One Day in Hanau, Germany – A Fairy-Tale Family Adventure
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel—these beloved fairy tales we all know and love didn’t just appear out of nowhere. They were originally German folk tales, carefully collected, organized, and compiled by the Brothers Grimm into what became the famous Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Their work has left a lasting legacy.
But the Brothers Grimm weren’t just fairy tale collectors—they were also linguists! They worked on organizing German vocabulary and even published a German dictionary. To honor their contributions, Germany established the German Fairy-Tale Route (Deutsche Märchenstraße) in 1975. Stretching 600 kilometers and spanning 60 towns, this magical route starts in Hanau, their birthplace, and follows their footsteps and the origins of many fairy tales. The route ends in Bremen, the home of the Town Musicians of Bremen.
Hanau is just a short trip from Frankfurt. For my birthday, we planned a fun-filled family day exploring this fairy-tale town. Our itinerary?
Wildpark Alte Fasanerie → Lunch → Brothers Grimm Monument → Hanau Christmas Market → Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus → Schloss Philippsruhe → GrimmsMärchenReich children’s museum.
Join Kitty on this enchanting adventure—let’s go, go, go!
- What’s special about Hanau?
- Where Is Hanau?
- Hanau Must-See Spots
- Hanau Map of Attractions
- Hanau One-Day Itinerary
- 1. Brothers Grimm National Monument (Brüder-Grimm-Denkmal)
- 2. Winter Highlight: Hanau Christmas Market (Hanauer Weihnachtsmarkt)
- 3. German Goldsmiths’ Museum (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
- 4. Schloss Philippsruhe: A Baroque Palace
- 5. A Kid-Friendly Museum about the Grimms: GrimmsMärchenReich
- 6. A Family-Friendly Pick: Wildpark Alte Fasanerie
- Conclusion: Is Hanau (Germany) Worth Visiting?
What’s special about Hanau?
⭐️ German Fairy-Tale Route Starting Point
Hanau is where Germany’s Fairy-Tale Route begins.
⭐️ City of the Brothers Grimm
It’s the birthplace of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, giving Hanau its nickname as the “Brothers Grimm City.”
⭐️ Perfect for Families
The Wildpark Alte Fasanerie and the GrimmsMärchenReich children’s museum offer plenty of fun for kids (and grown-ups too!).
Where Is Hanau?
The Location of Hanau
Hanau lies east of Frankfurt, making it easy to reach by car or public transportation.
Here’s a quick look at where Hanau sits on the map. It’s easy to see its close proximity to Frankfurt, making travel convenient and straightforward.
| 🚆 By Public Transport | 🚗 By Car | |
|---|---|---|
| Example: From Frankfurt Central Station to Hanau City Hall | 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the schedule | About 30–40 minutes |
Getting to Hanau by Public Transport
Simply hop on the S-Bahn (S9) at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. In about 30 minutes, you’ll arrive at Hanau Hauptbahnhof. From there, switch to local buses or trains to reach Hanau Marktplatz, right in front of City Hall.
Getting to Hanau by Car
Kitty has highlighted available parking options for each attraction, so you can easily find a spot and explore Hanau at your own pace.
Hanau Must-See Spots
Your all-in-one guide: explore the Brothers Grimm’s hometown in a single trip.
Hanau Map of Attractions
Hanau travel map: save it to Google Maps with one click and plan your journey easily.
Hanau One-Day Itinerary
Wildpark Alte Fasanerie → Lunch → Brothers Grimm Monument → Christmas Market → Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus → Schloss Philippsruhe → Grimm’s Fairy-Tale Children’s Museum (GrimmsMärchenReich)
1. Brothers Grimm National Monument (Brüder-Grimm-Denkmal)
Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm were famous German linguists born in Hanau in the late 18th century. They collected and compiled traditional German folk tales into Grimm’s Fairy Tales and also published a German dictionary. Their contributions have left a lasting impact on language and literature.
Address: Am Markt, 63450 Hanau (right in front of City Hall)
Suggested Duration: 10 minutes
🅿️ Parking: Underground car park on the Markt (Tiefgarage am Markt)
Translation of the Plaque:
National Monument
Dedicated to the linguists and fairy-tale collectors
Jacob Grimm
(Born in Hanau on January 4, 1785; died in Berlin on September 20, 1863)
and
Wilhelm Grimm
(Born in Hanau on February 24, 1786; died in Berlin on December 16, 1859)
Starting point of the German Fairy-Tale Route (Hanau–Bremen)
This spot marks the beginning of the German Fairy-Tale Route (Deutsche Märchenstraße), which runs from Hanau to Bremen. It holds great cultural and touristic significance for fans of fairy tales and history alike.
2. Winter Highlight: Hanau Christmas Market (Hanauer Weihnachtsmarkt)
↓ The Christmas Market is set up right in front of the New City Hall.
I guess they open one window each day, but I’m not sure if there are live performances behind them or something else.
I asked a food stall owner, but he didn’t know either. (It was cold, so I opted to focus on eating instead!)
Later, I checked the official Hanau city website. It says that from December 1 to 24, every evening at 6 p.m., there’s a light show revealing a different fairy tale each night.
↓ The Christmas Market in front of the City Hall is small but cozy. A Ferris wheel and a carousel stand close together, creating a festive atmosphere with a nostalgic touch.
I once had a terrible mug of mulled red wine at another Christmas market. Since then, I’ve lost faith and usually order hot chocolate or hot orange juice. Here in Hanau, though, I spotted a small bar-like stall—no fancy decorations, but it looked professional. I decided to try my very first hot white wine. It was delicious!
