Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

133

VISITING KASSEL

Parking

Street parking is available in front of

the Hessiches Landesmuseum, a short

walk from the tourist information office.

Tourist Information

Obere Königstrasse 15, 34117;

0561 70 77 07; http://www.kassel-tourist.de;

open Mon–Sat

Far left Grand façade of Schloss

Wilhelmshöhe, Kassel Left Karlsaue garden

and orangery, Kassel Below Majestic

Herkules-Oktagon, Kassel

DRIVE 12: In the Land of the Brothers Grimm

EAT AND DRINK IN KASSEL

Kaskadenwirtschaft Grischäfer

inexpensive–moderate

A strategically located restaurant and

café at the foot of the Wasserkünste,

Kaskadenwirtschaft Grischäfer has a

wide terrace and a prettily furnished,

formal interior. It serves a broad menu,

from coffee and cake to rustic regional

fare and refined international cooking.

Schlosspark 22 am Kaskadenteich,

34131; 0561 288 77 44; http://www.

grischaefer.de; Easter–Dec: closed Mon

Schlosshotel Bad Wilhelmshöhe

moderate

There is a strong Austrian theme

to the cooking at the Schlosshotel’s

restaurant, with dishes ranging from

vegetarian strudel with herb sauce

to a hearty boiled beef with apple,

horseradish, creamed spinach, and

roast potatoes.

Schlosspark 8, 34131; 0561 308 80;

http://www.schlosshotel-kassel.de;

open daily

once the seat of the counts of
Waldeck. The views over the lake from
its battlements are breathtaking.
ª Leave Waldeck via Bahnhofstrasse.
Turn right on to the B485 toward Bad
Wildungen, before turning left at the
roundabout on to the Lieschensruh
through Bergheim to Fritzlar. Parking
is available outside the town walls.

e Fritzlar
Hesse; 34560
The beautiful town of Fritzlar has
preserved its original, nearly com-
plete ring of medieval walls with
watch towers and bastions. Snug
behind these lofty walls, Fritzlar has
over 450 half-timbered houses
from various periods, the grandest
of which is the Renaissance
Hochzeitshaus or wedding house.
Built between 1580 and 1590, it now
houses the Regionalmuseum (closed

Mon). In the 8th century, the Anglo-
Saxon apostle St. Boniface had the
holy oak of the Germanic god Donar
cut down to build a chapel here.
This was later replaced by the
St. Petri Dom (open daily), built in a
handsome blend of the Romanesque
and Gothic styles. The church’s
interior is rich in historic treasures.
Adjacent to the church is a lovely 14th-
century cloister and the Domschatz
or cathedral treasury (open daily);
tickets for the Domschatz also
allow a visit to the beautiful

Romanesque crypt.
ª Leave Fritzlar along Kasseler
Strasse, following the yellow signs for
Kassel and Gudensberg, avoiding the
A49 Autobahn. At Gudensberg, take
Besser Strasse past Besse,

r Kassel

Hesse; 34117

Ravishing garden landscapes are

the legacy of Kassel’s 18th-century

heyday. The most impressive of these

is the Neo-Classical Schlosspark

Wilhelmshöhe, dominated by the

Herkules-Oktagon, a hilltop folly from

which the Wasserkünste cascade

flows downhill to power a 170-ft

(52-m) high fountain (May–Oct: open

Wed, Sat, Sun & holidays). The castle

houses the Gemäldegalerie Alte

Meister (closed Mon) a picture gallery

whose collection of Old Masters is

particularly strong on Flemish and

Dutch artists.

ª Take the B3/ Frankfurter Strasse,

briefly joining the A49 toward

Frankfurt and Hannover before

exiting for Kassel-Waldau toward

Melsungen. Then turn right on to

the B83 for Melsungen.

following signs to Kassel and Kassel-

Wilhelmshöhe, then to Zentrum.