Hotel Schloss Waldeck, Castle hotel on Edersee, Germany
Hotel Schloss Waldeck is a 4-star castle hotel perched on a wooded rock above Lake Edersee in Hesse, Germany. The building looks out over the water and the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, with rooms and terraces facing the surrounding landscape on all sides.
The site dates back to an 11th-century fortification that served for generations as the home of the Counts of Waldeck. After that, it was used as a military barracks and then as a state prison before it was converted to a hotel.
The castle gives the small town of Waldeck its name and has shaped the identity of the area for a long time. Walking through the old rooms, visitors can still spot the coats of arms and symbols tied to the counts who once lived there.
The easiest way to reach the hotel is through the town of Waldeck, where paths lead up to the castle. The terrain is steep and uneven, with stairs in several places, so sturdy footwear is a good idea before heading up.
In 1906, the castle became a hotel, making it one of the earliest conversions of this kind in Germany. Before that, it had served as a state archive and forestry office, roles very far removed from what visitors find there today.
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