City, park, river:
Kassel's southern district Südstadt

Numerous galleries and creative artist project spaces where you can discover the latest contemporary art tends and chat to the gallery owners and artists, for example the Galerie Rasche or the "Warte der Kunst", established themselves in the vicinity of the Kunsthochschule Kassel academy of art, which is located directly next to the Karlsaue park. Once a year, the Kassel Gallery Festival also invites people to go on an inspiring tour of the Südstadt. The galleries, shops and studios along Frankfurter Strasse host exhibitions until late in the evening, accompanied by a varied programme of performances, readings, concerts and more.

The Karlsaue park also belongs to the Südstadt district and is a different kind of "work of art". It is Kassel's second baroque landscaped park, the other being the Bergpark. Here, idyllic paths along aesthetically pleasing, man-made expanses of water invite you to go on extended walks that allow you to immerse yourself in Kassel's aristocratic past. Have you passed Jupiter yet? There is also a planet hiking trail here that illustrates the solar system's gigantic dimensions. Talking about planets: In the baroque Orangery palace at the northern end of the park, you can not only admire a baroque marble bathroom but also an astronomy and physics exhibition, and travel to the stars in Hesse's largest planetarium. At the other end of the park, you'll find the "flower island" Siebenbergen. It is considered an outstanding example of garden design and is home to more than 100 plant varieties from all over the world.

Photography Tip Südstadt:
Pickaxe

So, was the famous pickaxe on the banks of the Fulda really thrown there by Hercules? Well, work it out for yourself – and don't forget to take a picture with your smartphone's camera, because the imposing documenta exhibit is also an extremely popular location for holiday snaps!