The Rhön Mountains () are a group of low mountains (or ''
Mittelgebirge
A ''Mittelgebirge'' (German: ''Mittel'', "middle/medium"; ''Gebirge'', "mountain range") is a type of relatively low mountain range or highland area typical of the geography of central Europe, especially central and southern Germany; it refers to ...
'') in central
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, located around the border area where the states of
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
and
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
come together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end of the
East Hesse Highlands The East Hesse Highlands (german: Osthessisches Bergland) describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the s ...
(''Osthessisches Bergland''), are partly a result of ancient
volcanic
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plat ...
activity. They are separated from the
Vogelsberg Mountains by the river
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
and its valley. The highest mountain in the Rhön is the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
(), which is in
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
. The Rhön Mountains are a popular tourist destination and walking area.
Origins
The name ''Rhön'' is often thought to derive from the Celtic word ''raino'' (=hilly), but numerous other interpretations are also possible. Records of the monks at
Fulda Abbey from the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
describe the area around Fulda as well as more distant parts of the Rhön as ''
Buchonia
Buchonia is a region in Hesse, a state of Germany, where one of the first forestry planning systems was developed by Georg Ludwig Hartig
Georg Ludwig Hartig (September 2, 1764 – February 2, 1837) was a German forester.
Education
Hartig wa ...
'', the land of ancient
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
woods. In the Middle Ages beech was an important raw material. Large scale wood clearing resulted in the "land of open spaces" (''Land der offenen Fernen''), 30% of which, today, is forested.
Geography
Location
Lying within the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia, the Rhön is bounded by the
Knüll
The Knüllgebirge or simply Knüll is a small mountain range in the northern part of Hesse, Germany, approximately south of Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It ...
to the northwest, the
Thuringian Forest
The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German), is a mountain range in the southern parts of the German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorge on its north-west side i ...
to the northeast, the
Grabfeld to the southeast,
Lower Franconia
Lower Franconia (german: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia.
History
After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally ...
to the south, the
Spessart
Spessart is a '' Mittelgebirge'', a range of low wooded mountains, in the States of Bavaria and Hesse in Germany. It is bordered by the Vogelsberg, Rhön and Odenwald. The highest elevation is the Geiersberg at 586 metres above sea level.
Ety ...
forest to the southwest and the
Vogelsberg mountains to the west.
Division by type of volcanic activity
Based on the effects of ancient volcanic activity, the Rhön can be divided into the "Anterior Rhön" (''Vorderrhön''), the "Kuppen Rhön" (geographical region 353, ''Kuppenrhön'') and the "High Rhön" (354, ''Hohe Rhön'').
The terms "Anterior Rhön" (''Vorderrhön'') and "Kuppen Rhön" (''Kuppenrhön'' or ''Kuppige Rhön'') are somewhat misleading, since the "Anterior Rhön" also consists mainly of ''Kuppen'' or low mountains with dome-shaped summits. The name has genuine historic origins: the "Anterior Rhön", as viewed from Thuringia, forms the foothills (or anterior part) of the mountain region.
In this gently rolling landscape numerous individual dome-shaped mountains rise on both sides of the border of Hesse and Thuringia and also, in some places, in Bavaria. These ''Kuppen'' are the remnants of ancient volcanos or volcanic activity.
Natural regions
Natural region divisions
The Rhön and its immediate declivities are divided by the
Handbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germany
The ''Handbook of Natural Region Divisions of Germany'' (german: Handbuch der naturräumlichen Gliederung Deutschlands) was a book series resulting from a project by the former German Federal Institute for Regional Studies ('' Bundesanstalt für La ...
into the following
natural region
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora an ...
s:
[Various authors: ''Geographische Landesaufnahme: The Natural Region Units in Individual 1:200,000 map sheets.'' Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Bad Godesberg 1952–1994. �]
Online-Karten
br /> Sheets marked with an asterisk (*) have not so far been included in the list.
* Sheet 150: Mainz (Harald Uhlig 1964; 39 pp.)
* Sheet 160: Landau i. d. Pfalz (Adalbert Pemöller 1969; 47 pp.)
* Sheet 169*: Rastatt (Heinz Fischer 1967; 31 pp.)
* (to 35
East Hesse Highlands The East Hesse Highlands (german: Osthessisches Bergland) describes a heavily wooded range of hills lying mainly in the German state of Hesse, but also extending a little way into Lower Saxony to the north, Thuringia to the east and Bavaria to the s ...
