Edersee Paradies

Surrounded by nature at the Edersee

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Nature at the Edersee: Asel-Süd is located right on the shore of the Edersee – and nature looks different in every season. From low water with a view of the Asel Bridge to shady beech forests in Kellerwald National Park: the most beautiful trails start right outside the door of our campsite.

Nature at the EDERSEE | ALWAYS DIFFERENT

Asel-Süd lies on the shore of the Edersee, where the water level can drop significantly in some places towards the end of the season. Where you normally cross with the Asel ferry, the remains of the sunken village of Asel – including the Asel Bridge – can reappear when the water is low.

Many people have heard of the Asel Bridge – but why is it under water for most of the year?

Asel: a village with a long history

To understand that, it helps to take a quick look at Asel’s history. People lived in the Eder Valley as early as the Bronze Age – as shown by burial mounds about 2 km northeast of Asel-Süd. In the early Middle Ages, the Eder sometimes formed a border between Saxons and Franks, while small refuge fortifications in the region, such as the Hünenburg and Ehrenburg, were used.

From Alt-Asel to the Landgraviate of Hesse

Around 1200, the village of Alt-Asel (Esele, Ahsel or Asel) is said to have existed, and it belonged territorially to the Ittergau. Either around 1250 or towards the end of the Thirty Years’ War, Asel was destroyed, and many residents were killed. In 1317, Asel is first mentioned in documents. Until 1356 it was part of the Lordship of Itter; after that it passed to the Landgraviate of Hesse. Through the division of Hesse (1567), Asel went to the Hesse-Marburg line; but after Ludwig IV died without heirs, it passed in 1604 to Hesse-Darmstadt.

Why the bridge disappears into the lake today

The Asel Bridge later became part of an extraordinary landscape with the creation of the Edersee: depending on the water level, it lies under water, and during low water it becomes visible for a time. That’s exactly what makes it so fascinating for many visitors – especially in dry summers or when the level is regulated for maintenance and flood protection.

More about the bridge
  • View over the Edersee in light morning haze
    Morning mood at the Edersee
  • Edersee with sailboats and forested shores
    Wide view across the Edersee
  • River bend with green meadow under a blue sky
    Pure nature – water, meadows and open views
  • Tree at the shore standing in the water – Edersee nature
    By the shore: quiet and close to nature
  • Sunset over the Edersee with a dramatic cloud sky
    Evening mood at the lake
  • Rocky shoreline with flowers in the foreground
    Rocks & shoreline landscape at the Edersee
  • Reflection on the Edersee with colorful forest on the hillside
    Colors on the water – a real photo spot
  • Autumn forest reflected in calm water
    Autumn colors at the Edersee
  • Colorful autumn landscape by the water with stones on the shore
    Autumn by the shore – colorful and calm
  • River running through forest and meadows in autumn light
    Golden autumn in the Kellerwald
  • View from under a bridge towards the lake in sunlight
    Under the bridge – light & water
  • Winter Edersee with ice and mist
    Winter calm at the lake
  • Snowy landscape at the Edersee in black and white
    Snow at the Edersee – quiet nature
  • Asel Bridge covered in snow
    Snow on the bridge
  • Low water at the Edersee with exposed riverbed
    During low water: a unique Edersee landscape

KELLERWALD NATIONAL PARK (UNESCO beech forest)

Kellerwald-Edersee National Park protects around 7,688 hectares of one of Central Europe’s last large, near-natural beech forests. Since 2011, selected areas have been part of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage “Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe”.
Rugged forest relics, clear springs and natural streams, plus hills and ridges, make this landscape so special. From our campsite you can start right away on the Ringelsberg Trail, the Urwaldsteig or the Kellerwaldsteig – and mushroom lovers can discover many fascinating species depending on the season.

To the cycling & hiking routes
  • Sunrise over a meadow near the Edersee
    Sunrise – a nature moment at the Edersee
  • A lone tree on a meadow under a dark sky
    Weather mood in the Kellerwald
  • Winter view through bare branches towards the Edersee
    Winter view through the trees
  • Sunset with a pink sky above forest and shore
    Evening sky at the Edersee
  • Mushrooms on a tree trunk in the forest (close-up)
    A small forest detail – up close
  • Red bracket fungi on moss and wood (close-up)
    Forest fungi – colorful and fascinating
  • Small waterfall or weir in the forest near the Edersee
    Trickling water in lush green surroundings
  • Mossy beech forest in Kellerwald-Edersee National Park
    Mossy forest in the Kellerwald
  • Purple mushroom on wood in the forest (close-up)
    A mushroom find in the forest
  • Moss-covered tree stump in the forest
    Moss & forest – typical Kellerwald nature
  • Tree trunk with fungi (underside view)
    Fungi on a tree – nature in detail

Wildlife in the Kellerwald: badger, deer, fox & raccoon

The Kellerwald and the Edersee area are home to a wide variety of wildlife. With a bit of luck you might spot badgers, deer, foxes or raccoons – and sometimes they even visit our guests in the evening. Please do not feed wild animals and keep your distance, so nature here stays as rustic and peaceful as it is.

  • Fire salamander in the grass (Kellerwald)
    Fire salamander – a rare nature highlight
  • Blue dragonfly on a stone by the water
    Dragonfly at the shore – shining blue
  • Young deer in the grass
    Young deer
  • Duck family with ducklings on the water (Edersee)
    Ducklings at the Edersee
  • Dog with a stick in the snow
    Our campsite dog Asyl
  • Ladybug on a pink flower (macro)
    Ladybug – a tiny detail up close
  • Butterfly with yellow-black pattern on green leaves
    Nature in detail
  • Black bird with a red beak on a meadow
    A rare visitor on the meadow
  • Raccoon carrying a young one across a grassy area (close-up)
    Raccoon – a curious visitor
  • Wildcats in the grass (close-up)
    Wildcats
  • Stag with antlers and other wildlife in the forest (Kellerwald)
    Wildlife watching in the Kellerwald
  • Winter Edersee scenery with mist and a fox by the water
    Fox in a winter Edersee mood
  • Swallow perched on a wire against a blue sky
    Swallow taking a flight break