The Brothers Grimm spent part of their childhood here, and the town has not forgotten it. Jacob and Wilhelm lived in Steinau from 1791 to 1796, when their father was the district magistrate, and they played in the courtyard of the Amtshaus, a handsome half-timbered building that is now a museum. The Fairy Tale Route runs through the town, and the old market square has a fountain and a plaque dedicated to them.
Steinau lies on the old Via Regia, the royal road that linked Frankfurt with Leipzig and eastern Europe, and that explains the strange name, Steinau an der Straße, Steinau on the road. The long main street, lined with half-timbered houses, was a staging post for travellers and merchants, and the castle of the counts of Hanau, a squat fortress with a moat and round towers, still stands at its end. A puppet theatre, the Marionettentheater, performs versions of the fairy tales in a small hall, and has done so for decades.
With over eleven thousand people, Steinau has the fuel, food and services you need, and nearby Schlüchtern is bigger still. The Kinzig valley runs through the town, a quiet, green and gently winding valley between the Spessart hills and the Vogelsberg, and the roads here are wonderful for easy touring, with smooth surfaces, long bends and little traffic. Villages are small and neat, with half-timbered houses and a church tower.
Spring is the best time here, when the orchards blossom, and in autumn the woods turn red and gold. Summer weekends are busy with families visiting the museum, so a weekday visit gives the best experience. A bakery or a small guesthouse on the main street is a good place to stop, and you may hear a story or two from the locals. If you stay long enough, the evening light on the old walls is lovely.