(''Osthessisches Bergland'')
** 353 Anterior and Kuppen Rhön (''Vorder- und Kuppenrhön'') (with the ''Landrücken'')
*** 353.0 Hessian Landrücken (''Hessischer Landrücken'')
*** 353.1 Western Rhön Foreland (''Westliches Rhönvorland'')
*** 353.2 Western and Eastern
Kuppen Rhön (''Westliche und Östliche Kuppenrhön'')
**** 353.20
Brückenau Kuppenrhön (''Brückenauer Kuppenrhön'', to )
**** 353.21
Milseburg Kuppenrhön (''Milseburger Kuppenrhön'', to )
**** 353.22
Soisberg Kuppenrhön (''Soisberger Kuppenrhön'', to )
**** 353.23
Middle Ulster Valley (''Mittleres Ulstertal'')
**** 353.24
Auersberg Kuppenrhön (''Auersberger Kuppenrhön'' to )
**** 353.25 (?)
Middle Felda Valley (''Mittleres Feldatal'')
**** 353.26 (?)
Anterior Rhön (''Vordere Rhön'', to )
*** 353.3
Eastern Rhön Foreland (''Östliches Rhönvorland'')
** 354
High Rhön (''Hohe Rhön'')
*** 354.0 ''
Southern High Rhön'' (''Südliche Hochrhön'')
(Umweltatlas Hessen: ''Südliche Hohe Rhön'')
**** 354.00
Dammersfeld Ridge (''Dammersfeldrücken'', to )
**** 354.01
Black Mountains (''Schwarze Berge'', to )
**** 354.02
Kreuzberg Group (to )
*** 354.1 ''
Central Rhön''
(Umweltatlas Hessen: ''Hochrhön'')
**** 354.10
Wasserkuppenrhön (to )
**** 354.11
Long Rhön (to )
**** 354.12
Eastern slope of the Long Rhön (to )
**** 354.13
Upper Ulster Valley
** ''(to 355
Fulda-Haune Tableland)''
*** 355.3
Haune Plateau
**** 355.30 Rombach Plateau
**** 355.31 Haune Valley (and Hünfeld Basin)
**** 355.32 Buchenau Plateau
** ''(zu 357
Fulda-Werra Uplands)''
*** 357.20
Seulingswald
The Seulingswald (also called the Sillingswald) is a hill range in the German Central Uplands which reaches heights of up to . It is part of the Fulda-Werra Uplands in the East Hesse Highlands within the Hessian county of Hersfeld-Rotenburg; ...
** ''(to 358
Salzungen Werra Upland)''
*** 359.0
Stadtlengsfeld Hills (''Stadtlengsfelder Hügelland'')
* ''(to 13
Main-Franconian Plateaux'' (''Mainfränkische Platten'')
** ''(to 138
1 Grabfeld)''
*** 138
1.0 Western Grabfeld
** ''(to 138
2 Werra Gäu Plateaux'' (''Werra-Gäuplatten'' or ''Meininger Kalkplatten'')
*** 138
2.0
**** 138
2.00 Mellrichstadt Gäu (''Mellrichstädter Gäu'')
**** 138
2.01 Bibra Saddle
*** 138
2.? Dreißigacker-Sülzfeld Rhön Foothills (''Dreißigacker-Sülzfelder Rhönabdachung'')
* ''(to 14
Odenwald, Spessart and South Rhön)''
** 141
South Rhön (''Südrhön'')
High Rhön
The High Rhön (german: Hohe Rhön or ''Hochrhön'') is that part of the central Rhön that lies in
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
,
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
, and to a lesser extent in
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
; it covers an area of
Landscape fact files by the
BfN
The German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (german: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, ''BfN'') is the German government's scientific authority with responsibility for national and international nature conservation. BfN is one of the government's ...
(c.f. section on
Natural region division) and is up to and whose highland plateaux with elevations starting at are covered by solid
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
. Its core area in the northeast used to be called the ''Plattenrhön''. The High Rhön is a natural regional major unit in the East Hesse Highlands; see
Natural regions
A natural region (landscape unit) is a basic geographic unit. Usually, it is a region which is distinguished by its common natural features of geography, geology, and climate.
From the ecological point of view, the naturally occurring flora and f ...
.
