Location: Kassel
Top Things to do in Kassel
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What to do and see in Kassel, Germany: The Best Places and Tips
Dating from at least the 10th century, today Kassel is most famous internationally as the home of Documenta, an every-five-years exhibition of modern and contemporary art. In the late 17th century Kassel received a large influx of Huguenot refugees from France. During the 1800s, it became the capital of the Brothers Grimm's Fairy Tale Route. In 1943, the city was virtually razed by British bombers, leaving few old sights, but the 18th-century Wilhelmshöhe Castle overlooking the city remains.
Restaurants in Kassel
1. Bergpark
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 649 reviews
Reviewed By AzadAjay
Really beautiful park containing everything we expect from a park. A waterbody, rose garden, osm building, tourist information center, a museum, the Hercules monument and much more. Very good connectivity to the local transport. The one visiting the region, must visit the park.
2. Schloss Wilhelmshohe
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 317 reviews
Reviewed By obsoperator - Bergen County, New Jersey
No sign of the (war destroyed) castle interiors. Absolutely superb collection of Antwerp and northern Netherlands old-master paintings, plus a small classical and Egyptian collection. It's a small part of the major UNESCO WHS park at the edge of town. #1 tram stops 1/4 mile away, but downhill from the Schloss. Restaurants and hotels in the park.
3. Wasserkuenste
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 190 reviews
Reviewed By Barnskybeat - Nairobi, Kenya
The Wasserkuenste (or 'Wasserspiele') are the centerpiece of their Bergpark. Designed some 3 centuries ago the Park and water arrangements are so unique that they were declared a UNESCO world cultural heritage a few years back. Cascades, aqueduct, Waterfalls, Fountains, just fantastic. The Wasserkuenste are only available in Summer, Wednesdays and Sundays starting 2:30 pm.
4. Herkules-Statue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 616 reviews
Reviewed By stratassue - Perth, Australia
Went to see the Hercules statues and water garden. Missed the water running started at 2.30pm. Some repair work going in at the moment so unfortunately cranes and stuff in the photos I took. However beautiful views stretching out in the distance, all in all very worth the visit would go again.
5. Orangerie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 121 reviews
Reviewed By abhijeet t
If you descend to the Orangerie from the Documenta-Halle, what you see first is a beautiful building , painted in Yellow, that now houses a museum of science and history. This building is fnaked by statues of the bygone, Monarchical era and in its front, the lawn beckons you to run, play, stroll or just lie down. As you go Further, you see water and another very small building that could function only as much as Gazebos do. Let's call it a pseudo-Gazebo. It reminded me of those Mughal Gardens in the Indian city of Srinagar.
The waterside road to this pseudo-Gazebo in Orangerie is another long walk. If you decide to skip it and stroll into the forest, chances are that as you walk for 10 minutes, you see another side of Kassel. So the Forest is not deep, but just enough to stroll.
All Three of my visits to Kassel and Orangerie have been at the busy season of Documenta (Important Art exhibition that takes place every fifth year), yet I have had my bunch of feelings... serene feelings that evoke both solitude and universality. That's the way nature works upon you, if you listen to nature while looking at it.
6. Lowenburg Castle
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 163 reviews
7. Staatspark Karlsaue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 88 reviews
Reviewed By travelistanr1 - London
dOCUMENTA 13 makes you stroll in this lovely classical park with its great trees, Fountains and reflecting pool. At each corner you discover mind provoking avant-garde installations as should be the case at dOCUMENTA. The glasshouse, a permanent feature, has a delightful small Thai-cuisine restaurant.
8. Museum fuer Sepulkralkultur
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By SATraveler_11 - San Antonio, Texas
We visited this museum and were charged only half price as the nice receptionist warned us that no exhibits were in English. We did enjoy the exhibits but really would have loved Reading more information. Of course we still were able to figure out many item by ourselves. We saw vintage hearses, coffins, death masks, mourning clothing and jewelry. There was even alot of items made from human hair, ok, it was a little creepy! Worth a visit but take a German speaker to translate.
9. Markthalle Kassel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 38 reviews
Reviewed By Ananda C - Mumbai
The Markthalle ("market-hall") is the typical insider-place in Kassel. Especially on saturday Mornings you will find the local crowd having - early or late - breakfast here, often with a glass of champagne. In Addition one may buy fresh groceries, have a freshly squeezed Juice, look through the stall of used books ... .
In short if you want to get a feel for the regular life of Kassel - and enjoy breakfast at the same time - this is the place to go,
10. Grimm World
Overall Ratings
4 based on 125 reviews
In the GRIMM WORLD Kassel the Brothers Grimm and their fairy tales enter the modern era. By artistic, medial and interactive means, this newly created adventure space conveys the fascination of the life, work and influence of the Brothers Grimm. In the permanent exhibition “Fabulous from A to Z” valuable originals, artistic installations as well as interactive and multimedia elements invite one to make discoveries. The internationally oriented house covers the two worldwide cultural assets “fairy tales” and “language” in a way that appeals to children and adults, to lovers of art and fairy tales alike.
Reviewed By rondonel - Oxford, United Kingdom
We visited Kassel specifically to see the Grimm Museum - it lived up to its name - grim!
We parked in the centre of the city - only to be pointed in the direction of the old museum, now closed. Even the Tourist Office gave us the wrong directions. Consequently, when we arrived having figured it out by ourselves and asking for confirmation from an art gallery nearby we were exhausted. It was hot and the journey uphill, and obviously we made a large detour in trying to find it as there were no signposts that we could find.
The view from the museum was lovely but we didn't have a lot of time to spare. We took the lift up to the exhibition and the lighting was low, there was no indication of which way to go and a jumble of exhibits. We learned that the Grim Brothers were the instigators of a dictionary which was hidden during the war and not finished in their lifetime. We thought it would be a magical museum for children based on the fairy tales, alas it was primarily for adults and what my children would call a glass case museum.
We then went to the café where a large party of German tourists were eating and drinking. Alas the waiter did not fulfil our order and we had to chase them up. One waiter blamed the other for not bringing us our order. The gift shop was near the entrance but it too was disappointing - no postcards and most items were based on books and such like in German.
Had we known what was there we would not have bothered to stop in Kassel at all. However, although bombed during the war and re-built, it was a pleasant town with some nice shops, restaurants and cafes.
