The Hornberg is a
hill ridge
A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...
, about 2.5 kilometres long, with three ''
kuppe
A ''Kuppe'' is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a ''Kuppengebirge''. In geology the term also refers to ...
n'' that reaches a maximum height of
making it the highest point of the
Virngrund
The Virngrund (also called the Firngrund) is a historical landscape in the counties of Ostalbkreis and Schwäbisch Hall in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. it is forested in many places and up to .
Geography Location Historic landsc ...
region in the German state of
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg (; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million inhabitants across a ...
.
Location and shape
The ridge is a continuation of the small plateau around
Ellenberg in the Württemberg county of
Ostalbkreis
The Ostalbkreis is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the east of Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on the border to Bavaria. Neighboring districts are (from the north clockwise) Schwäbisch Hall, Ansbach, Donau-Ries, Heidenheim, Göppingen and Rems-M ...
, with which it is only linked by a narrow strip of land as a result of valleys to the west and east. It then runs west and in an increasing curve towards the west, finally heading southwest. Compared with the plateau it is only slightly, or even insignificantly prominent, the aforementioned valleys and, especially the northern foreland around Georgenstadt, however, lie some 60–80 metres lower down. Its three ''
kuppen
A ''Kuppe'' is the term used in German-speaking central Europe for a mountain or hill with a rounded summit that has no rock formation, such as a tor, on it. A range of such hills is called a ''Kuppengebirge''. In geology the term also refers ...
'' follow one another on the gently sloping ridgeline on the upper right, along which a
forest track
Forest tracks or forest roads are roads or tracks intended to carry motorised vehicles or horse-drawn wagons being used mainly or exclusively for forestry purposes, such as conservation or logging. Forest tracks may be open to ramblers or mountain ...
runs. The car driver on the
A 7 encounters the Hornberg as a forested and under-tunnelled hill ridge between the
motorway junction of
Dinkelsbühl
Dinkelsbühl () is a historic town in Central Franconia, a region of Germany that is now part of the state of Bavaria, in southern Germany. Dinkelsbühl is a former free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. In local government terms, Dinkelsbà ...
/
Fichtenau to the north and the
motorway services
Motorway service areas in the United Kingdom and Ireland, also known as services or service stations, are rest areas where drivers can leave a motorway to refuel/recharge, rest, eat and drink, shop or stay in an on-site overnight hotel. The vas ...
of
Ellwanger Berge ("Ellwangen Hills") to the south.
Description of the ''kuppen'' with their heights above
Normalhöhennull
' ("standard elevation zero") or NHN is a vertical datum used in Germany.
In geographical terms, NHN is the reference plane for the normal height of a topographical eminence height above mean sea level used in the 1932 German Mean Height Refe ...
(NHN) and
geocoordinates:
Northeast Kuppe
(579 m, )
To the north is the hillside forest, to the south is open pasture. In addition to a
transmission site here, there is also a small football pitch (''Bolzplatz'') and 3
tennis court
A tennis court is the venue where the sport of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the centre. The same surface can be used to play both Types of tennis match, doubles and singles matches. A variet ...
s.. Just under 450 m south-southeast on the other side of the landbridge to the Ellenberg Plateau stands the Ellenberg
water tower
A water tower is an elevated structure supporting a water tank constructed at a height sufficient to pressurize a distribution system for potable water, and to provide emergency storage for fire protection. Water towers often operate in conju ...
(150 m³ capacity, 29 m high), which has an
observation platform.
Middle Kuppe
(580.0 m, )
To the north is the hillside forest, to the south is open pasture. From here on, heading west, the ridge is entirely wooded. On it stands a transmission site and a water tank. The
A 7 motorway crosses under the Hornberg just under 250 m further west of this point through the
Virngrund Tunnel
The Virngrund (also called the Firngrund) is a historical landscape in the counties of Ostalbkreis and Schwäbisch Hall in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. it is forested in many places and up to .
Geography Location Historic landsc ...
.
Southwest Kuppe
(570.1 m, )
It is forested and lies some way away from the developed linking path. The lowest of the three summits, thanks to its position on the crest of the ridge, it rises almost everywhere above the surrounding area.
References
{{reflist
Mountains and hills of Baden-Württemberg