The High Rhön has five main mountainous regions:
*
Wasserkuppen Rhön
*
Long Rhön (''Lange Rhön'')
*
Dammersfeld Ridge (''Dammerfeldrücken'')
*
Kreuzberg Group
*
Black Mountains (''Schwarze Berge'')
At the heart of the Rhön, albeit only the fourth highest summit of these mountains, is the
Heidelstein () on the border between Bavaria and Hesse on the Rhine-Weser watershed. It forms the main high point on the plateau of the Long Rhön, which runs northeast over the
Stirnberg () as far as the
Ellenbogen (Schnitzersberg) () without crossing any significant lower ground. Within the Long Rhön the basalt layer is almost unbroken.
At the Heidelstein, another natural region, the
Wasserkuppen Rhön, branches off in a north to northwesterly direction to the Rhön's highest summit, the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
(), whose basalt likewise covers a wide area, but is broken in places by
bunter sandstone
The Buntsandstein (German for ''coloured'' or ''colourful sandstone'') or Bunter sandstone is a lithostratigraphic and allostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Buntsandst ...
and
muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk (German for "shell-bearing limestone"; french: calcaire coquillier) is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata (a lithostratigraphic unit) in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic (240 to 230 million ...
– in particular the basalt ''
kuppen'' of the
Weiherberg (, northwest) and
Ehrenberg ( northeast) are slightly separated from the rest.
Between the northeastern end of the Wasserkuppen Rhön at the Ehrenberg and the plateau of the Long Rhön from the Heidelstein to just beyond the Stirnberg is the Upper
Ulster valley, which cuts into the bunter sandstone by up to about and divides the ''Plattenrhön'' in two.
The Long Rhön runs southwest along the main watershed to the
Dammersfeld ridge which continues along the watershed via the
Hohe Hölle () and
Eierhauckberg () to the
Dammersfeldkuppe (), the ridge being clearly narrower than the Long Rhön and its basalt layer being interrupted several times. The
Großer () and
Kleiner Auersberg (about ), separated by the valley of the
Schmale Sinn, are also part of this natural region.
South of Heidelstein and Hoher Hölle the narrow head of the
Brend valley near
Bischofsheim forms the boundary with another mountain group of the High Rhön, the Kreuzberg Group, which contains the
Arnsberg
Arnsberg (; wep, Arensperg) is a town in the Hochsauerland county, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the location of the Regierungsbezirk Arnsberg administration and one of the three local administration offices of the Hochs ...
() and the
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it h ...
(). In between these two mountains lies the source of the
Sinn
In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an idea of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in 1892 (in his paper "On Sense and Reference"; German: "Über Sinn und Bedeutung"), reflecting the ...
. This river, which forms a wide and deep
valley head flanked by the Dammersfeld ridge, flows to the southwest.
On the other side of the Sinn valley, and southwest of the Kreuzberg Group, are the
Black Mountains (german: Schwarze Berge), which include the
Schwarzenberg (Feuerberg, ) and
Totnansberg (). They are separated from the Kreuzberg Group by the narrow valley of the
Premich's upper reaches, the ''Kellersbach''.
Clearly different from the aforementioned ridges is the
eastern slope of the Long Rhön, which forms the transition zone from the High Rhön to the muschelkalk region of the Mellrichstadt Gäu (''Mellrichstädter Gäu''), the eastern part of the
Werra Gäu Plateaux. Individual domes rise from the descending
Triassic
The Triassic ( ) is a geologic period and system which spans 50.6 million years from the end of the Permian Period 251.902 million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Jurassic Period 201.36 Mya. The Triassic is the first and shortest per ...
beds east of the solid basalt covering of the Long Rhön in the of the tributaries of the
Franconian Saale
The Franconian Saale (german: Fränkische Saale) is a 140 km long river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right-bank tributary of the Main, in Lower Franconia. It should not be confused with the larger Saxon Saale (german: Sächsische Saale), w ...
between Brend and
Streu, notably the
Gangolfsberg () and the
Rother Kuppe
Rother Kuppe is a mountain in Bavaria, Germany.
Geography
The mountain is about 1.35 km southwest of the town of Roth, a locality in Hausen, Rhön-Grabfeld.
Geology
It consists primarily of a basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-g ...
(). This landscape bears a clear resemblance to the Kuppen Rhön.
The
Wildflecken Training Area
Wildflecken Training Area (german: Truppenübungsplatz Wildflecken) is a military training area near Wildflecken in the High Rhön mountains in Germany. It covers an area of over 7,000 hectares. It was established in 1938 by the German Wehrmacht ...
