Gethmannscher Garten, Public park in Blankenstein, Hattingen, Germany.
Gethmannscher Garten is a park in Blankenstein that connects two hills named Wilhelmshöhe and Friedrichshöhe. The site features winding walking paths and viewing platforms where visitors can look out over the Ruhr Valley and toward Kemnader See.
Carl Friedrich Gethmann created this garden in 1808 as one of Germany's first public spaces open to everyone regardless of social class. It came into being during a time when public green spaces for ordinary people were quite unusual.
The garden shows how people in the 1800s liked to arrange nature for walking and looking around. You can see this in the way the paths curve around the hills and the trees are planted to guide your eyes toward distant views.
The paths become steep and slippery during winter months, though some visitors use the slopes for sledding. In summer the hills are easier to walk and offer plenty of resting spots along the way.
Friedrichshöhe has a snail-like shape with a spiral path that winds you up to the summit step by step. This unusual route leads to an elevated platform at the top where you can pause and take in the surroundings.
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