Kassel, Germany

Rail Guide to Kassel

Introduction

It’s “the capital of the German fairy tale route”, mostly because the Brothers Grimm spent a large portion of their lives here. It’s also the birthplace of Engelbert Humperdinck, (that’s the composer of the opera for Hansel and Gretel rather than the British crooner). Their work is commemorated at the Brothers Grimm Museum; incidentally Kassell is in the top three towns with the most museums in the country. Others worth seeing include Wilhlemshöhe Castle, which has the biggest collection of Rembrandts in Germany, and the Documenta, contemporary art exhibitions staged every five years that began in 1955.


Sadly 90% of Kassel was destroyed during World War II, but there are still many elements of the fairytale town that won over the Brothers Grimm. The Löwenburg is a perfect replica of a medieval castle, and the Hercules monument has a water feature that culminates in a 50 metre fountain.