Wilhelmshöhe Palace

Wilhelmshöhe Palace in Kassel is the grand Neoclassical centerpiece of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Behind its columned facade hangs one of Germany's finest Old Masters collections, with paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Frans Hals. Paired with the hilltop Hercules monument and the famous cascading water features, it makes one of the most memorable things to do in central Germany.

Where it is and how to get there

Kassel sits in northern Hesse, on the ICE line between Frankfurt and Hamburg. Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station is a stop on the ICE high-speed network, so it is an easy day trip from Frankfurt, Hanover or Göttingen. From the station, tram line 1 runs up Wilhelmshöher Allee to its terminus, Wilhelmshöhe (Park); from there it is an uphill walk through the park to the palace. Local trams are covered by the Deutschlandticket. Drivers can use the A44 exit Kassel-Bad Wilhelmshöhe; parking near the palace fills up quickly on water-show days.

A palace that saw empires come and go

Landgrave Wilhelm IX of Hesse-Kassel began the palace in 1786 as a summer residence. Architects Simon Louis du Ry and Heinrich Christoph Jussow designed three separate buildings that were later joined into one. Under Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte, King of Westphalia, it was renamed Napoléonshöhe. After his defeat at Sedan, Emperor Napoleon III was held here as a prisoner from September 1870 to March 1871, and the German imperial family used the palace as a summer home until 1918. The central wing, badly bombed in World War II, was rebuilt with modern interiors between 1961 and 1974.

What to see inside

• Old Masters Picture Gallery: Flemish and Dutch Baroque painting, plus German, Italian and Spanish works
• Rembrandt room, including the large Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh (1656) and a portrait of Saskia
• Collection of Antiquities: Greek and Roman sculpture and vases
• Special exhibition Dürer: Original, Copy, Forgery, with more than 130 works, through January 17, 2027

The south wing with the historic royal apartments is currently closed for renovation.

Tickets and opening hours

The palace is open Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with late opening until 7 p.m. on the first and third Friday of each month; it is closed on Mondays. The Wilhelmshöhe day ticket costs €8 (€5 reduced) and €12 (€9 reduced) during the Dürer show from October 9, 2026, to January 17, 2027. Visitors under 18 enter free. The same ticket covers the Lion Castle (guided tours only, reservation required) and, depending on the season, the Hercules monument or the Great Glasshouse. All prices in euros, as of October 2026.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely, especially between May 1 and October 3, when the water features run on Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays from 2:30 p.m. Water tumbles down from the cascades below Hercules, past a waterfall, a devil's bridge and an aqueduct, to the Great Fountain in front of the palace at about 3:45 p.m. Following it on foot covers about 2.3 kilometers downhill. Allow 90 minutes for the gallery and a full day for the whole park, which spans about 240 hectares. The building is wheelchair accessible with elevators, and assistance dogs are welcome.

If you have extra time, climb to the Hercules monument at the top of the park for sweeping views over Kassel, or join a guided tour of the Lion Castle, a romantic fake medieval ruin built for the landgrave. In winter, the Great Glasshouse with its tropical plants is a warm alternative, and the city center with the Brothers Grimm museum, Grimmwelt, is a short tram ride away. Families do well here: entry is free for everyone under 18, and children love racing the water down the hillside.