Every five years, for 100 days between June and September, Kassel is swamped by the hundreds of thousands of visitors of Documenta, the world's largest and most important international exhibition of contemporary art.

Documenta was started in 1955 by artist Arnold Bode, who was looking for a suitable place to display modern artworks that were considered degenerate by the Nazis. The sad ruins of Kassel's Museum Fridericianum were a perfect location. Over the decades, the exhibition succeeded to reflect developments within contemporary art, and inspire people worldwide.

In 2012, the 13th edition of the festival featured 160 artists from across the world, selected by the American artistic director Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev. Besides the exhibitions, there were numerous lectures, film screenings, tours, conferences, projects and seminars, and special programmes for children. The exhibitions are spread out over several locations across Kassel, though the main venues are the monumental Museum Fridericianum on Friedrichsplatz, the adjacent Ottoneum, the Documenta-Halle, the Neue Galerie and the Orangerie in Karlsaue park.

Documenta tickets are valid for the d13 circle line bus, which runs every 15 minutes from Hauptbahnhof via Rathaus, Am Weinberg, Auedamm (Orangerie) and the Museum Fridericianum.

Documenta 13 - 2012, tel. +49 561 707 27 70 , www.documenta.de. Open 10:00-20:00. Admission €20/14; 2 days €35/25, evening ticket (from 17:00) €10/5.