Hercules monument — Attraction in Kassel

The dominant of the Bergpark. Not exactly! The dominant of the whole Kassel area!

Visible from almost everywhere, this huge, green and Greek ''dude'' named Hercules is overlooking the marvelous Bergpark. It's impressive indeed, but let me be honest, it's quite a hike to reach the peak (unless you take a car and park it right behind Octagon) but it is very rewarding and totally worth it! After all, at least 230 vertical meters need to be vanquished before reaching the Octagon.

Tickets to enter the Octagon can be purchased in the vending machine next to the entry gate, however it was out of order during my visit. Instead I had to buy a ticket in the visitors center approx. 100 meters away. I bought a combined ticket for 6 EUR (it covers the Löwenburg and Wilhelmshöhe castles) and grabbed some English informative brochures.

The whole place is actually under construction so it takes a lot of magic away. Regardless of that, you can enter the rooftop of Octagon and enjoy the views from there. More inquisitive visitors can climb the pyramid - the pedestal of the Hercules statues - through a very very narrow staircase to its platforms. I didn't even know about that! The platforms are very small, located right under the statue (you won't see it though) and get packed easily. There is a nice view from there, and also from the roof of Octagon, of the whole park including the Grand Cascade and city of Kassel. The Octagon itself is empty, there is nothing to see.

As other parts of the park, neither Octagon is well maintained. Some rubbish laying around and mainly a lot of weed and grass growing from the clefts in between the bricks puts this place in a bit of a shame.

Definitely a great place to watch the water show, but be mindful that the water fountain works only on Wednesday, Sundays and some public holidays and starts at 14:30. (It is written and mentioned almost everywhere - from the park informative brochure, through the website to the local information boards).

I visited on Sunday at 11 AM and the amount of visitors was manageable, however in the early afternoons hundreds and hundreds of people came to watch the water show, therefore expect CROWDS on these particular days!

The closest toilets were available at the information center or in the nearby restaurant, where visitors can refresh and have something to bite. Visited in...

The Hercules monument is an important landmark in the German city of Kassel. It is located in the Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe (Wilhelmshöhe Mountainpark) in northern Hesse, Germany.

Hercules is a copper statue depicting the ancient Greek demigod Heracles (Gr. Ηρακλής, German Herkules). The statue is located at the top of a Pyramid, which stands on top of the Octagon; the statue and the other parts of the monument were constructed at different times. Today "Hercules" refers not only to the statue, but the whole monument, including the Octagon and Pyramid. The monument is the highest point in the Wilhelmshöhe Bergpark.

The monument is located in Bad Wilhelmshöhe, on the Eastern ridge of the Habichtswald. It was built in an artificial dell of the Karlsberg (526m above sea level) on the most western and at the same time highest location (515 m) of the line of sight Schloss Wilhelmshöhe – Hercules.

On 23 June 2013 the Mountainpark and the Hercules were proclaimed as world heritage site during the UNESCO meeting in Phnom Penh.

For the first time the water features took place on 3 June 1714. Today during the summer (from May until October every Wednesday and Sunday afternoon) visitors can attend this event. Additionally, every first Saturday of the months of June, July, August and September this event takes place during the evening with lights of different colors illuminating the water, the fountain and the different monuments. Every time about 350.000 liters (92,000 gallons) of water are needed and visitors can follow the water's way starting from the Hercules monument and ending at the big lake of the castle Wilhelmshöhe. The water runs down the cascades, the Steinhöfer's waterfall, the devil's bridge, until it tumbles down the aqueduct before finally arriving at the lake of the castle where a fountain of about 50 meters ends the spectacle. This whole system relies on natural pressure from reservoirs and underground pipes whose locks are opened manually. This system has been in place for more...

I hiked up to (and into) Hercules from the Wilhelmshöhe Park tram stop at the bottom of the hill. Google, for whatever reason, does NOT indicate that you can take the tram there from either Kassel/ Wilhelmshöhe train station or from Kassel Hauptbahnhof (even though you CAN -- the No. 1 tram). It is a very long hike uphill the whole way (and, as I discovered, even worse on your shins going downhill on the way back), and there are a ton of steps, going up the base of Hercule's monument and then up the "pyramid" itself. So, you need to be in decent shape (and have at least two bottles of water) to try it. About an hour to an hour-and-a-half each way. Google is somewhat accurate on the trails through Wilhelmshöhe Park. So, it was an epic journey for me, but well worth it! The views are neat...and climbing the pyramid beneath the statue was like going into all the parts of the Statute of Liberty that you can't go into (and Hercules is much older then Lady Liberty!). Epic views, as well! A few tips: -- You can take a public bus up to the area behind Hercules, as well, and not have to hike up. --There is a visitor's center located behind Hercules, as well, with bathrooms. --You need a 6 euro ticket to climb into the "pyramid" (section below Hercules). It is also good at both castles in Wilhelmshöhe Park. You need to buy it at the visitor's center. --There is an ice cream stand, that also sells soft drinks and water, NOT shown on Google Maps, at the base of the monument (and all the steps), on the paved service road through...