Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe

Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel is Europe's largest hillside park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. A giant copper Hercules statue crowns the hilltop, and below it a chain of cascades, waterfalls and a fountain more than 50 meters high run down the slope, powered only by gravity. Add Wilhelmshöhe Palace with its Old Masters gallery and the mock-medieval Lion's Castle, and you have one of the top things to do in central Germany.

Where it is

Kassel lies in northern Hesse, roughly midway between Frankfurt and Hanover. The city's long-distance station, Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe, is served by ICE high-speed trains, and tram line 1 connects it with the lower end of the park. That makes the Bergpark a realistic day trip from Frankfurt by rail; check exact times with Deutsche Bahn.

History in brief

Landgrave Karl of Hesse-Kassel commissioned Italian architect Giovanni Francesco Guerniero to build the octagon, pyramid and Hercules statue between 1701 and 1717; the monument is about 71 meters (233 feet) tall. The first public water display took place in 1714. Later rulers added Wilhelmshöhe Palace (from 1786) and the Löwenburg (1793–1800), an artificial ruin modeled on a medieval English castle. Today the World Heritage park covers about 240 hectares (590 acres).

The water features

From May 1 to October 3, the water show runs on Wednesdays, Sundays and Hessian public holidays. It starts at 2:30 pm at the cascades below Hercules, and you follow the water downhill: the Steinhöfer waterfall at 3:05, the Devil's Bridge at 3:20, the aqueduct at 3:30, and the Great Fountain at 3:45 pm, which shoots more than 50 meters into the air. The 2026 season has ended; the next one starts in May 2027. The route is 2.3 km (1.4 miles) long and drops almost 200 meters, so wear sturdy shoes.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, the park itself is free and open all year. The Hercules monument is open April 1 to October 31, Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Wilhelmshöhe Palace is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm (until 7 pm on the first and third Friday of the month).

One Wilhelmshöhe day ticket covers the palace, the Löwenburg (guided tour, reservation required), Hercules and, in winter, the Great Greenhouse. It normally costs €8 (reduced €5); from October 9, 2026, to January 17, 2027, it costs €12 (reduced €9). Visitors under 18 get in free.

How to get there

• To the palace: tram 1 to the Wilhelmshöhe (Park) terminus, then about a 10-minute walk.
• To Hercules: tram 4 to Druseltal, then bus 22 or 23 uphill. On water-show days, bus 23 shuttles between the visitor centers at the top and bottom.
• By car: paid parking at the Hercules and Wilhelmshöhe visitor centers; the parking ticket also works as a bus ticket for line 23.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely, especially on a water-show day in summer. Plan three to five hours to walk from Hercules down to the palace and visit the gallery. Outside the season, the park is still lovely for hiking, and the palace museum makes a good rainy-day option. Paths are steep and only partly accessible; wheelchair users will need a companion. Restaurants at the top (Herkules Panorama) and at the cascades serve food.