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Published: June 23rd 2013
Polizei Hessen
Saturday at the Hessentag festivalWe traveled by regional train to Kassel from Marburg. An hour's trip at a cost of 40 euros for 2. Not cheap! Alighted at the Wilhelmshohe Bahnhof which is about 4 km west of the city centre. Our hotel is next to the station and we were greeted by a very friendly lady on reception who gave us a free ticket to ride on all public transport and informed us that we had come at a good time because the town is having a "big party" this weekend. Every year Hessentag festival is celebrated around the city's centre. This was a pleasant surprise as we arrived on Friday and could look forward to this "party". A delicious gulaschsuppe (spiced soup with stewed meat) at a local biergarten and a hausmacher bratwurst (home made sausage) was our meal that night. Breakfast consisted of a couple of "plunder" (pastries) and good coffee from the Kamps Backstube (bakery) which is a well-known bakery chain and serves really fresh stuff.
On Saturday we hopped on the tram and alighted in the city centre right near the Rathaus (town hall). A couple of ugly looking golden lions adorn the steps of the Rathaus. Lots of
stalls were being set up: food and drink as well as big music stages. Majority of the buildings are unremarkable as the town was largely destroyed during WW2 and were rebuilt without much thought as to design. We walked to the Karlsaue Park where there was more activity. A Police tent was set up and outside were rows of big, shiny motorcycles and big people dressed in leather jackets with "Blue Knights" stenciled on the back. A motorcycle cavalcade was about to commence. We found out that the Blue Knights is an International Law Enforcement Motorcycle club started in the USA and consists of active and retired law enforcement officers who enjoy riding motorcycles. After watching the "much-loved" machines take off, we headed towards another tent where a brass group was playing. The tent was sponsored by the armed forces and long tables had been set up for the, mainly elderly folk, to sit and listen to the oompah polkas being played by Die Egerlander 6 (6 brass musicians and a drummer). They were wearing leiderhosen if you please! The music was lively and the beer was plentiful. Needless to say, there were portable WCs set up all over the
park! By the time we strolled back through the town, all the stalls had been set up and doing a roaring trade. Much beer and wursts were being consumed, music for all ages on stages, comedians, folk dancing in regional costumes and young dancing troupes.
Our second and last day in Kassel, Sunday, was spent in the 18th century Bergpark Wilhelmshohe. This is a huge park to the west of the city which is built on a mountain (thus Berg). At the top of the park stands an octagonal building and on top of this is a pyramid and top of that is an 8.3 meter copper statue of Hercules (built b/w 1701 and 1717) - and if this was not enough of a feature - cascades of gigantic water stairs were built to the bottom of the hill. Every Sunday at 2.30pm (in Summer) the water is made to cascade down the steps and culminates in a fountain in a lake where it spouts 50 metres into the air. Quite a spectacle! Greg and I walked up more than 200 steps to get to the top and then walked back down to wait for the water display to
commence. The Hercules statue forms a direct line right down the mountain to the Wilhelmshohe Castle which in now a gallery - contains 2 floors of some great 17th Century dutch paintings including Rembrandt, Bruegel, Jan Steen.
Off to Paderborn tomorrow (24th June) for 2 nights. Weather has been too cool. Hope it warms up soon.
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