Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
The large water feature at Wilhelmshöhe, which runs down a long hill crowned by a colossal statue of Hercules, was begun in 1689 by Count Karl of Hesse-Kassel, along an east-west axis, and continued into the 19th century. The reservoirs and canals behind the statue of Hercules feed a complex system of hydro-pneumatic equipment that supplies the site’s massive Baroque water theatre, grottoes, fountains and 350-metre-long waterfall. Beyond that, the canals and waterways meander through the axis, creating a series of spectacular waterfalls and turbulent rapids, the 50-metre-high fountain, lakes and secluded ponds that enliven the Romantic gardens created in the 18th century by Karl’s great-grandson, Elector William I. The park’s massive size and hydraulic engineering, as well as the towering statue of Hercules, embody the ideals of absolute monarchy, while the entire complex is an extraordinary testimony to the aesthetics of the Baroque and Romantic periods.