Traddelkopf

The Traddelkopf stands in the northern part of the Kellerwald range, a forested upland in northern Hesse. At 626 metres it is the highest point of the Ederhöhen, a local ridge within the wider Mittelgebirge. The summit lies about two and a half kilometres west of Gellershausen and the same distance north of Frebershausen, both villages beside the Wesebach stream. The mountain is almost entirely covered by ancient beech woods that form part of the National Park Kellerwald-Edersee. The area is protected as a European Natura 2000 site, covering more than fifty-eight square kilometres of habitat for rare plants and animals. On the western flank of the nearby Ahornkopf, the former Ruhlauber nature reserve is now part of the national park, allowing the forest to grow without human interference. Visitors follow forest tracks that climb gently through dense stands of beech, oak and spruce. The summit itself is marked by a simple stone cairn and offers long views across the surrounding ridges and down to the Edersee. On clear days the Hoher Meißner and the Knüllgebirge can be seen to the east and south. The park’s network of paths also passes small clearings where old beeches more than two centuries old still stand.