You’re at Kassel, Germany or plan to go there and you don’t know yet what to do? No problem – check out this list of the best things you can do in and around Kassel. There is much to see and do – especially if you like to explore parks, visit museums or are interested in art. And also outside of documenta times.
Visit a wonderful landscape garden: The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is a 2.4 square kilometers large vast landscape garden at a mountain belonging to the Habichtswald. It is located at the city quarter Wilhelmshöhe of Kassel, Germany. The Bergpark is designed in the style of an English landscape garden with baroque and neo-classical elements. Read more…
Visit the Herkules and enjoy good views on Kassel: It is the town’s landmark of Kassel, Germany and visible from nearly everywhere in the city: the octagon with the Herkules monument on top. It is one of the central buildings of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. The building is located on the back of the 526 meters high Karlsberg mountain in the Habichtswald. Read more…
Enjoy the historic water features at the Bergpark: The highlight of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel are the historic water features or water games. To show their power the landgraves were even taming the elements and in this case controlling water: behind the Herkules monument, water is collected in large basins. At dedicated points in time it is floating down the hill without any electricity, creating sounds and fountains. Read more…
Visit an impressive castle and an art gallery with well-known artists: Schloß Wilhelmshöhe is a castle in neo-classical style located in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany. It was built for William I between 1786 and 1789 on the grounds of a former cloister and houses today art museums – including the old masters gallery. Read more…
Enjoy a baroque-style palace at a wonderful public parc and learn about astronomy:
The orangery of Kassel, Germany was formerly only 400 meters away from the city palace. But this palace burned down in 1811 and only one tower remained that now hosts a popular beer garden in summer – the Rondell. Therefore the Orangerie is now the northern end of the Karlsaue garden. It was built from the year 1703 on in baroque style and was damaged massively by a British air raid in 1943. Read more…
Learn about natural history at the Ottoneum: The Ottoneum at Kassel, Germany was the first modern theatre building in Germany and houses today a natural history museum. It was built by the order of Moritz von Hessen-Kassel who named it after his favorite son Otto. It was erected between 1603 and 1606 following plans of architect Wilhelm Vernukken. From 1690 on the building was used for storing art collections and natural elements. Read more…
Enjoy special old trees and walk through a nature reserve: The Dönche is a large natural reserve south of the city quarter Wilhelmshöhe belonging to Kassel, Germany. It is one of the beautiful parts of the city and used by the locals to go for a walk, enjoy nature and at the right season of the year also to watch animals. Read more…
Take a look at contemporary art at the Fridericianum: The Fridericianum is a museum building at the Friedrichsplatz of Kassel, Germany and one of the most important buildings of the city. It is the central building of every documenta art exhibition and in between also used for changing exhibitions. It is named after Frederick II, landgrave of Hesse-Kassel and was finished in 1179. By that time it was already used as a museum for the collection of the landgrave and his library. Read more…
Go shopping in an ancient horse stable and buy some Ahle Wurscht: If you’re looking for a farmer’s market in the center of Kassel, Germany the Markthalle is the right choice for you. It is located in the former Marstall from 1591 – an ancient horse stable. On saturdays you can find an outdoor market in front of it and inside you can buy from different shops on two levels. Read more…
Visit the first pedestrian zone of Germany: The Treppenstraße is seen as an historical highlight at Kassel, Germany – but the normal visitor wouldn’t recognize it. It is a street with steps and platforms that leads from the railway station to the main axis between Königsplatz and Friedrichsplatz in the city center. It is special because it is the first intentionally created pedestrian zone in Germany. Read more…
Discover a romantic castle ruin with a mace: The Löwenburg (lions castle) is an artificial castle ruin within the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany. It was built in neo-Gothic style from 1793 on and was the private retreat and later burial place of William I, landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. Read more…