, which covers an area of , equivalent to almost a quarter of the High Rhön, is not accessible to the public.
Kuppen Rhön
The
of the "Kuppen Rhön in its narrow sense", to which the Anterior Rhön also belongs, is the wide outer fringe of markedly different relief, that circles around the
High Rhön from the northeast (in
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
) through the northwest (in
Hesse
Hesse (, , ) or Hessia (, ; german: Hessen ), officially the State of Hessen (german: links=no, Land Hessen), is a state in Germany. Its capital city is Wiesbaden, and the largest urban area is Frankfurt. Two other major historic cities are ...
) to the southwest (with small parts in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...
). Numerous dome-shaped isolated mountains and hills rise above the valleys to , whose basalt covering is concentrated around the summit regions and does not blanket the entire landscape, as it does in the High Rhön. The domes or ''
kuppen'' are the stumps of heavily weathered former
volcanoes
A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface.
On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...
or
volcanic pipe
Volcanic pipes or volcanic conduits are subterranean geological structures formed by the violent, supersonic eruption of deep-origin volcanoes. They are considered to be a type of ''diatreme''. Volcanic pipes are composed of a deep, narrow cone o ...
s. Between pointed cones and broad domes lie many small plateaux, especially common in the Anterior Rhön.
Over a foundation of Middle
Bunter sandstone
The Buntsandstein (German for ''coloured'' or ''colourful sandstone'') or Bunter sandstone is a lithostratigraphic and allostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Buntsandst ...
lie stratigraphic sequences of Upper Bunter (
Röt),
muschelkalk
The Muschelkalk (German for "shell-bearing limestone"; french: calcaire coquillier) is a sequence of sedimentary rock strata (a lithostratigraphic unit) in the geology of central and western Europe. It has a Middle Triassic (240 to 230 million ...
and
keuper
The Keuper is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) in the subsurface of large parts of west and central Europe. The Keuper consists of dolomite, shales or claystones and evaporites that were deposited during the Middle and Lat ...
, the last two rocks only surviving where they have been protected by an overlying sheet of
basalt
Basalt (; ) is an aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the surface of a rocky planet or moon. More than 90 ...
. Woods cover less than a third of the area and are largely restricted to the summit regions. Five natural regions may be distinguished:
* Anterior Rhön
* Auersberg Kuppenrhön
* Soisberg Kuppenrhön with the
Hessian Skittles
* Milseburg Kuppenrhön
* Brückenau Kuppenrhön
The eastern part of the Kuppen Rhön is the Thuringian
Anterior Rhön, which reaches a height of at the huge plateau of the
Gebaberg in the southeast. There is hardly any keuper escarpment there at all. The ''
kuppen'' and
plateaux rest directly on a bedrock of muschelkalk. This natural region runs northeast from the wide, pyramidal
Pleß
Pleß is a municipality in the district of Unterallgäu in Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest ...
, , far into the Bunter sandstone of the Stadlengsfeld Hills that descend to the River
Werra
The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the ...
. In the west the
Middle Felda Valley forms a natural boundary between
Kaltensundheim
Kaltensundheim is a village and a former municipality in the district Schmalkalden-Meiningen, in Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the town Kaltennordheim
Kaltennordheim () is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, ...
in the south and below
Dermbach
Dermbach is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. The former municipalities Brunnhartshausen, Diedorf
Diedorf is a municipality in the district of Augsburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Sch ...
in the north.
West of the Felda valley is the Auersberg Kuppenrhön (''Auersberger Kuppenrhön''), which lies mainly in Thuringia, but extends into Hesse in the southwest. This natural region runs from the town of
Auersberg
Auersberg is a mountain in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, southeastern Germany. Auersberg is a 1018.2 m above sea level. It is located in the district of Wildenthal not far from the Czech border southeast of Eibenstock and northwest of Johannge ...
in the south, which gives the region its name, to the boundary with the
Long Rhön at the
Ellenbogen, . In the northeast of the region, the prominent ''kuppe'' of the
Baier Baier is a surname of German origin with the meaning "person from Bavaria". Notable people with the surname include:
*Annette Baier, (1929–2012), New Zealand moral philosopher, wife of Kurt
*Bret Baier, reporter
* Christel Baier (born 1965), Ger ...
reaches a height of , but its northernmost summit is the popular viewing mountain of
Oechsen. The western boundary is the Middle
Ulster Valley between
Hilders
Hilders is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. To the north rises the mountain of Auersberg
Auersberg is a mountain in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, southeastern Germany. Auersberg is a 1018.2 m above sea level. It is ...
in the south and below
Buttlar
Buttlar is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...
in the north.
