Once upon a time, when I was very small, I had the great good fortune to have a father who read to me. And not just to me, but to all six of his children, snuggled together on the sofa.
We knew we were in for an evening of magic and adventure when he reached for his dog-eared copy of “Grimms’ Fairy Tales,” written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and first published in 1812.
In looking back many decades later, this is almost certainly the source, at least in part, for my love of reading, and quite possibly the source of my love of travel and adventure.
And it is not just a little bit surprising that my siblings and I were not scarred for life by the violence, mayhem and murder at the very core of these gruesome morality tales.
I suppose everyone knows that Little Red Riding Hood was eaten by the Big Bad Wolf, and that Hansel and Gretel only narrowly avoided being baked in the witch’s oven.
But did two white doves really have to pick the eyes out of Cinderella’s sisters? Did Rumplestiltskin really have to tear himself asunder in the middle? Revisiting “Grimms’ Fairy Tales” as an adult is shocking to see how dark many of these stories are.
The Brothers Grimm did not simply create these wild tales out of whole cloth. They collected oral stories from their friends and neighbors with the object of creating a scholarly record of medieval folklore and German culture, and at a time when Germany was not a unified country but a collection of states under French occupation.
The earliest editions of their work were even more violent and gruesome, but they were edited over time for a wider audience, frequently by adding a “happily ever after” ending.
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm lived and worked in small towns just north of Frankfurt, Germany, in the early 1800s. Many of their classic tales had a historical basis or occurred in a specific town or place that you can go and visit today.
The Fairy Tale Trail is a 370-mile journey through tiny villages and enchanted forests that the Grimm Brothers made famous.
The ideal way to experience the Fairy Tale Trail is by car, working your way from Hanau in the south (the birthplace of the Brothers Grimm) to Bremen in the north. Seven days is just about right for seeing everything without feeling rushed.
Hanau features a monument to the Brothers Grimm in the central square, as well as an interactive museum. Just to the north is Steinau where you can see the Grimm family home and visit the famous Steinau Puppet Theater.
Further to the north is the cozy medieval village of Alsfeld, with its iconic 16th century town hall and the dense forests of “Little Red Riding Hood” country. Decide for yourself if you would send your daughter out in those woods alone to visit her grandma.
Further north is the spa town of Bad Wildungen, home of a 17th-century Baroque palace called Schloss Friedrichstein that is considered the inspiration for Snow White.
The next leg of the trip takes you to the Central German Uplands where you can find the iconic Sababurg (Sleeping Beauty’s Castle) and Trendelburg (Rapunzel’s Tower).
Another highlight is the town of Hamelin, home of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. It is believed that this tale is based on a tragic event that befell the town in the 13th century. Every Sunday in summer, the tale is reenacted by actors in the town center. And don’t pass up on the rat-shaped pastries in local bakeries!
Finish your tour in Bremen, famous as the home of the Bremen Town Musicians, a Brothers Grimm fairy tale about a donkey, dog, cat and rooster who escape their cruel owners and journey to Bremen to become musicians. Be sure to wander through Bremen’s Schnoor district, a maze of 15th-century tiny houses that feel like a fairy tale come to life.
Dust off your dog-eared copy of “Grimms’ Fairy Tales” and bring the stories to life by visiting the places where they all began. And while you are there, see if you can spot any princes and princesses living happily ever after.
(Dan Keyport is a CCLN board member and former Chaska business owner, now retired. His home base for international travel has been Chaska for over 30 years.)
