Nearby Attractions EN

Nearby Attractions

Grimm World Kassel

Die Grimm World Kassel - opened in September 2015 - presents the world-famous Brothers Grimm in the place where they used to live and work.

This is where they collected the children’s and household fairy-tales and began the German dictionary. Valuable original documents will be on display; interactive features will invite visitors to take part, encouraging cultural and intercultural dialogue.

©GRIMMWELT Kassel, Photo: Jan Bitter

Wilhelmshöhe Mountain Park & Hercules monument

The park is one of the largest mountain parks in Europe and is a unique cultural monument. Two eras of European horticulture are harmoniously combined into a single unit here - the baroque grounds with the octagon towering above the cascades, and an extensive park in the style of the English landscape garden.

The sights and attractions include the Hercules monument, the water displays, Wilhelmshöhe Castle, Löwenburg Castle, the large greenhouse and the ball house.

Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles. The statue is located at the top of a Pyramid, which stands on top of the Octagon.

Schloss Wilhelmshöhe

Schloss Wilhelmshöhe is a Neoclassical palace built for Landgrave Wilhelm (William) IX of Hesse in the late 18th century. Empero Wilhelm II made extensive use of it as a summer residence and personal retreat.

Today, the palace houses an art gallery and a museum. Since 2013, Schloss Wilhelmshöhe has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe.

Lion's Castle

The Lion's Castle has a picturesque location in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. It was actually built between 1793 and 1801. Conceived as a pseudomedieval 'ancestral castle' by its commissioner, Landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Cassel, later Prince Elector Wilhelm I, Heinrich Christoph Jussow, the court’s master architect, realised the bold plans. The Lion's Castle served as a leisure palace. As a result, its interior features stately living quarters, arranged with a rich assortment of historic furniture, paintings, tapestries, glass, bronze, a grand arms collection and medieval stained glass windows, which are indicative of the builder’s great passion for collecting.

Karlsaue & Orangerie

The Orangerie was built under Landgrave Charles between 1703 and 1711. Since then, it forms the northern corner of the Karlsauepark. Today it is used as an astronomy and physical cabinet.

The ground of the Orangerie was an old garden, in which Landgrave William IV built a small summer house. His successor, Landgrave Moritz redesigned the garden in the 17th century. The baroque castle of today was designed and built by the architect Johann Conrad Giesler in 1702.

In World War II, the Orangerie was damaged and later repaired to host the federal garden show 1955. After the show the building was restored and transformed into the astronomy and physical cabinet with planetarium, in 1996 a astronomical garden was added.