Waldeck castle

The location is picturesque: Schloss Waldeck, the landmark of the Waldecker Land, is enthroned on a steep, wooded mountain on the northern shore of Lake Eder, visible from afar. The view from the castle stretches far and wide over the lake and the surrounding Ederbergland. Once the residence of the Counts of Waldeck, today the 4 * Superior Hotel Schloss Waldeck welcomes its guests. Culinary delights are offered by the gourmet restaurant "Alte Turmuhr" and the café and restaurant "Altane", where guests can also enjoy a unique view. Visitors to the castle museum will learn that Waldeck Castle also served as a penitentiary in the past: the exhibition "Hinter Schloss und Riegel" (Behind Lock and Bolt) shows a unique collection that provides an insight into medieval punishment methods.

The castle was built on rocks deposited at the edge of the Zechstein sea (marginal limestone of Zechstein 1, Werra sequence). At Waldeck, the marginal limestone transgresses onto graywackes and conglomerates of the Paleozoic. The Randkalk is a shallow water formation. It consists mainly of isolated shell remains, ooids and oncoids. These are spherical-oval grains of limestone in which concentric shells have been deposited around a foreign particle (e.g. a shell fragment). Due to its characteristic appearance, marginal lime was therefore also called "foamed lime" in former times. The marginal limestone is relatively species-poor and contains only a few species of bivalves and gastropods such as Liebea hausmanni and Turbonilla. Where the marginal limestone transgresses onto Paleozoic sediments, as here on the Waldecker sill, it is always completely or partially dolomitized, i.e. calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has been converted into magnesian dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) by the influence of salty seawater. Despite this dolomitization, original sedimentary structures have been preserved in the rocks at the foot of the castle walls: A pronounced planar fine bedding and occasional sections of inclined bedding in the cm to dm range were formed in a high-energy environment probably in the beach area of the Zechstein Sea.

Age of rocks: marginal limestone:Werra sequence, Zechstein, Upper Permian (about 260 million years before present).

Experiences:

Fairytale weddings at Waldeck Castle. Guided tours of the museum - Whitsunday Children's Fairy Tale Day in the castle courtyard with a fairy tale stage and a variety of activities for children (free admission)

Tip: The Waldeck mountain railroad provides the connection between Lake Edersee and the climatic health resort with Waldeck Castle, located 200 m above the lake. From the valley station you float with the cable car in a few minutes up to the castle mountain and of course back down again. Bicycles can also be transported.

Opening hours
Hotel and restaurant are open daily