Waldeck Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Waldeck Overview
Waldeck lies on the Edersee, a man-made lake. Waldeck's constituent communities stretch from the shore of the Edersee into the Langer Wald ("Long Forest").
Waldeck borders in the north on the community of Twistetal, in the northeast on the town of Bad Arolsen (Bad Arolsen vacation rentals | Bad Arolsen travel guide) (both in Waldeck-Frankenberg), in the east on the towns of Wolfhagen (Wolfhagen vacation rentals | Wolfhagen travel guide) and Naumburg (Naumburg vacation rentals | Naumburg travel guide) (both in the district of Kassel), in the south on the community of Edertal (Edertal vacation rentals | Edertal travel guide), and in the west on the community of Vöhl (Vöhl vacation rentals | Vöhl travel guide) and the town of Korbach (all three in Waldeck-Frankenberg).
Where to stay in Waldeck?
Check out our selection of hand-selected and quality Waldeck vacation rentals and holiday apartments.
Things to See in Waldeck
Heimatmuseum Höringhausen (local history)
Dorfstube Nieder-Werbe
Buildings
- Schloss Waldeck, stately home, and the town's landmark
- Netze monastery church with an altar from the 14th century
- Sachsenhäuser Warte (watchtower in Sachsenhausen)
- Edertalsperre (dam)
- Romanesque "fortress church" with onion domes in Freienhagen
- Half-timbered houses in Freienhagen
- Old mills near Freienhagen
Uferpromenade Waldeck (shoreline promenade)
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Waldeck
Through the town run the Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen) B 251 and B 485.
Schloss Waldeck
[ source: Wikipedia]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Waldeck
Museum at Waldeck Castle
[ source: Hotel at Schloss Waldeck website ]
Waldeck castle rests on the remnants of an 11th-century fortification. The castle is situated to the north of the Kellerwald-Edersee nature reserve, 220 metres above the Edersee's north shore, on a steep, wooded rock close to the center of the half-timbered town of Waldeck. Formerly the ancestral seat and residence of the Counts of Waldeck, the fortification was later used as military barracks. In 1734 it was a state penitentiary, and in subsequent years was used as state archive, forestry office, and, as early as 1906, was put to use as a hotel. Today it belongs to the Waldeckian domanial administration and is public property; in 2009 the castle was reopened as a hotel and restaurant.
At the museum, take a trip back in time, and listen to some spooky stories about the castle's past - a bit creepy, great fun and highly educational!
Hours: April to September 10am - 6pm. October to March 12pm - 6pm. Saturday, Sunday and official holidays open at 10am.
Admission: Adults 4 €, Concessions 2 €.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Waldeck. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Waldeck: Waldeck (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Waldeck
More about the History of Waldeck
The first evidence of settlement at Waldeck comes from the year 1232 when a document from the Netze Monastery mentioned the universitas civitatis de waldeke. Until 1254, the town was also called Rode, possibly because there was a clearing there. The town's first seal was acquired in 1266, and the town had its first historically verifiable mayor in 1311. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Waldeck's population barely exceeded 400.
Waldeck was the residence of the Counts of Waldeck who, beginning around 1200, gradually gathered a sizeable realm under their control and, having added the county of Pyrmont to their holdings through inheritance, were elevated to Princes of Waldeck-Pyrmont in 1712. In 1655, the residence was transferred to Arolsen, and Waldeck lost its importance.
The Edersee, Germany's third largest reservoir, was created by the construction of the Eder dam in 1914. The dam, designed to help regulate water levels for shipping on the Weser and to generate hydroelectricity, was destroyed by the RAF on 17 May 1943 (see Operation Chastise), causing massive flooding and loss of life downstream, but was rebuilt.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Waldeck Travel Guide special...
This Waldeck travel guide provides you with an overview of Waldeck, Waldeck pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Waldeck destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
