Being Enchanted by Fairytale Magic at the Märchenwald Altenberg

Your family road trip starts in Düsseldorf and takes you to Altenberg in about an hour. Make sure to pack enough snacks for the coming three days and any favourite toys that would be sadly missed by your kids if they were forgotten at home.

First things first: drop your car and bags at Märchenwald Altenberg B&B Hotel, where you and your family will be staying the night. We recommend contacting the staff to confirm check-in times and your arrival time so that everything runs smoothly during your trip.
You can park your car at the car park Märchenwald Parkplatz.

By the time you sorted everything at the hotel, your kids will already be super excited to enter the Märchenwald. Luckily, it is just a hop, a skip, and a jump from the hotel. In the forest, you will find over 20 little houses (stations) with life-like moving figures from the most beloved fairytales written by the Brothers Grimm.
Please bear in mind that the recordings playing at the stations are in German, but, mesmerised by the enchanting atmosphere of it all, you and your kids will probably not even notice.
Opening hours
Park
Monday to Friday: 10:00–18:00 Saturday, Sunday and school holidays: 10:00–19:00 Last entry: 1 hour before closing
Café Monday to Friday: 11:00–17:00 Saturday, Sunday and school holidays: 11:00–18:00

After soaking in the nostalgic magic of the Märchenwald, it is now time for lunch. Restaurant Küchenhof is located just around the corner and awaits you and your family with a variety of delicious lunch options.
You can make reservations by email (reservierung@kuechenhof.com), by phone (+49 (0)2174 41413) or online.
Opening hours Monday to Tuesday: closed Wednesday to Friday: 12:00–15:00 and 18:00–21:00 Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays: 12:00–21:00 Wednesday to Sunday: 14:00–18:00 for waffles & cakes

This morning, you spotted magical creatures at the fairytale forest Märchenpark; this afternoon, you will experience the magic of observing wild animals roaming freely in their habitat. This park consists of a natural enclosure with a fenced-off forest area, where the animals live freely.
While you are here, try to see how many hares, deer and wild boars you can spot.
You can park your car at the car park on Altenberger-Dom-Straße.

After all the magical fun at the Märchenpark, filling your bellies at the restaurant and spotting wild animals, head back to the hotel to give yourself and your little ones some time to rest and freshen up. You still have two more exciting days ahead of you, so you do not want to wear yourselves out on your very first day.

Once your kids got rid of any remaining excess energy, drive over to Cramer Stuben, where meals with names such as "Spongebob" and "Benjamin Blümchen" (Benjamin the Elephant) await your little ones, while you get to choose from a selection of rustic German dishes.
Please note that this restaurant is currently only accepting cash payments.
Opening hours Friday to Tuesday and bak holidays: 11:30–14:30 and 17:30–23:00 Wednesday and Thursdays (except on bank holidays): closed
Warm food 12:00–14:00 und 17:30–21:00

At the end of the day, head back to your hotel, and get an early night. Inspired by today's events, your children might ask you to tell them their favourite fairytale as a bedtime story – again. Of course, you will do them the favour so that they can fall into a blissful fairytale-like sleep.