For the second year in a row, Kassel 2025 has scored highly in the national comparison of major cities and has been named Germany's happiest major city. Hesse's third-largest city has managed to improve even further compared to last year (7.38 points).
With an average life satisfaction score of 7.44 on a scale of 1 to 10, Kassel is home to the happiest residents of a major city, according to the "Happiness Atlas" published by Süddeutsche Klassenlotterie (SKL). Furthermore, Kassel is not only the happiest city in Germany, but – along with Erfurt and Göttingen – one of the most centrally located cities in the Federal Republic.
But what makes people in Kassel so happy?
One of the things that makes the city so appealing are its many green spaces. With more than 60 percent of its area consisting of parks and gardens, Kassel is one of Germany's greenest cities.
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is Europe's largest mountain park, combining nature and culture. In addition to Löwenburg Castle and Wilhelmshöhe Palace, the park is home to Kassel’s landmark, a statue of the Greek demigod Hercules, from which visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of the park and the city. During the summer months, water features are shown several times a week at the Bergpark. In an elaborate production, accompanied by music, the waterfalls of the mountain park – from Hercules down to the fountain pond – are showcased.
The Baroque Karlsaue Park, located near the Fulda River, is home to both the Baroque Orangerie Palace and a Baroque marble bath. Schönfeld Park, with its several ponds, and the Botanical Garden offer nature and relaxation right in the city.
In addition, the health care system and the educational and cultural offerings are very good.
As a former royal seat, Kassel not only boasts palace complexes but also features numerous buildings from the 1950s and a wide variety of shopping options. Since 1971, Kassel has also been a university city, and the University of Kassel provides an educational home for approximately 21,000 students across eleven departments, including the humanities and cultural studies, mechanical engineering, and urban planning. Through the “Sustainable City Centers and Hubs” initiative, Kassel is focusing on the cultural revitalization of its city center and is working to bring art, dining, and retail back to the heart of the city.
Kassel is particularly interesting for art and culture enthusiasts. The world's most important exhibition of contemporary art, documenta, takes place every five years (the next one will be in the summer of 2027) for 100 days at various venues in Kassel. This exhibition has earned Kassel the title of "documenta City."
In addition, there are more than 20 museums to visit in Kassel, such as the Old Masters Picture Gallery, the Neue Galerie, the Hessian State Museum, the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Sepulchral Culture.
Kassel is known for GRIMMWELT, which offers an interactive exploration of the world of fairy tales and the lives of the famous brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
But it's not just the interplay between nature and culture that makes life in Kassel so appealing. For a major city, Kassel is quite small in terms of area, which makes it easy to navigate, and everything is close together. The residents of Kassel describe their city as one with a strong sense of community. People still know each other here, and it's not as anonymous as other major cities. Kassel has a population of approximately 197,000 people and covers an area of 106.8 km². There are approximately 50,000 people with a migration background living in Kassel, accounting for about 24% of the total population. This is thus significantly higher than the German national average of 15 percent.
Being located in a valley, the city is sheltered from severe weather, and the climate is warm and mild.
During the post-war separation of Germany, Kassel was among the cities that applied to become the capital of the Federal Republic of Germany, a role that ultimately went to Bonn. The Federal Social Court is still located in Kassel today.
Financially speaking, Kassel was one of the most indebted cities in Hesse until 2012. However, Kassel was able to shake off this reputation, largely due to increased business tax revenues. Kassel is now home to many medium-sized service companies, such as SMA Solar Technology AG, and serves as a hub for several large industrial companies, including Volkswagen AG, the Mercedes-Benz Group, and the K+S Group (fertilizer production). The city is part of the Central German economic region and has experienced significant growth in recent years, for example, due to the Kassel freight transport hub in the logistics sector. In the healthcare sector, the employer, Gesundheit Nordhessen Holding AG, offers a wide range of employment opportunities.
The housing market in Kassel is characterized by multi-unit buildings with rental units. Because the city is attractive as both a college town and an industrial hub, there is high demand for apartments. Compared to the rest of Hesse, tenants in Kassel and the surrounding district pay less on average than in Southern Hesse, including the Rhine-Main region, and even less than €10.00 per square meter; however, demand is very high.
Anyone who wants to live in Kassel will find a small, green city that offers many opportunities and great recreational activities. Animal lovers will also find plenty to enjoy. With an estimated 10,000 raccoons in the city limits, Kassel is also the raccoon capital of Europe.