... mountain park of Europe

The Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel is the largest mountain park of Europe. The park have an area of 2.4 square kilometers and since 2013 an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

… original parts centre in Europe
Volkswagen’s Original Parts Centre is the largest spare parts warehouse in Europe, covering an area of one square kilometre.

… cherry growing area in Europe
The city of Witzenhausen and surrounding area is considered the largest single cherry growing area in Europe. Over 150,000 cherry trees standing in the area.

… ski-jumping hill
The Mühlenkopfschanze in Willingen is the largest ski-jumping hill in the world, where skiers can jump over 150 metres.

… exhibition of contemporary art
The documenta in Kassel is currently the world’s largest and most important exhibition of contemporary art, and is held every five years.

...clock in the world with a second hand
Clockmaker Jost Bürgi built the first ever clock with a second hand in Kassel in 1585 at a time when almost no one had any idea what a second was.

… fixed theatre building in Germany
The Ottoneum in Kassel was built in 1603- 1606 as the fist fixed theatre building of Germany.

… public museum in Europe
The Fridericianum was built in 1779 as the first public museum on the European continent.

... commercially traded and functioning computer
The Zuse KG in Bad Hersfeld was the company of computer pioneer Konrad Zuse and produced from 1941, the first commercial and working computer worldwide.

… pedestrianized area in Germany
The Treppenstrasse in Kassel was the first pedestrianized area to be planned and put in place in Germany. It was inaugurated in 1953. 

… festival in Germany
The Lullusfest in Bad Hersfeld is the oldest festival in Germany and has been celebrated in honour of Archbishop Lull, the founder of Bad Hersfeld, since 852.

… church bell of Germany  
In Bad Hersfeld hangs the oldest church bell of Germany, the "Lullusglocke" inside the St. Catherine's Tower of the ruins of the convent church. It was manufactured in the year 1038.

… symphony orchestra in Germany
The Kassel Staatsorchester was formed in 1502 and is the oldest symphony orchestra in Germany, and one of the oldest in the world.

… zoo in Europe
 Sababurg zoo was opened as long ago as 1571, making it the oldest zoo in Europe.

… basswood tree of Germany
The oldest basswood tree of Germany (over 1000 years old) can be found in Schenklengsfeld, district Hersfeld Rotenburg.

Steam engine
Denis Papin built the first functioning steam engine in 1690. It was a cylinder, in which a little water and a flask were, which was brought by heating and cooling on the move.

Plastic cannula for continuous infusion
The first plastic cannula for continuous infusion was invented by Bernd Braun (great-grandson of company founder B. Braun) in 1962.

Water features in Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
The water features in the Wilhelmshöhe landscape park, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013, are powered entirely by pumpless technology.

Museum für Sepulkralkultur
The Museum for Sepulchral Culture is the only museum in the world devoted to death and dying.

Course of studies in nanostructure sciences
The University of Kassel is the only university in Germany to offer a bachelor’s and master’s in nanostructure sciences.