World-famous collection of European painting from the late Gothic to Neoclassicism, featuring Rembrandt and Rubens, in Kassel's Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.
October 9, 2026 – January 17, 2027
More than 130 works from the former princely collections in Kassel and Darmstadt, including Melencolia I, the Apocalypse and the Rhinoceros. The show asks how Dürer's fame arose and how early original, copy and attribution were distinguished.
The roots of Kassel's painting collection lie in the holdings of the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel. The earliest piece is considered to be a small winged altarpiece that Lucas Cranach the Elder created in 1509 in memory of Landgrave Wilhelm II. A princely art cabinet is documented from the 17th century, and around 1700 Landgrave Carl was already acquiring important works by Rembrandt and Rubens.
The collection saw its decisive expansion under Landgrave Wilhelm VIII, who between 1748 and 1756 had diplomats and art agents acquire around 800 paintings in the Netherlands, Flanders, France, Italy and Germany, and built a dedicated gallery to house them. During the Napoleonic era, from 1806, numerous masterpieces were taken to France; some returned after 1814, while others ended up in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.
In 1877 the collection moved into a new building on the Schöne Aussicht, today home to the Neue Galerie. After being evacuated during World War II, it found its current home in 1974 in the central wing of Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, the Neoclassical summer residence of the landgraves and electors in the Bergpark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An acid attack in 1977 damaged several major works, whose restoration took decades.
Today the gallery presents European painting from the late Gothic to Neoclassicism across three floors, with a focus on 17th-century Flemish and Dutch art. The same building houses the antiquities collection, with historic cork models of Roman buildings, and the graphic arts collection. The museum is run by Hessen Kassel Heritage, formerly Museumslandschaft Hessen Kassel.
| Adults | €8 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Students, trainees/apprentices, people with severe disabilities (degree of disability 50 or higher), volunteer-service participants, unemployed people/recipients of Bürgergeld (basic income support), groups of 10 or more, and holders of the KasselCard, artcard, Ehrenamtscard, Juleica and NVV annual pass, among others; also when visiting a second venue on the same day or with a Bergpark parking ticket |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to 18 and school pupils free. |
| Seniors | –No separate senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | €5companion free · Discount from a degree of disability of 50. |
| Students & apprentices | €5Students of the University of Kassel free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €5 per personReduced price for groups; children's and youth groups, including 2 companions, free. |
| Families | –No family ticket; children under 18 free, and with the FamilienApp Hessen parents are free as well. |
| Wilhelmshöhe day ticket during the Dürer exhibition (October 9, 2026 – January 17, 2027) | €12Reduced €9. |
| Hessen Kassel Heritage annual pass | €60Valid for all venues, including the planetarium. |
The Wilhelmshöhe day ticket is also valid for the Löwenburg (guided tour, reservation required), the Hercules monument (April 1 – October 31) and the Große Gewächshaus (Great Greenhouse, November 1 – March 31). Free admission also applies to, among others, refugees, ICOM/Museumsbund members, and holders of Meine Card+/Auszeit Card+.
The palace is located in the Bergpark and can only be reached on foot (no driving in the park); from the parking lots and tram stops it is a climb of about 100 meters on paved paths with steps. Baby changing table available.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Children's birthday parties at the Gemäldegalerie (e.g., detective or animal theme, ages 5–12, 1.5 or 2.5 hours) can be booked through the visitor service.
Wilhelmshöhe (Park) · 15-min walk
Tram 1 to the terminus Wilhelmshöhe (Park), bus 24 to the terminus Schloss Wilhelmshöhe, or tram 4 to Waldorfschule; then on foot through the Bergpark.
Paid parking · 15-min walk to the entrance
Paid guest parking at the Wilhelmshöhe visitor center below the palace.
The palace is in the Bergpark and can only be reached on foot; cars and buses are not allowed in the park. It is about a 15–20 minute uphill walk from the parking lot and stops (roughly 100 meters of elevation gain, paved paths and stairs) – sturdy shoes recommended.
Get directionsCafé Jérôme in the palace; restaurant "Gloria" in the Alte Wache nearby.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography for private use without flash permitted; commercial shoots, tripods and drones only with permission or prohibited. |
| Good to know | Themed tours and group programs can be booked through the visitor service (Mon–Fri 10:00–16:00, +49 561 31680-123). |
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