What can one do in Kassel?

The question “What can you do in Kassel?” Is not that far-fetched. Until now, Kassel was only used as a venue for us Documenta known. We didn't know much more about the city. The city of Kassel and its surroundings offer Northern Hesse three attractions that are so important that they are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. We visited these on a trip to the region. The tour took us into almost primeval forests, to a baroque masterpiece of horticulture and into the realm of fairy tale collectors. With these top tips for the summer, a visit to Kassel will be an experience.

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park - UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kassel — Kellerwald-Edersee National Park - one of three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kassel and the surrounding area

What can one do in Kassel? Visit the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

To reach our first destination, you have to leave Kassel. We're going to the Waldecker Land. Our destination is the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park. The visitor center of the national park is located away from the tourist streams which it attracts to the Edersee. The quickest way to get there is via Frauenau. However, the drive along the Edersee is nicer. The beech groves in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park are a natural heritage. These trees are tough. They recaptured Europe within 6000 years after the last ice age. In the blink of an eye of the earth's history.

That's how it went. During the Ice Age, tree species, including the beech, were displaced by climate changes and the ice. In contrast to America, where the mountain ranges run from north to south, in Europe they extend from east to west. Beech trees only grew with the ice in the regions in the east of their former growth areas. Only when the ice melted did the beech slowly migrate back into its growth areas from the east and recapture Europe. If humans had not intervened in the ecology of Europe, the beech would be one of the tree species that dominated the Old World today. More about the wilderness and the forests around the Edersee you can read here.

Accommodation in the Waldecker Land around the Edersee *

Baroque water games - UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kassel — Baroque fountains - one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kassel

What can one do in Kassel? Experience the water games on the Wilhelmshöhe

Imagine: several reservoirs fill with rainwater and are emptied twice a week. That is nothing spectacular in and of itself. However, if this water flows through a system of canals, watercourses, stairs, steps and aqueducts, it becomes something unique. The water games in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel. The water has been flowing down the mountain for three hundred years - when the drainpipes are opened. In the past, this was done by the landgraves and princes at Wilhelmshöhe Palace.

Today you can watch the water spectacle twice a week during the summer months. However, there is a lot to know about visiting the fountains, because they are no walk in the park. The water determines the speed. Each of the attractions only runs for about ten minutes on its way down to the fountain pond, where a fountain brings the event to a close. What you pay attention to when visiting the water games in Kassel and what you should know about it before, you can read here.

Book your Hotel Kassel Wilhelmshöhe here *

One of the most famous portraits of the Brothers Grimm — One of the portraits of the Brothers Grimm

What can one do in Kassel? Discover the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm

The third of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kassel is intangible cultural heritage. These are the first editions of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale collection. The first editions of the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales are shown, which were told by Dorothea Viehmann, among others. For the first time they wrote down the stories that have been passed down orally for centuries. The first editions show not only the fairy tales themselves, but also the notes of the two linguists that they handwritten in the margin of the edition.

The focus of the museum is not only on the Grimms' fairy tale collection, but also on the life they spent together. We learn interesting things about her origins, her family, who supported her all her life, her political attitude, which cost her her position at the Landgrafenhof in Kassel. In short, not only the fairy tales are presented, but above all their collectors, who were much more than storytellers. More about the Brothers Grimm and their lives here's to read.

Accommodation Kassel near the Brothers Grimm Museum *

What you should pack for this trip:

The best way to get to know the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is on a hike. A good starting point for the visit is Frankenau. From there it is not far to the visitor center. In this region there are also hiking trails on which you can experience the beech forests of the region. A backpackin which you have one snackPacking a jacket for a change in the weather is very convenient.
Good and comfortable shoes are highly recommended at the three sights. You will be traveling a lot. You shouldn't underestimate a visit to the water games either. To see them perfectly, you have to be in the right place at the right time. The water does not flow all the time, only for a few minutes. Therefore, you will hardly have time for breaks during your visit.
If you are planning an elegant evening, then you should bring comfortable pumps .
They are ideal for a stroll through town in summer Sandals.

Travel Tips:
In three days you can comfortably visit these UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Kassel. It took us one day to visit the visitor center in the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park with a hike in the National Park. On the second day we visited the Baumkronenweg on the Edersee and then drove to the Herkules Terrassen above Kassel, where we experienced the water features after lunch. You should make a reservation in the restaurant. It is well attended when the water games take place. On the third day we dedicated the morning to the Brothers Grimm and their museum and in the afternoon we still had time for a city tour through Kassel, which gave us an impression of the city.

Do you like to travel by motorhome?

Do you want to rent a motorhome? Then you will find information and a selection in these booking options here. Rent a motorhome or a camper near you here. Or would you prefer to stay overnight in a roof tent on the car? Also the overnight stay in camping tents is possible.
Check our packing list for campers to see whether you have packed everything for your motorhome tour.
You can spend the night directly on the Fulda at the Kassel camping and mobile home site, Giesenallee 9, 34121 Kassel. But there are other campsites near Frankfurt. There you can after a day trip in a Dutch Oven or on the portable grill . You can also find Dutch oven accessories here.
Practical accessories for the mobile home you can also find here.
Why is a folding e-bike useful when camping?

Travel Tips for Hesse

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Arrival by train or bus

Book yours here Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Lufthansa and other airlines fly to Frankfurt or Hanover. Arrival by train is possible Kassel. The Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe ICE train station is conveniently located. information about Transport links is here. Long-distance buses also go to Kassel.