Lake Edersee, with its landscape as varied as its usage, represents the top attraction to water sports enthusiasts in all of Hesse. As soon as you think Lake Edersee, images of a densely populated lake come to mind. But that is only one side of Lake Edersee!


The other mysterious, almost ghostlike side of the lake remains at great depth, in total darkness, hidden from most people! It sometime reappears in Fall when the water level drops, and the Eder river bed is open for inspection. Only then breathtaking cemetery plots, wall ruins, and bridge parts become visible to remind us of the days when approximately 900 people called the former Edertal valley home. But the cause for flooding was not some natural disaster but the construction of the river dam from 1908-1914.

Residents of the three communities of Asel, Bringhausen, and Berich had to make room the these huge amounts of water and needed to leave their homes for good. Dissolution of these communities took six years, but all 155 buildings were flattened in just one day. These Edertal residents had to take with them everything they owned.

Asel and Bringhausen were relocated to just above Lake Edersee, only Berich moved away from the lake to look for new opportunities in “Neu-Berich” near Volkmarsen.

What is left are submerged remnants. The best preserved building is the Eder bridge near Asel South, consisting of four arches. Old Bringhausen and Old Berich are represented by their past cemeteries only. They were both covered with a concrete lid prior to flooding and are accessible today when the water level has dropped accordingly.
At those times, official guided tours to the submerged villages are also available.

Additional information and reservations for those tours are handled by Edersee Touristic, phone +49 (0) 5623 / 99980, edersee-info‎ @ ‎t-online.de

1 Village site of Old Asel with bridge
2 Village site of Old Bringhausen
3 Eder bridge
4 Berich Cabin – Dam model
5 Village site of Old Berich with bridge
6 Old cemetary of Berich
7 Vornhagen
8 Stoll Mill
9 Dam wall