West of the Ulster valley is the Soisberg Kuppenrhön (''Soisberger Kuppenrhön''), which lies mainly in Hesse, with elements in the southeast also extending into Thuringia. This region reaches a height of at the
Soisberg
Soisberg is a mountain of Hesse, Germany.
Mountains of Hesse
Mountains and hills of the Rhön
{{Hesse-geo-stub ...
in the north where the countryside is enclosed by the
Seulingswald
The Seulingswald (also called the Sillingswald) is a hill range in the German Central Uplands which reaches heights of up to . It is part of the Fulda-Werra Uplands in the East Hesse Highlands within the Hessian county of Hersfeld-Rotenburg; ...
forest. It reaches even greater elevations in the extreme southeast, where the
Habelberg () west of
Tann stands opposite to and north of the Auersberg. This natural region is well known for the
Hessian Skittles, a striking regular array of high, gently rounded, basalt cones up to . North and south of the skittles most of the ''
kuppen'' in this natural region are also arranged in a row along the watershed between the Werra and the Fulda and between the Ulster and the
Haune
The Haune is a 67 km long river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Fulda. Its source is near Dietershausen, southeast of the town Fulda, in the Rhön Mountains. The Haune flows generally north through the towns Hünfeld, Burghaun a ...
respectively. To the west they do not quite reach the Haune at the
Haune Plateaux; to the south the
Nüst valley below
Obernüst forms a natural boundary.
The almost entirely Hessian range of the Milseburg Kuppenrhön (''Milseburger Kuppenrhön''), which bounds the
Wasserkuppen Rhön, up to , south of the Nüst valley and west of the Ulster valley. Again the keuper escarpment is missing and even the muschelkalk only appears in islands around individual domes. The majority of the basalt and
phonolite
Phonolite is an uncommon extrusive rock, of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic, with texture ranging from aphanitic (fine-grained) to porphyritic (mixed fine- and coarse-grained). Phonolite is a variation of the igneous ...
cones sit directly on the sandstones of the Middle Bunter. Cutting deeply into the sandstone, the rivers of the Haune and the
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
flow westwards. The phonolitic cone of the
Milseburg
The Milseburg is an extinct volcano and at above sea level the second highest elevation in the Hessian part of the Rhön Mountains, Germany. The hill is located east of Fulda, near the villages of Kleinsassen and Danzwiesen. It is a popular dest ...
() is the only mountain in the Kuppen Rhön that exceeds the 800-metre-mark. Even the height of the
Großer Nallenberg () south of the Fulda, is not reached in other parts of the region. To the southwest the area is bounded by the rocky sandstone of the ''Hoher Kammer'' (), as it descends from the heights of the
Dammersfeld ridge (up to ).
Separated from the Kammer by the upper reaches of the
Döllbach
Döllbach (in its upper course: ''Döllau'') is a river of Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest ...
, the ''Döllau'', the
Große Haube () on the Rhine-Weser watershed opens the Brückenau Kuppenrhön, whose western half is in Hesse and whose eastern half is in Bavaria. The valleys of the
Schmaler and
Breiter Sinn running southwestwards, divide the natural region, which is clearly more heterogenous than the other ranges of the Kuppen Rhön, into three segments. In the west, the rugged plateaux of
dolerite
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grain ...
and basalt transition into the
Landrücken, whilst the northeast of the
Kleiner Auersberg (c. ) leads up to the Dammersfeld ridge. Between the more rugged plateaux and ridges there are gently domed basalt intrusions that rise up, especially in the southeast, left of the Sinn near
Bad Brückenau. The
Dreistelzberg in the extreme south reaches .
Peaks
The most well-known peaks in the Rhön Mountains include:
*
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
, Hessian Rhön, highest peak in the High Rhön and in Hesse.
*
Dammersfeldkuppe , Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
*
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it h ...
, Bavarian Rhön, High Rhön.
*
Heidelstein , Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
*
Himmeldunkberg , Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
*
Milseburg
The Milseburg is an extinct volcano and at above sea level the second highest elevation in the Hessian part of the Rhön Mountains, Germany. The hill is located east of Fulda, near the villages of Kleinsassen and Danzwiesen. It is a popular dest ...
