Lush greenery as far as the eye can see and a huge expanse of water: Lake Edersee is located in the middle of Germany and is a real paradise for excursions.
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 a full 27 kilometers through the communities of Edertal and Vöhl as well as the town of Waldeck, surrounded by lots of nature. With the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, you will not only find the only national park in Hessen, but also a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site: the dense, old beech forests provide a very special natural 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.
Hey, I’m Tatiana and I’m the blogger behind The Happy Jetlagger. Since 2014, I’ve been sharing my personal travel stories on this blog. I don’t have a big team behind me, so I’m pretty much a one-person show: All recommendations are fully researched by just me!
Between 1908 and 1914, the Eder Dam was built near Hemfurth for this purpose, which is still one of the most exciting sights on Lake Eder. 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 structure 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 drained and shoots out of the 39 spillways below the top of the wall like a rushing waterfall. The best way to find out if there’s a spill going on right now is to follow @dein.edersee‘s Instagram account.
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 observation deck at the top does offer a great view of the dam; however, I highly recommend the panoramic 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 picks up on this striking event for the region in a very vivid way – truly moving, but perhaps not quite suitable for gentler minds or younger children.
Edersee Visitor Center, Zur Sperrmauer 66, 34549 Edertal
Tip: After the dam wall and the visitor center, you will definitely feel like a little refreshment – and the best opportunity for this is an ice cream from Lecko Mio, practically next door. Unfortunately, there is no seating here and the store itself is tiny, but the ice cream creations that owner Steffen churns out here every day during the season from April to October have nothing to hide from trendy city ice cream stores.
Every day, in addition to well-known classics, more exotic varieties from asparagus with breadcrumbs to oakwood and caipirinha are freshly produced. 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
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Waldeck Castle
To be honest, I didn’t really realize how big the Edersee really is until I saw it from above. A good option for this is a trip to Waldeck Castle. The castle complex dates back to the 11th century and towers high above the lake. From the castle’s observation terrace, you’ll 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 complex also houses a four-star hotel with an adjoining restaurant.
Hotel Schloss Waldeck, Schloss Waldeck 1, 34513 Waldeck
Waldeck Cable Car
You can easily drive up to Waldeck Castle by car, but you will also miss out on one of the cutest highlights on 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 already on the way to the castle, provided you are sitting in the right direction. Absolute recommendation!
Tip: In special gondolas you can also transport bicycles and strollers with 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.
Maybe you’d like to try something new? At Windsurfing Edersee you can learn windsurfing at fair prices even as a complete beginner – and after having experienced the angel patience of operator Lars and his son Michel, I would now claim that really anyone can learn with the two of 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
By the way, you can enjoy the absolute peace and relaxation on the Edersee even without physical exertion. At boat rentals like Edership you can easily rent a boat and sail around the lake. You don’t even need a boating license.
The boats are powered by an electric motor and steering is child’s play. By the way, motorboats are not allowed on the Edersee, with a few exceptions, so there are no boats or jet skis wildly roaring 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 heavy thunderstorm that raged over the Edersee at the beginning of my stay, one of the highlights was unfortunately not possible: Hiking was not possible because many paths were simply impassable.
But if you want to try it out: The Urwaldsteig is a 68 kilometer long circular hiking trail that takes you once completely around the Edersee. You can run it in stages over several days or just a short distance.
The complete tour of the Urwaldsteig including the individual stages can be found here.
Cycling
If you prefer to explore the Edersee by bike, there is also a well-developed bike path. Just like the Urwaldsteig, the Edersee-Radrundweg takes you once around the lake. If you want to arrive without a bike or if you spontaneously decide to go on a bike tour, you can also rent a bike or e-bike at various places on site.
Here you can find an overview of bike rentals at the Edersee
Edersee-Atlantis
By the way, in some years, a completely different facet of the Edersee 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 4-arch Asel Bridge becomes visible again and can be crossed completely. Where there is still ten meters of water above the bridge at full dam, the so-called Edersee Atlantis transforms the lake into a small river course, which is greened all around by the marsh grass found at the bottom of the lake.
More info about Edersee-Atlantis and the best spots you can find here
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 snack? In keeping with the maritime vibe at the lake, I recommend a stop at the fish smokehouse Edersee in Rehbach. Here you get finely smoked, juicy salmon trout from the in-house smoker, neatly parried in a crispy roll with a delicious honey-mustard dressing that I would have loved to polish off a second one.
Fischräucherei Edersee, Strandweg 11, 34549 Edertal-Rehbach
Naturally, the nightlife is 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 that someone in the kitchen must be a real Italian – the perfect accompaniment for a sundowner.
Mun, Bringhäuser Str. 6, 34513 Waldeck
Not directly on Lake Edersee, but in the immediate vicinity is Bad Wildungen; 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 home a piece of cake after the more than filling étagère 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 quality details. (Or who would suspect a 1a steam straightener in a vacation home, which makes the summer outfits crumpled in the suitcase look neat again in no time)? Inside, the lodges are completely paneled with light 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.
How to get there
If you are not planning a bike tour or want to do most of your hiking, you are of course more mobile at Lake Edersee if you arrive by car.
But Lake Edersee can also be reached by train: The nearest ICE train station is in Wabern, from there, for example, a regional train to Bad Wildungen. 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. (Maybe you don’t necessarily want to travel by plane, but at least you have a geographical direction).
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.
