Schloss Waldeck
200m above the 27km long lake sits the region's landmark, the brave Burg Waldeck, once ancestral home of the earls of Waldeck, who resided here until well into the 17th century. The origin of the castle lies in the past's darkness, only a handed down legend reports from its creation: "A knight with his entourage came up from the Eder valley in search of a suitable place to build a castle. They met along the way a sheep herder familiar with the place, who when asks for a suitable building place on the wooded mountain answered: "Up there at the forest corner." That's how the palace and the land apparently got its name. Palace Waldeck had to undergo several building changes and fighting parties during the centuries: during the Thirty-Year War Swedes and imperial men, in the Seven-Year War the French several years as occupier and as liberator Hesse, Braunschweiger and the English. The further usage of the castle as state arsenal, grain storage, seat of the bailiff, state prison, prisoner-of-war camp, forestry and finally the gastronomically enterprise probably prevented that the castle facility fell into disrepair. The palace houses today a First-Class-Hotel and different restaurants. One has a fabulous view over the Edersee and the wooded mountains of the nature park Kellerwald-Edersee from the viewing terrace.
