No Treasure at Silver Lake: Exploring Bergpark and the Habichtswald Forest
Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe had, until now, only been a place I passed through by train. After all, it’s an ICE high-speed rail stop. I’d always wanted to visit the palace and the mountain park, but I had no idea just how much there was to see. What surprised me most were the many beautiful hiking trails leading from the mountain park into the Habichtswald Forest. So today’s plan wasn’t just to visit Wilhelmshöhe Palace, Löwenburg Castle, and the Hercules Monument—we also wanted to hike to the Silbersee (Silver Lake). Unlike in the Karl May stories, there’s no hidden treasure there, but at least the lake sparkles beautifully in the sunlight.
Starting Out Under Gray Skies
Unfortunately, the sky is overcast on this Saturday morning, and a fresh breeze is blowing. Still, the weather app gives us hope: the forecast says the sun should appear in Kassel by around 10 a.m. Sounds promising.
The highway is surprisingly busy, considering it’s the holiday season. Just before 11 a.m., we arrive at the large parking lot at Wilhelmshöhe Palace. Parking costs €5 for the entire day, which seems reasonable. And right on cue, as we arrive, the sun makes its first appearance.
At the end of the parking lot, we pass Hensel’s Bergpark Café, which is closed. According to the notice on the door, you can choose your favorite reason why! We then stop at the visitor information board to get our bearings.
Our route begins uphill into the mountain park. The path leads directly toward Wilhelmshöhe Palace, but we leave it to our right for the moment, stroll through the rose garden, pass a lake covered with countless water lilies, and then turn left toward Löwenburg Castle. This is where the first climb begins.
Elector Wilhelm I
We enter the castle courtyard and discover that the castle can only be visited as part of a guided tour. We consider buying a combined day ticket for both the castle and the palace, although there’s currently an additional €4 charge because of a special Rembrandt exhibition at the palace.
Optimistically, we head to the ticket office, only to be told that the guided tours are fully booked unless you’ve made a reservation in advance. Well, so be it. The friendly staff member suggests we watch the free film about the castle instead. Why not? We end up learning quite a bit about Elector Wilhelm I, who first ruled as Landgrave Wilhelm IX in 1785 before becoming the first Elector in 1803.
Feeling newly enlightened, we continue our hike toward the Hercules Monument, the monumental structure towering at the very top of the park. The walk from Löwenburg to the 70-meter-high copper statue is quite a workout, with a steep uphill climb.
There’s already a lively crowd gathered around the monument. From up here, the panoramic view over the grand cascades and the surrounding countryside is absolutely breathtaking. We take a moment to soak it all in before enjoying a well-deserved lunch break.
Silbersee in the Habichtswald Forest
Refreshed, we continue into the Habichtswald Forest. The first attraction is an unusually tall bench before we cross a meadow where Galloway cattle are grazing and head deeper into the woods.
After a route of ups and downs—sometimes on wide gravel roads, sometimes on narrow woodland paths—we finally reach Silbersee in the municipality of Habichtswald. Basalt was once quarried here, the very stone used to build the impressive structures surrounding the Hercules Monument. The basalt itself was formed by ancient volcanic eruptions.
There may not be any treasure to uncover here, but the sunlight shimmering across the lake is reward enough.
Ending the Day at Herkulesblick
From Silbersee, we pass the “naked” Hercules once more before stopping at the beer garden near Löwenburg Castle. Over a refreshing drink, we discuss our plans for dinner.
Before leaving home, we had chosen the Herkules Terrassen restaurant, but somehow we simply can’t find it. To make matters worse, we have no internet connection at all along Ehlener Straße. We can hardly believe it. Fortunately, luck is still on our side. We come across a restaurant called **Zum Herkulesblick**, located just outside the city center. At first we’re a little hesitant when we realize it’s on the grounds of the TC Rot-Weiß Kassel tennis club. Dinner at a tennis club restaurant? Could that really be any good?
The moment we step onto the restaurant’s terrace, we’re pleasantly surprised. Everything looks well maintained, the service is warm and efficient, and then I open the menu. I can hardly believe my eyes: spinach dumplings! One of my absolute favorite dishes.
I take a deep breath. I’m genuinely delighted that we’ve stumbled upon such a wonderful place to end the day. The food is absolutely delicious, the atmosphere is peaceful and relaxing—it turns out to be a perfect choice.
We end the day completely satisfied after what has been a truly wonderful outing. And yes, we can easily imagine returning both to the Habichtswald Forest and to Herkulesblick for another visit.
