Kellerwald

Kellerwald is a forested low mountain range in northern Hesse, Germany, and includes the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park, noted for its native beech woodland and conservation values.

The protected area contains mixed beech forest, marked hiking trails and ridgelines; it is managed to preserve mature and old-growth beech stands and forms part of the UNESCO transnational beech-forest World Heritage series. The landscape combines closely wooded slopes with streams and rocky outcrops.

The national park was established in 2004 to conserve the region’s native forest ecosystems and to allow natural processes to continue with minimal human intervention.

Kellerwald sits in northern Hesse near the Edersee reservoir and the towns of Bad Wildungen and Frankenau, in the central German uplands.

• Size and status: The national park covers roughly 5,700 hectares and protects native beech forest that is part of the UNESCO Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of Europe listing.
• Best season: Autumn is a popular time to visit because of the vivid beech-leaf colours and clear hiking conditions.

What to See #

• Kellerwald-Edersee National Park: A protected core area of native beech forest and mountain woodland covering several thousand hectares and managed as a strict conservation zone within the national park.
• Edersee reservoir: A large reservoir and recreational area adjacent to the forest that forms a prominent landscape feature and popular viewpoints along the park boundary.