Deutscher Märchenwald Altenberg, Fairy tale theme park in Odenthal, Germany

The Deutscher Märchenwald Altenberg is a fairy tale theme park on the edge of Altenberg, a district of Odenthal, in the Bergisches Land. A fairy tale path through the wooded grounds presents 18 tales by the Brothers Grimm, among them Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Rumpelstilzchen and the Frog King. Key scenes are partly movable, accompanied by music and narrated texts; a restaurant and a hotel stand on the grounds.

The park opened in 1931, making it one of Germany's earliest fairy tale parks of this kind. It has remained in family hands ever since and kept its original approach to presenting stories through handcrafted mechanical scenes.

The scenes draw on stories that most German children grow up hearing, making a visit feel like walking through a shared memory. Characters like Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel appear in small handcrafted settings along the forest paths.

The park is explored entirely on foot along forest paths, so sturdy shoes are a good idea, especially after rain. Allow a few hours to take in all the scenes without rushing.

In the Brüder-Grimm-Ehrenhalle, the Wasserorgel known as the Tanzenden Fontänen was inaugurated in 1956. It creates illuminated water figures that move to classical music and is still operated by hand today. The installation has since been fitted with LED technology.