Wolfhagen’s slogan could very well be, Once Upon A Time.
Oh, sure, many of Germany’s small towns could fit the bill of some ordinary fairy-tale land. But, this is no ordinary town, as this is the land of the Brothers Grimm. Yes, the 19th century siblings that collected the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel & Gretel that we all love today (sorry, Disney you can’t get all the credit ;-).
With a town’s history like this, it’s no wonder that Wolfhagen is on the tourist (but, not touristy) German Framework Road and the Fairytale Route. Which means you’re guaranteed to find the ultimate in many timber-framed buildings, as if they just jumped right out of the pages in one of Grimm’s books. Well, not entirely true as many of these beauties have stood here in town for more than 400 years, long before the days of the Grimms.
You’ll see how it is when you visit the 16th century Altes Rathaus (Old City Hall) whose special cellar that has reproduced the artwork of Ludwig Grimm, who painted here.
And, what’s a fairytale without a castle? Well, in the case of Wolfhagen there are two. First there is the 12th century Water Castle Elmarshausen, the other being the ruins of the 12th century Castle Weidelsburg. Neither of which should be missed!
For more of Wolfhagen’s medieval history, visit the Kattenturm. It’s one of eleven of the town’s original watchtowers.
Now the place for many concerts, St. Anna has stood overlooking Wolfhagen since the 13th century. Not too far from St. Anna is the Fairytale Well, symbolizing the town’s history to the Grimm Brothers. Then its Regional History Museum really does a wonderful job in highlighting the area’s unique and long history.
After all that, you’d think that this is where your fairytale ends. Well, it doesn’t because in addition to everything else, you’re able to enjoy fishing, golf, swimming, and just about everything in between. The many bicycling and hiking trails that meander through the Hessian countryside will have you just about speechless.
One of the most exciting attractions is actually a festival, the Kleinkunstfest to be exact. A 10-day Arts Festival held in May that pulls in thousands of visitors from all over coming to see some of the region’s best artists.
Looks like life is looking up in the Land of Grimm. ;-)
