What to Do at the Edersee, Germany: A Secret Paradise for Nature Lovers

Sometimes the good things are not so far away: In the middle of Germany hides a not so small excursion paradise, which convinced me with lots of green, sparkling clear water and warm hospitality in no time. In this article, you can find out what makes Lake Edersee so special, which sights you shouldn’t miss and why it’s worth taking a detour or even a short vacation here.

This article contains advertising for the Edersee region.

What makes the Edersee so special

The Edersee in Hesse meanders for 27 kilometers through the municipalities of Edertal and Vöhl as well as the town of Waldeck, surrounded by nature. The Kellerwald-Edersee National Park is not only the only national park in Hesse, but also a UNESCO World Heritage Site: the dense, ancient beech forests make for a very special nature experience. The national park is surrounded by the Kellerwald-Edersee Nature Park – as you can see, you really are in a small natural wonder here.

Barrier wall Eder dam

There is a reason why Lake Edersee is so large (and also quite deep, namely 42 meters at its deepest point near the barrier wall): Lake Edersee is a reservoir whose water is used to maintain shipping operations on important waterways such as the Weser or the Mittelland Canal, especially in the drier summer months.

Between 1908 and 1914, the Eder dam was built near Hemfurth, which is still one of the most exciting sights on Lake Edersee today. The massive dam wall is 48 meters high – and to my surprise, you can actually walk along the wall!

I would also recommend a visit after dark: Then the dam wall lights up in the most colorful colors and even holds an entry in the Guinness Book of Records for the “longest permanently illuminated with color change”.

You might be particularly lucky on your trip and even be able to observe the overflow at the Eder dam. On a few days (usually in spring), the Edersee is so full that the excess water is released and shoots out of the 39 overflows below the top of the dam like a roaring waterfall. The best way to find out whether an overflow is taking place is to follow the Instagram account of @dein.edersee.

Edersee Visitor Center

Right next to the dam wall is the brand new Edersee Visitor Center, which opened in spring 2023. At first glance a rather unusual building, the background becomes apparent on a second look: The massive building exactly mirrors the shape of the cross-section of the barrier wall.

The viewing platform at the top offers a great view of the dam wall, but I particularly recommend the panorama lounge inside the visitor center. There you can lounge around in comfortable armchairs and see the dam wall from a completely different perspective.

For a small entrance fee, you can also watch an interesting video installation in the basement of the visitor center, which visually depicts the history of the dam. The bombing of the dam wall by the Allies during the Second World War and the resulting flood wave, which claimed several lives and severely destroyed the villages in the valley, play a major role here. The installation takes a very vivid look at this significant event for the region – really moving, but perhaps not quite so suitable for gentler minds or younger children.

Edersee Visitor Center, Zur Sperrmauer 66, 34549 Edertal

Tip: After the dam and the visitor center, you’re bound to feel like a little refreshment – and the best opportunity for that is an ice cream from Lecko Mio, practically next door. Unfortunately, there’s no seating here and the store itself is miniscule, but what owner Steffen here every day during the season from April to October’s ice creations out, does not need to hide from trendy big city ice cream stores.

In addition to well-known classics, more exotic varieties from asparagus with breadcrumbs to oakwood and caipirinha are produced fresh every day. On excursion days, the waiting time is correspondingly long, but don’t let the long queues put you off: it’s worth it!

Lecko Mio, Zur Sperrmauer 62, 34549 Edertal

Waldeck Castle

To be honest, I only really realized how big the Edersee really is when I saw it from above. A good way to do this is to take a trip to Waldeck Castle. The castle dates back to the 11th century and towers high above the lake. From the castle’s viewing terrace, you have the perfect view of the Edersee meandering through the valley.

Tip: Access to the terrace is free of charge. For even more medieval vibes, you can visit the small exhibition “Behind lock and key” in the castle museum. Or you can stay overnight directly in the castle: today, the castle complex also houses a four-star hotel with an adjoining restaurant.

Hotel Schloss Waldeck, Schloss Waldeck 1, 34513 Waldeck

Waldeck Cable Car

By the way, you can easily drive up to Waldeck Castle by car, but you’ll also miss one of the cuddliest highlights at Lake Edersee: The Waldeck cable car is the oldest cable car in Hesse and could have come straight out of a Wes Anderson movie!

Since 1961, it has connected the Edersee promenade with the mountain station between Waldeck Castle and the village of the same name – and much to the delight of my passion for vintage treasures, not much seems to have changed since then. The small, colorful gondolas climb 120 meters in altitude and offer a beautiful view of Lake Edersee on the way to the castle, provided you are facing the right direction. An absolute recommendation!

Tip: You can also transport bikes and baby carriages in special gondolas on the Waldecker Bergbahn. Dogs are also welcome.

Waldecker Bergbahn, Schloßstraße 1, 34513 Waldeck

Activities on and around the Edersee

Water Sports Swimming

With so much water, it’s no wonder that Lake Edersee is an Eldorado for all kinds of water sports: kayaking, stand-up paddling, water skiing, windsurfing – the options are endless. Swimming is permitted everywhere around the lake, so if you are looking for quiet bathing spots away from the public (and incidentally free!) lidos, you should quickly find what you are looking for here.