Market Dates: Usually from late November to December 22 each year. (We’ll update with 2025 info when available.)
Address: Am Markt, 63450 Hanau (right in front of City Hall)
Suggested Duration: 1 hour
🅿️ Parking: Underground car park on the Markt (Tiefgarage am Markt)
Futher Reading: Ultimate Guide To Frankfurt Christmas Markets with Travel Tips
3. German Goldsmiths’ Museum (Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus)
It’s about a 10-minute walk from the new City Hall to the German Goldsmiths’ Museum.
At first, I thought it was the Brothers Grimm’s former home. I made a special trip, only to find out it’s actually the German Goldsmiths’ Museum. It was built from the Old City Hall (dating back to 1538) and has no direct link to the Grimm Brothers.
Since the exhibits inside weren’t really my cup of tea, and we still had more fun attractions to explore, I decided not to buy a ticket. I just snapped a photo at the entrance and drove on to the next stop.
Address: Altstädter Markt 6, 63450 Hanau
4. Schloss Philippsruhe: A Baroque Palace
Schloss Philippsruhe wasn’t originally on our itinerary. Kitty was aiming for the children’s museum—GrimmsMärchenReich. But guess what? That museum is right inside the palace itself. You enter the palace rooms first, then head into the museum. It’s a win-win!
The rooms are so beautiful that even quick phone snaps look great!
Everything looked amazing! But our daughter kept running toward the children’s museum, so we only had time for a quick look around.
🚌 Public transportation: Bus lines 5, 10 and MKK 23, stop at “Philippsruhe”
🅿️ Parking: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5r9D3ZL1iSrQXsNp8
5. A Kid-Friendly Museum about the Grimms: GrimmsMärchenReich
GrimmsMärchenReich opened in 2019 inside the Baroque Schloss Philippsruhe. It’s perfect for kindergarteners and elementary-age kids. Of course, if you’re young at heart, you’ll enjoy it too!
All exhibits are in German, and the interactive games only have German audio. That’s fine for us—we live in Germany and speak the language. But if you’re visiting from abroad, it would be helpful to download a translation app.
Admission: €5 (adults) | Free for ages 18 and under
Please note: For safety reasons, strollers are not allowed inside the museum. You may leave them in the cloakroom next to the ticket counter. If needed, you can borrow a baby carrier at the ticket desk by leaving a deposit. This will help make your visit more comfortable.
🚌 Public transportation: Bus lines 5, 10 and MKK 23, stop at “Philippsruhe”
🅿️ Parking: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5r9D3ZL1iSrQXsNp8
6. A Family-Friendly Pick: Wildpark Alte Fasanerie
(We actually visited this in the morning, but I’m putting it last in case non-family travelers aren’t interested.)
The weather forecast said it would rain all day. But when the morning brought sunshine, we decided to head out anyway. This wildlife park is huge—we spent about 1.5 hours and only covered about a fifth of it! The admission isn’t pricey, so I didn’t expect much. I just wanted to enjoy nature. It turned out to be even better than expected—the animals have lots of space to roam!
Fasanerie in German refers to pheasants. Besides pheasants and peacocks, other highlights include wild mushrooms and white wolves (we didn’t have time to see them).
↓ Peacocks wander freely around the park (they’re not caged, but they’re a bit shy).
↓ But we heard a loud noise. After looking around, we realized those raccoons weren’t sleeping at all—they were busy playing in the trees!
↓ Besides the animals, the best part for me was the wild mushrooms! They’re not grown in a greenhouse but sprout naturally in the forest. They look amazing!
Suddenly, the animals began to hide. Dark clouds rolled in. We figured our sunny 1.5 hours was over (the forecast warned of all-day rain). We rushed to the exit. The moment we reached the restroom entrance, it started hailing! We felt so lucky—perfect timing. We also took advantage of the free restrooms.
When the weather cleared again, we decided to grab a bite—it was lunchtime.
↓ We recommend this Italian food truck (inside the park). The food was great and saved us the time of sitting in a restaurant. More time for sightseeing!
(Although we visited in the morning, I’m listing it last.) After lunch, we headed to the Christmas Market and the children’s museum near City Hall.
Address: Fasaneriestraße 106, 63456 Hanau
Tickets: €8 (adults), €4 (ages 3–17)
🅿️ Parking: 3WP6+FP Hanau (parking available right at the entrance)
We drove here ourselves. If you rely on public transport, be aware that you’ll need to walk about 30–40 minutes from the nearest stop, which can be inconvenient. Still, if you want to see wild mushrooms and white wolves, it’s worth the effort!
Conclusion: Is Hanau (Germany) Worth Visiting?
I had a wonderful, fulfilling day in Hanau, and I left feeling completely satisfied.
💙 If it’s your first time in Germany, I recommend checking out bigger, more famous cities and attractions first. For ideas, see “Frankfurt Area Highlights”
💙 If you plan to travel the German Fairy-Tale Route, you won’t want to miss the very starting point. Spend half a day in Hanau visiting the Brothers Grimm Museum and snapping a photo with their statue in front of City Hall!
💙 If you’re traveling with kids, consider the one-day itinerary above. It includes a wildlife park, museums, and a Baroque palace—something for both grown-ups and little ones.
💙 If you’re on a business trip, student exchange, or layover in Frankfurt and looking for a quick escape, Hanau is a great option for a day out.
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