Declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2013, the 8.25m-high copper Herkules statue stands atop a towering stone pyramid atop an octagonal amphitheatre atop an imposing hill at the western end of Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, some 600m above sea level. It was erected between 1707 and 1717. Even more phenomenal than the statue itself is the engineering genius at the heart of its 1¼-hour Wasserspiele cascade, which takes place every Wednesday, Sunday and public holiday from 1 May to 3 October.
The water begins its tumble at 2.30pm from up top, near Herkules. From there, you can walk down with the crowds via the Teufelsbrücke (Devil’s Bridge) and the Aquädukt to the Grosse Fontäne (Large Fountain) to watch the water emerge in a 50m-high jet. Once a month during the summer months, there's a spectacular night-time illumination; check with Kassel's tourist offices for dates.
Unfortunately, scaffolding from ongoing restoration works is visible around the statue itself, and likely to remain for some time.
