documenta-Stadt
Metropole of art and culture
Every five years Kassel becomes "documenta-Stadt". The documenta exhibition then shows contemporary trends in modern art. It is one of the most important exhibitions of modern and contemporary art. First mounted in 1955, documenta set out exhibits representing the development of fine art at the beginning of the 20th century which were banned from exhibition during the Nazi regime. From June 18 to September 25, 2022, documenta fifteen took place.
Kassel is well-known for "German Fairy Tales" collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Their most important person for transmitting stories was Dorothea Viehmann. She was the daughter of a tavern owner near Kassel, her paternal ancestors were persecuted Huguenots from France. In the taproom traders, journeymen and cart drivers were telling many stories, legends and fairy tales.
Kassel is a city of green open spaces surrounded by the woodlands Reinhardswald, Kaufunger Wald and Habichtswald. Situated on the edge of Habichtswald you can find the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, Europe's largest hillside park, and second largest park on a mountain slope in the world. Since 2013, the park with its water features has been acknowledged World Heritage site of UNESCO. Here beside unique kinds of trees and bushes you can visit the collection of old masters in the Art Gallery of Wilhelmshöhe Palace, Löwenburg Castle and Hercules Monument, Kassel's famous landmark.