Step onto a fountain and understand its history: The Aschrottbrunnen in front of the town hall of Kassel, Germany is a special fountain with a sad history and it is also an artwork that is often overlooked. That is especially because the fountain looks flat and is built headfirst into the ground. An unusual situation that requires to step on top to see and understand the fountain and artwork. Read more…
Go swimming at a former gravel pit or walk through a nice park created for the federal horticultural show 1981: If the inhabitants of Kassel, Germany talk about the ‘Buga‘ than they mean something different than the rest of the country. ‘Buga‘ here refers to the Fuldaaue, an area that was redesigned by the Bundesgartenschau 1981 (federal horticultural show, abbreviated as ‘Buga‘). Kassel has seen two Bundesgartenschauen: in 1955 when the Karlsaue was restored after the war and in 1981 when within the Fuldaaue the ‘BUGA-See‘as a swimming lake with different small beaches was created. Read more…
Get on top of the Weinberg where formely wine was grown and enjoy good views:
The city of Kassel, Germany is located within a basin – a situation that also influences the weather. Within this basin there are only a limited number of hills like the Kratzenberg, the Möncheberg and the Weinberg. The latter consists of shell limestone and in medieval times wine was grown there. On top you will find the Grimmwelt, the memorial for the victims of fascism and a nice terrace that is sometimes used for events like the Weinbergfest. Read more…
Learn more about the Brothers Grimm and their work: The Grimmwelt at Kassel, Germany is a museum at the Weinberg near the city center dedicated to the life, work and publications of Jacoband Wilhelm Grimm – well known as the Brothers Grimm. It was opened in 2014 and is a replacement for the Brüder-Grimm-Museumexisting until then at the Palais Bellevue. Read more…
Think about death: It’s a topic humans normal try not to think about: the death that awaits us all. At Kassel, Germany you can find the Museum für Sepulkralkulturthat gives you a place to debate about this topic. It is a museum dedicated to death and the specific rites that exist around the world. You can see how in other times and other cultures people cope with the fact that life isn’t endless. Read more…
Find a giant pickaxe next to river Fulda and wonder why it’s there: When you’re walking along the Fulda close to the Orangerie at Kassel, Germany you might be a bit surprised to see a giant pickaxe close to the river. Or you might be not surprised as you can see many artworks throughout this city regularly hosting the art exhibition documenta. Why would you enlarge a pickaxe massively and put it at this specific place? Read more…
Discover a museum for paintings of the 18th and 19th century as well as contemporary art: The Neue Galerie (‘New Gallery‘) is an important art museum at Kassel, Germany. It is located near the city centre and the Weinberg at the Schöne Aussicht – from there you have good views on the Karlsaue. Mostly paintings from the 19th century until today are shown. The building itself was created from 1871 on as the picture gallery which can today be found at the Schloß Wilhelmshöhe. Since the 1960s the building is also used as a temporary exhibition space for the documenta. Read more…
Take a steam engine train that passes through the city and into the mountains: There are lots of abandoned railway tracks throughout Europe – some became unnecessary because of the technical progress and some have been replaced by better (but often more expensive) routes. One example that has been revived is the track leading from Kassel to Naumburg, Germany – now used for steam engine rides. Read more…
Try to find the grave of the Lenoir brothers and learn about their history: When you’re driving on Bundesstraße 7 between Kassel and Eschwege, Germany you might spot a sepulchral chapel in the forest. Finding the path to this place close to Hessisch Lichtenau isn’t easy but worth a try. You will not only find a mausoleum at a lake and a closed giant orphanage – but also a sad story about life and death. And about a man without a family who gave all his wealth to support children – and with that created himself a memorial. Read more…
Have a nice walk through a botanical garden and discover different cactuses: The botanical garden of Kassel, Germany has seen many changes in its history. It is located in the city quarter Wehlheiden full of residential homes and close to the Park Schönfeld. In fact it was part of the Park Schönfeld until 1912 when this 1.5 hectares large area was separated as a school garden. Read more…
