state of Hessen. The University of Marburg was founded in 1527 and dominates the public life in the town to this day. Architecturally, Marburg is famous both for its medieval churches and for its castle Marburger Schloss. In particular the Elisabethkirche, an archetype of Gothic architecture in Germany. More important, however, is Marburg's status as an unspoilt, spire-dominated, castle-crowned Gothic/Renaissance city on a hill, intact because Marburg was isolated between 1600 and 1850. Parks in the town include the Old Botanical Garden, as well as the new Botanical Garden.

Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany.it has many palaces and parks, one of them the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kassel is also known for the documenta exhibitions of contemporary art. The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe complex includes Wilhelmshöhe Palace (with the Antiquities Collection and Old Masters), the Hercules monument, and the Lions Castle. The palace is now a museum and houses an important collection of Graeco-Roman antiques and a fine gallery of paintings. It is surrounded by the beautiful Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe with many appealing sights. The complex was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.

located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district. In 744 Saint Sturm, a disciple of Saint Boniface, founded the Benedictine monastery of Fulda. The city went through a baroque building campaign in the 18th century, resulting in the current “Baroque City” status. This included a remodeling of Fulda Cathedral (1704–12) and of the Stadtschloss (Castle-Palace, 1707–12) by Johann Dientzenhofer. other sites include the statue of Saint Boniface (1830), Kloster Frauenberg, a Franciscan monastery and the Old University of Fulda.

Bad Karlshafen is a baroque, thermal salt spa town in the district of Kassel, in Hesse, Germany. It has 2300 inhabitants in the main ward of Bad Karlshafen, and a further 1900 in the medieval ward of Helmarshausen. It is situated at the confluence of the Diemel and Weser rivers.

Bodenwerder is a municipality in Lower Saxony, Germany. It lies on the river Weser, at a point where the river has carved a gap in the hills. It is famous as the birthplace and residence of Baron Münchhausen and the Münchhausen museum and monument are notable tourist attractions. In 1750, Baron Münchhausen retired to his estate here and told his famous stories to his friends. He died in 1797. His house was acquired by the town in 1935, which was used as the town hall; a room containing a Münchhausen museum was added.

Hanau is a town in Hesse, Germany. It is famous for being the birthplace of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Major Sights include : The German House of Goldsmiths (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus), Philippsruhe Castle, Health Establishment at Hanau-Wilhelmsbad, St Mary's Church (Marienkirche) and Walloon-Dutch Church (Wallonisch-Niederländische Kirche).

Gelnhausen is a town in Hesse, Germany. According to the Institut Géographique National since 1 January 2007 the geographic centre of the European Union is exactly located on a wheat field outside the town. Barbarossa erected one castle here. There is still a medieval town center with its famous church, St. Mary Church (Marienkirche), that exhibits both romanesque and gothic architecture. Gelnhausen castle was erected at the time of Gelnhausen's foundation, southeast of the town on an island in the Kinzig River. Today it is the best preserved palatinate castle from this era, with remarkable masonry.

Höxter is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia on the left bank of the river Weser. Höxter has a medieval town hall and interesting houses with high gables and carved façades from the 15th and 16th centuries. The most interesting of the churches is the Protestant church of Saint Kilian, with a pulpit dating from 1595 and a font dating from 1631. The Weser is crossed here by a stone bridge about 150 m in length, erected in 1833. On the Brunsberg abutting the town is an old watchtower, said to be the remains of a fortress built by Widukind's brother Bruno.

Steinau an der Straße is a town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Kinzig, The Brothers (Jacob and Wilhelm) Grimm, famous for their collection of fairy tales and forklore, lived in Steinau during their childhood. the family lived in Steinau from 1796-1805 living in a home that still stands today on Brückentor - "Die Alte Kellerei". It is one of many of the remarkable Fachwerkhaeuser - half-timbered houses - that can be found throughout the town.