Edersee & Waldeck Castle
Edersee
Germany’s third-largest reservoir lake, with a century-old dam, the hilltop Waldeck Castle and beech forests on the World Heritage list lining its shores.
Lake Edersee lies about 45 km southwest of Kassel. Completed in 1914 as a reservoir, the lake is about 27 km long, and its dam is roughly 400 metres long. During World War II, the dam was hit by bouncing bombs.
Waldeck Castle sits on a hilltop on the northern shore and can be reached by cable car, with views over the lake and hills. On the southern shore lies the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, where primeval beech forests form part of Europe’s UNESCO World Heritage ancient beech forests. In summer you can swim, take a boat trip or cycle around the lake. The drive from Kassel takes about 50 minutes.
Opening hours
Open all day; boat and cable car operate approx. April–October
Nearby sights
- Fritzlar Old Town
- Hercules Monument & Cascades
- Löwenburg
- Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe Water Features
- Wilhelmshöhe Palace & Old Masters Gallery
- Schloss Wilhelmsthal
- Museum für Sepulkralkultur
- Grimmwelt Kassel