Swim between rocks that look like at Asia: If you need some relaxation at Kassel, Germany then the Kurhessentherme could be your place of choice. It is a spa and sauna built in exotic Asian style. It is located in the city quarter Wilhelmshöhe and is close to the lower end of the famous Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. Read more…
Follow small water channels and find an artificial lake in the mountains: The ‘Wasserkünste‘ of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe at Kassel, Germany are enabled by a system of water flows. The Steinhöfer Wasserfall gets its water from the old mine ‘Zeche Herkules‘ and the tiny stream Sichelbach. From Neu-Holland the water is first brought by a long channel to the mountain lake Asch. Next to it you can find a wonderful path that you should enjoy. Read more…
Hike trough a forest and find the wall of the devil: The Brasselsberg mountain is a wonderful place to go hiking. You can get on top of the Bismarckturm and enjoy good views, walk on paths with very good signage and when you took the right one you can find something that looks like a giant wall – but it is a natural phenomenon. Read more…
Take a look at the Transrapid, a steam engine locomotive and numerous tramways: The Technik-Museum is located in the Wolfhager Straße within the giant buildings of the Henschel factory. It is maintained by a private association and presents items about energy technology, machine construction, electro-technics and mobility. There are many, many interesting items but the stars of the museum are the Transrapid, the steam engine Drache from 1848, numerous tramways and a large collection of fire brigade vehicles. Read more…
Visit a graveyard for artists located around an artificial lake: A round course leads you to the graves and future graves of the artists. The graves are designed and created while the owners are still living. Everybody participating in this collective artwork agrees on being buried there later. The cemetery was the idea of Harry Kramer who financed the realization and who is also buried here (without an artwork or marked location). Now a foundation cares about the project and decides which artists will be invited to find their eternal peace at this special place. Read more…
Learn about astronomy and physics inside the orangery: The Astronomisch-physikalisches Kabinett (‘APK‘) as a museum within the Orangerie at Kassel, Germany. It is part of the Museumslandschaft Hessen-Kassel (‘MHK‘) and shows the collection of scientific instruments collected by the landgraves of Hesse-Kassel. They started creating this collection in the 16th century CE but it was also extended afterwards. Latest items are computer systems like those from Konrad Zuse, some where obviously in use by municipality of Kassel. Read more…
Have fun at the train station: If you’re a fan of comic art or just want to kill an hour of time waiting for your train at the Kulturbahnhof at Kassel, Germany, the Caricatura – Galerie für Komische Kunst is the right choice. It is an exhibition space founded in 1984 and maintained by a private association. They present two to five changing exhibitions of comic art every year. Read more…
Walk along river Ahne, see a nice chestnut alley and walk down through a deep valley with little waterfalls: The Naturpark Habichtswald close to Kassel, Germany offers numerous nice hiking trails. One of the best leads along the river Ahne – beginning at its source near the Essigberg. Take tramway 4 from the city to the tramway stop ‘Druseltal‘. There switch to bus 22 which first goes to the Herkules monument and three stops later it reaches the Essigberg. Directly at the bus stop a path starts that is marked with a ‘V’ – the ‘Ahnetalweg‘. Read more…
Visit a fantastic baroque-style bathhouse: The Marmorbad is the last preserved representative bath in late baroque style. It is located in a building next to the orangery at the Karlsaue in Kassel, Germany. It was built between 1722 and 1728 by the order of Landgrave Carl of Hesse-Cassel. It has three floors and a pool at the center – but it was never used for its orginal purpose. Read more…
Hike through the forest, climb up on a tower and enjoy good views: The Bismarckturm at Kassel, Germany is a look-out tower built between 1903 and 1904 on the Brasselsberg mountain in honor of the first German Reichskanzler Otto Fürst von Bismarck. You can easily spot it from everywhere in the city when looking at the mountains of the Habichtswald. In Germany 47 towers of the same design exist, but this is with 25.5 meters the highest one. Read more…
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