The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is unique in the world. It is considered Europe's largest mountain park and is famous for its unique wealth of trees and plants, the museums and sights and, of course, the Hercules and the fountains. It is rightly a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Europe's largest mountain park with Hercules and water features

Located on the slopes of the Habichtswald, this landscape garden is the largest mountain park in Europe and covers a total area of 560 hectares. Here, the various ideas of garden art as a representation of absolutist rule can be impressively experienced over a period of three centuries. Since 2013, the Bergpark with its historic water features has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Baroque complex was created at the beginning of the 18th century. Landgrave Karl von Hessen-Kassel had the 250-metre-long cascade complex with the octagon ("Giant's Castle") built as a finale from 1700 to 1717. A steep pyramid rises above the octagonal substructure, crowned by the 8.30-metre-high statue of Hercules. The visitor platform offers a spectacular view of the entire park and the city of Kassel.

One of the Bergpark's main attractions is the waterworks, which date back to Landgrave Karl. The great waterworks, built under Landgrave Karl (r. 1677-1730), were an exceptional architectural and engineering achievement of their time and are still in their original function today. Every year, from May to October, it attracts thousands of enthusiastic guests to the Bergpark, who follow the course of the water on foot.

Eligibility