Wilhelmshöhe Palace

At Wilhelmshöhe Palace, which is over 200 years old, the electors and landgraves of Hesse-Kassel spent their “summer retreats.” Today, it is a museum housing significant art and cultural collections.

Landgrave Wilhelm IX had Wilhelmshöhe Palace built as the centerpiece of his mountain park. Originally, it consisted of three separate buildings. Later, Elector Wilhelm II had these structures connected. This is how the palace acquired its current cohesive and imposing appearance.

The imperial family continued to use Wilhelmshöhe Palace as a summer residence until 1918. It was severely damaged during World War II and was gradually rebuilt beginning in 1945. Today, the left wing serves as an administrative building. The central wing houses unique collections such as the Old Masters Picture Gallery. The museum in the right wing of the building (Weißenstein Wing) is currently undergoing restoration and normally displays the historically furnished rooms of the landgraves.