Kellerwald-Edersee National Park

The park was created in 2004 to protect one of the largest unfragmented blocks of red beech forest in Europe on the slopes above the Edersee; part of it was added to the UNESCO listing of ancient beech forests in 2011. The forest is left unmanaged, with dead wood in place. The Edersee itself is a reservoir dammed in 1914, and when levels drop in dry summers or drawdown the remains of the flooded village of Berich and a submerged bridge emerge from the mud, which draws visitors to walk in the empty basin. Wildcats and black storks live in the woods.

Background

The park covers 57.38 km² in Waldeck-Frankenberg, a county of North Hesse, on the northern side of the Kellerwald low mountain range, south of the Edersee lake. It was established on 1 January 2004. Since 25 June 2011 its beech woods have belonged to the World Heritage Site of Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe, a listing that rests on what they show about the ecological story of the beech family and the way Europe's forests have changed since the Last Glacial Period. The park is run from Bad Wildungen, a small town to its east.

Source: Wikipedia, "Kellerwald-Edersee National Park"

Highlights

• The unmanaged beech - UNESCO-listed forest left with its dead wood.
• The emerging village - Berich's foundations appearing in low water.
• The Edersee - a 1914 reservoir in a steep wooded valley.
• The wildlife - wildcats, black storks and bats in the park.

When to go

May to October for walking; autumn beech colour is the strongest draw. Low water exposing the village happens in late summer and autumn in dry years only.

Practical notes

The drowned village only appears in low water and not every year. Trails are steep in places. Public transport around the lake is limited.

Nearby

Kassel lies northeast; Fritzlar is east.

Key facts