Kassel, the green city located on the Fulda river, is first of all famous for the 'documenta' - one of the world's most interesting contemporary art fairs.

Once the seat of noblemen and prince electors, Kassel still can live off this fact: about 63% of the total area consists of woodland,...

Kassel, the green city located on the Fulda river, is first of all famous for the 'documenta' - one of the world's most interesting contemporary art fairs.

Once the seat of noblemen and prince electors, Kassel still can live off this fact: about 63% of the total area consists of woodland, parks and gardens to which the public has free access. The Wilhelmshöhe hillside park, crowned by the citys landmark, the statue of 'Herkules', is world-renowned. From here you have an unforgettable view of the city and the parks of Kassel as well as the North Hesse hill country. The Herkules and the Wilhelmshöhe Castle as well as the Löwenburg are some of the main attractions in Kassel. The park is a unique composition of botanical treasures and architectural creations, art and nature in perfect harmony. The leaping waters of the cascades and finally the fountains in the palace lake sending up jets of water high into the sky have always attracted large crowds of visitors.

Today Kassel is the focal point of the German Fairy Tale Road, a romantic tourist route, that stretches from Hanau to Bremen. The Brothers Grimm lived and worked in Kassel and it was here, between 1812 and 1815, that they wrote a large part of the famous collection of fairy tales which has since been translated into over 140 languages.

In addition to numerous sights you will find a unique variety of museums in Kassel. Art in Kassel - to most people, this means either the Old Masters of 'Schloss Wilhelmshöhe' or the documenta art exhibition.

The documenta, an idea conceived by the Kassel art professor Arnold Bode and his friends, turns the city into a mecca for art lovers every five years. It is the most important contemporary exhibition of modern art. Documenta XI will take place from June 8. to September 15, 2002. Some former documenta exhibits have become permanent features of the townscape, notably the 7.000 oaks by Beuys, which have been planted since the documenta 7. All over the city they can be recognized by the basalt blocks placed next to the trunk.

Kassel (pop. 200.000) has a university founded in 1971, which is the newest university in Hesse. A student population of some 18.000 gives the city a young and lively atmosphere. Kassel is well prepared for guests. You can enjoy the luxury of a first-class hotel or opt for a reasonably-priced accomodation or boarding-house. Restaurants offer a wide variety of tempting specialities. Whether you fancy a hearty North Hesse dish such as 'Ahle Worscht', 'Schmeckewöhlerchen' and 'Weckewerk', or prefer international cuisine, you will find ample choice to suit all tastes. And be sure to try beer from the local breweries.

This content is licenced under a creative commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 licence and has been copied from World66.com.