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Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe covers nearly 600 acres and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. It is located in the sunny and spacious Habichtswald hills, west of the city center of Kassel, Germany. Tourists often take the Hannover-Würzburg S-Bahn train to reach the park.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
The train stop for the park is Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe station. A short hike awaits visitors, as well as a short climb to the top of the hill, where the tower topped with the statue of Hercules rises. The planned water show is well worth the effort, while the two baroque castles make the visitor feel like a king. The park is located in Kassel, which is about two hours from Frankfurt.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
History and Construction
The original building on this site was a monastery built in 1143. In 1606, Maurice of Hesse turned it into a hunting lodge. In 1701, Charles I of Hesse-Kassel commissioned the Italian architect Giovanni Guerniero to begin construction of the Tower of Hercules and a giant waterfall. In 1785, Wilhelm IX added Wilhelmshöhe Castle, a castle that used to be a monastery.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
Baroque gardens were also redesigned into English gardens. Later, the German architect Heinrich Christoph Yussoff was commissioned to build a Roman aqueduct, Lion's Castle, a water garden, a devil's bridge, a hell pond and a pond with a fountain. Then a waterfall was built in the water garden in 1793. Yussov was responsible for the central theme of the park in its current form.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
Landscapes and Architecture
The Baroque architecture of Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe remains a testament to the original themes conceived and built by Landgrave Karl of Hesse-Kassel in the 18th century. However, over time, many other owners and descendants had their own ideas and added more buildings and outdoor themes to harmonize the park.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
Wilhelmshöhe Castle was built in the classicism style. Levenburg (Lion Castle) is made in a romantic style. The original design of the garden was French Baroque, which was later changed to English landscape style. Water displays have evolved from its early water cascades to a 173-foot fountain. The gardens feature about 800 plants from North America and Asia, including 1500 species from the rose family. The greenhouse also features exotic plants.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
Sculptures and works of art
The collections of paintings and sculptures at Wilhelmshöhe Castle are among the finest in Germany. The marble statue of Apollo is one of the most popular in the castle's collection. Old Master paintings include Old Germanic, Dutch and Flemish masters such as Rubens, Rembrandt and Hals.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
The castle also has a museum that displays antiques, prints, drawings and paintings. The museum was later added as a reconstruction after a bomb that hit this part of the castle during World War II. A tall statue of Hercules stands at the top of a monument tower on a hill where water cascades are located.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
Threats and conservation
The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe or Park Wilhelmshöhe is protected by the Law on the Protection of Cultural Monuments, the Law on State Planning in Hesse, the Law on Forest Lands in Hesse, the Law on Nature Conservation Laws in the Federal Law on Hesse Nature Management and building regulations in Hesse.
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| Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Kassel Germany |
It includes the protection and preservation of buildings, gardens, monuments, natural resources, views and views of the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe. Open spaces and woodlands in the catchment area are also controlled by the State Forestry Administration of Hesse-Forst. Traffic management is also being renewed in and around the park, some roads are being converted into boulevards and some roads within the park are closed.