As a child, everyone read fairy tales and dreamed of going there. Today we will tell you about places where fairy tales are intertwined with reality: the forest of Little Red Riding Hood and the city that inspired the author of Alice in Wonderland, the Pinocchio Museum and a fairy-tale castle in the forests of Bavaria.
1. Fairytale Road (Märchenstraße)
Germany
The Fairy Tale Road, 600 kilometers long, passes through 70 towns and villages associated with the life of the Brothers Grimm. The route begins in Hanau, the hometown of storytellers, and ends in Bremen, at the monument to the Bremen Town Musicians. The road passes by Trendelburg Castle, where, according to legend, Rapunzel lived, and the Bodenwerder estate, which belonged to the real Baron Munchausen, a merry fellow and a dreamer. Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty – all these fairy tales originated here, and medieval castles, masquerades and festivals will help you immerse yourself in their atmosphere.
2. Odense, Denmark
The great storyteller Hans Christian Andersen was born in the city of Odense in 1805. His house has been turned into a museum, and the neighboring streets have been reconstructed in 19th-century style. Multi-colored half-timbered houses with sculptures of fairy tale heroes and elves — Odense still looks like an illustration from a children’s fairy tale. In Odense, there is a children’s center called Fyrtøjet, where they show plays and cartoons in different languages, and organize masquerades and dinners based on fairy tales. Odense — Denmark’s third largest city, accessible by train (1.5 hours) or bus from Copenhagen.
3. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany
Neuschwanstein Castle is known to all children of the world, because it was Walt Disney who was inspired by it to create the Sleeping Beauty Castle, which later became the screensaver of the Disney studio. This beautiful castle was built in 1869 by King Ludwig II, who loved Wagner’s romantic operas and medieval fairy tales. Upon ascending the throne, Ludwig II began building a medieval knight’s castle with painted walls and Gothic towers in the mountains of Bavaria. The best craftsmen and painters, woodcarvers and sculptors worked on it, thanks to whom the castle became like a fairy tale come to life. Neuschwanstein is located near the town of Fussen,
where it is most convenient to get there by train (2 hours) from Munich.
4. Oxford, England
Lewis Carroll, who lived and taught at Oxford, wrote Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass here. The dean’s young daughter, Alice Liddell, served as Alice’s model, and the Red Queen’s palace was based on Christ Church, one of the city’s most beautiful colleges. An exhibition in the Oxford Museum is dedicated to Carroll and his tale, and the Alice’s shop sells all kinds of souvenirs related to the world of Alice. There are buses to Oxford direct from Gatwick and Heathrow airports. From London to Oxford there is a train (1.5 hours) and a bus (2.5 hours) from Victoria Coach Station.
5. Collodi in Tuscany, Italy
The Tuscan town of Collodi, located 30 kilometers from Pisa and 60 kilometers from Florence, is the birthplace of the mother of the writer Carlo Collodi, author of the book “The Adventure of Pinocchio. The history of a wooden doll.” In 1956, Pinocchio Park (Parco di Pinocchio) was built here, with the participation of the best sculptors and artists of Italy,
where all the surprises and adventures described in the book await children. The park features recreations of Pinocchio’s village, a tavern, a tree with golden ducats and a labyrinth. Masquerades and a puppet theater, excursions for children and adults, and a house with thousands of butterflies attract numerous tourists here.
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