On 23 June 2013, the gesamtkunstwerk of Wilhelmshöhe was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee, an act that distinguished it as a cultural landscape that is unique in the world.
The World Heritage property is about 560 ha in size, extending from the famous Kassel landmark – the Hercules Monument – via the 350-m Cascades down towards Wilhelmshöhe Palace and beyond it along the visual axis of Wilhelmshöher Allee.
The foundations of our unique Baroque monument to European architecture and garden art were laid towards the end of the 17th century under Landgrave Carl (r. 1677–1730). In the late 18th century the park was expanded and converted into a Romantic-era landscape garden inspired by English models. Landgrave Carl's Baroque water features have been preserved by his heirs and successors, and supplemented with the Romantic water features – waterfalls, the Aqueduct and the Great Fountain. In addition to the Hercules Monument and the water displays, the highlights of the ensemble, which even today is without an equal in the world, include the mock-medieval castle of Löwenburg and the stately Wilhelmshöhe Palace with the nearby Ballroom and Greenhouse.
The UNESCO-Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe is open all year.
Please note: not all sidewalks are scattered in the winter months.
The park is situated on a slope and only accessible on foot. Due to the steep terrain and the character of some of the footpaths, people with restricted mobility and wheelchair users may find stretches of it difficult to negotiate. In places, a companion or carer may be essential.
Wheelchair-accessible toilets are available at the Herkules Visitor Centre, the Herkules Terrassen, Museum Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, Schlosshotel, Wilhelmshöhe Visitor Centre (ground floor), as well as the Bergpark-Pavillon next to the Wilhelmshöhe Palace car park. The facilities in the archway of Wilhelmshöhe Palace are largely but not entirely barrier-free.
The Bergpark app for your portable device will provide you with all the information you require to explore our unique park. This includes up-to-date information on arrival and departure options, a map with several zoom levels and GPS location tracking, information on the various sights and destinations, opening times, admission charges, and available services.