Perhaps you would like to try something new? At Windsurfing Edersee, you can learn to windsurf even as a complete beginner at fair prices – and after experiencing the patience of operator Lars and his son Michel, I would say that anyone can learn with them.

As a rule, I’m always a bit rough-motored when it comes to new sports and was really skeptical whether I’d even be able to stay on the board for longer than two and a half minutes and not sail in rather awkwardly instead of elegantly over the water.

But Lars and Michel made so much effort that I actually came ashore dry again after our lesson and on top of that found some real fun in windsurfing.

Windsurfing Edersee, Seestraße / Bringhäuser Bucht, 34549 Edertal

Renting a boat

You can also enjoy the absolute peace and quiet on Lake Edersee without any physical exertion. You can easily hire a boat from boat hire companies such as Edership and sail across the lake. You don’t even need a boating license.

The boats are powered by an electric motor and steering them is child’s play. Incidentally, motorboats are not permitted on Lake Edersee, with a few exceptions, so no boats or jet skis will speed wildly past you.

And that makes boating really relaxing: the electric motor makes you glide almost inaudibly over the deep blue water and all around you is dense greenery as far as the eye can see.

Bootsverleih Edership, Randstraße 7, 34549 Edertal-Edersee

Hiking

Due to the severe storm that raged over Lake Edersee at the beginning of my stay, one of the highlights was unfortunately not possible: hiking was not an option because many paths were simply impassable. But if you want to give it a try: the Urwaldsteig is a 68-kilometre circular hiking trail that takes you all the way around Lake Edersee. You can walk it in stages over several days or just a short stretch.

The complete tour of the Urwaldsteig including the individual stages can be found here.

Cycling

If you prefer to explore Lake Edersee by bike, there is also a well-developed cycle path. Like the Urwaldsteig trail, the Edersee circular cycle path takes you once around the lake. If you want to travel without a bike or if you spontaneously decide to go on a bike tour, you can also hire a bike or e-bike at various locations on site.

Here you can find an overview of bike rentals at the Edersee

Edersee-Atlantis

In some years a completely different facet of Lake Eder is revealed towards the end of the summer. Depending on how much water had to be drained from the Edersee to maintain inland navigation on the Weser, parts of the villages that were flooded during the construction of the dam wall come to light. When the water level is particularly low, for example, even the four-arched Asel Bridge becomes visible again and can be crossed completely. Where there is still ten meters of water above the bridge at full water level, the so-called Edersee-Atlantis transforms the lake into a small river course, which is greened all around by the marsh grass at the bottom of the lake.

More info about Edersee-Atlantis and the best spots you can find here

Here you can check the current water level at the Edersee

Food Drinks

Finding places to eat in excursion regions is usually no problem – but I’ve brought you a few tips that will help you avoid falling into the next tourist trap.

Fancy a little snack? In keeping with the maritime vibe at the lake, I recommend a stop at the Edersee fish smokehouse in Rehbach. Here you can get finely smoked, juicy salmon trout from the in-house smoker, neatly prepared in a crispy roll with a delicious honey and mustard dressing.

Fischräucherei Edersee, Strandweg 11, 34549 Edertal-Rehbach

The nightlife is naturally a little quieter in the middle of the countryside, but you don’t have to miss out on a great spot for a sundowner at Lake Edersee. At the Mun in Scheid, I not only enjoyed a beautiful view of the lake at the end of an eventful day, but also tried out various cocktail creations. By the way: the antipasti are so good, someone in the kitchen must be a real Italian – the perfect sundowner accompaniment.

Mun, Bringhäuser Str. 6, 34513 Waldeck

Bad Wildungen is not located directly on Lake Edersee, but in the immediate vicinity; and cafés with an extensive range of cakes are not uncommon in spa towns like this. At Chocolaterie Patisserie Christian Bach, however, the selection is not only large, but also of such high quality that I absolutely had to take a piece of cake home with me after my more than satisfying breakfast.

Chocolaterie Patisserie Christian Bach, Brunnenallee 52 c, 34537 Bad Wildungen, Germany

Where to stay

At home, by the way, were the Naturlodges Edersee, and yes – my lodge was so cute and cozy that I would have loved to nestle there even longer. But would have become a problem, because especially in the summer season the small cottages are pretty well booked.

Each lodge is completely self-sufficient and not only equipped with everything you need, but also designed with great attention to high-quality details. (Or who would expect a vacation home to have a first-class steam straightener that will make your crumpled summer outfits look neat and tidy again in no time?) Inside, the lodges are completely paneled with light-colored wood, which not only creates a cozy atmosphere but also a pleasant indoor climate.

Perfect for a little time out in the countryside; even in winter, because that’s when the private sauna, which every lodge has, comes in all the more handy.

You can book your stay at the Naturlodges Edersee here

How to get there

If you are not planning a bike tour or hiking for the most part, you are of course more mobile at Edersee if you arrive with your own car.

Lake Edersee can also be reached by train: The nearest ICE train station is in Wabern, from where a regional train runs to Bad Wildungen, for example. Another station that is particularly easy to reach from the Ruhr area and Frankfurt is the Vöhl-Herzhausen national park station.

The nearest airports are Kassel, Paderborn/Lippstadt and Frankfurt.

All in all, the slightly hidden location ensures that you will find here a region relatively spared from large tourist crowds, which scores with a lot of nature and warm people!

This article was created in collaboration with the Edersee tourism board.