Fifty years of the German Fairytale Route: magical moments in Bremen
In 2025, the German Fairytale Route is celebrating 50 years of existence and inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the world of myths and fairy tales. In this anniversary year, Bremen is putting on some exciting events and guided tours with a myth and fairytale theme.
The German Fairytale Route
Established in 1975, the German Fairytale Route extends more than 600 kilometres from Hanau in the south to Bremen in the north. It connects significant places from German fairy tales and folklore. If you are interested in the anniversary year, there is extensive information on the events and attractions along the route at Deutsche-maerchenstrasse.com and Germany.travel. Grimms Quest, a trilingual gamification app that promises lots of fun for all ages is an indispensable companion along your travels.
Myth and fairytale themed events
There are a range of myth and fairytale-related events in Bremen to mark the 50th anniversary of the Fairytale Route. Visitors can take part in a special anniversary tour, which brings to life the fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and other folklore relating to Bremen. Every Sunday lunchtime from May to December, the cathedral yard becomes the venue for the ‘Stadtmusikantenspiel’, which brings the famous Musicians of Bremen to life in a unique performance. Mystical experiences await visitors to the Kunsthalle Bremen art gallery, with its newly opened Pixelwald Wisera installation, which feels like your in the middle of a magical forest. There are more fairytale experiences at bremen.de/tourismus.
Myths and fairy tales in Bremen
Legend has it that freedom-loving river fishermen looking for a home on the Weser once came across a hen and her chicks. That inspired them to settle there and found Bremen as the ‘Cradle of Freedom’. There is a memorial to this story of how the city was founded on the arched arcade of the Town Hall. It is close to the bronze statue depicting the Musicians of Bremen, one of the most well-known fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm. According to the tale, a donkey, a dog, a cat and a chicken travelled to Bremen to seek their fortune. Holding onto the front leg of the donkey in the statue is said to bring visitors a little of this good fortune today. The BremenGo App brings the Musicians of Bremen to life as 3D-animated figures. Visitors can also enjoy lots more information and entertaining anecdotes during a boat trip on the Stadtmusikantenexpress, or one of the range of guided tours or at bremen.de/tourismus.
Sonja Hackmann
+49 421 3080026
Bremen is a Hanseatic City on the Weser in the North of Germany. The city has its own airport and great connections to the railway network. From London Heathrow (LHR), you can get to Bremen (BRE) with Lufthansa in only 3 hours and 50 minutes, with just one stop. From London Stansted (STN), you have also non-stop flights with Ryanair.