, Hessian Rhön, highest peak in the Kuppen Rhön.
*
Feuerberg , Bavarian Rhön.
*
Ellenbogen , Thuringian Rhön.
*
Gebaberg , ''Hohe Geba'', Thuringian Rhön, highest peak in the Anterior Rhön.
Rivers
The following rivers rise in the Rhön Mountains or flow by or through them ''(length given in brackets)'':
* The
Franconian Saale
The Franconian Saale (german: Fränkische Saale) is a 140 km long river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right-bank tributary of the Main, in Lower Franconia. It should not be confused with the larger Saxon Saale (german: Sächsische Saale), w ...
(''Fränkische Saale'') – rises in
Grabfeld, passes the southeast Rhön, flows southwest and into the River
Main and therefore belongs to the catchment area of the River Rhine. The valley of the Franconian Saale in the area around
Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often simply called Bad Neustadt, is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the Rhön-Grabfeld district in Lower Franconia. It is situated on the rivers Fränki ...
forms part of the southeast border of the Rhön with the Grabfeld.
**
Streu – rises in the Rhön on the southern slopes of the
Ellenbogen and flows southwards into the Franconian Saale.
** The
Brend – rises at
Oberweißenbrunn in the Rhön, flows southeast into the Franconian Saale
** The
Premich – rises from numerous springs between the Kreuzberg and the Black Hills, and heads southeast to the Franconian Saale
** The
Thulba
Thulba is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It flows into the Franconian Saale near Hammelburg.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
References
Rivers of Bavaria
Rivers of Germany
{{Bavaria-river-stub ...
– rises on the Platzer Kuppe in the Rhön and flows southwards into the Franconian Saale
** The
Schondra – rises in the Rhön and heads south into the Franconian Saale
** The
Sinn
In the philosophy of language, the distinction between sense and reference was an idea of the German philosopher and mathematician Gottlob Frege in 1892 (in his paper "On Sense and Reference"; German: "Über Sinn und Bedeutung"), reflecting the ...
– rises in the Rhön near
Wildflecken and flows southwards into the Franconian Saale
* The
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
– rises in the Rhön on the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
and is the left headstream of the
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
. The valley of the Fulda in the area around the town of
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
separates the Rhön from the
Vogelsberg Mountains to the west.
** The
Haune
The Haune is a 67 km long river in Hesse, Germany, right tributary of the Fulda. Its source is near Dietershausen, southeast of the town Fulda, in the Rhön Mountains. The Haune flows generally north through the towns Hünfeld, Burghaun a ...
– rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Fulda
** The
Lütter
Lütter is a river of Hesse, Germany. It flows into the Fulda near Eichenzell
Eichenzell is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Fulda, 7 km south of the town Fulda.
The letter process ...
– rises below the Wasserkuppe and flows westwards into the Fulda
** The
Döllau – rises in the Rhön, and flows via the
Fliede to the Fulda
* The
Werra
The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the ...
– rises on the boundary between the
Thuringian Forest
The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German), is a mountain range in the southern parts of the German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorge on its north-west side i ...
and
Thuringian Highlands, runs past the Rhön to the northeast and flows northwards. It is the right headstream of the
Weser
The Weser () is a river of Lower Saxony in north-west Germany. It begins at Hannoversch Münden through the confluence of the Werra and Fulda. It passes through the Hanseatic city of Bremen. Its mouth is further north against the ports o ...
. The valley of the Werra between
Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen () is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wartburgkreis district.
Geography
Location
Bad Salzungen is situated on the river Werra, east of Tiefenort and south of Eisenach.
Divisions
In July 2018 the former ...
and
Wasungen separates the Rhön from the Thuringian Forest to the east.
** The
Herpf – rises in the Rhön and flows east into the Werra.
** The
Ulster
Ulster (; ga, Ulaidh or ''Cúige Uladh'' ; sco, label= Ulster Scots, Ulstèr or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional Irish provinces. It is made up of nine counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kin ...
– rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Werra.
** The
Felda
The Federal Land Development Authority (Felda; ms, Lembaga Kemajuan Tanah Persekutuan. LKTP) is a Malaysian government agency that was founded to handle the resettlement of rural poor into newly developed areas (''colonies'', ''settlements'' ...
– rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Werra.
History
The name ''Rhön'' is believed to be of Celtic origin. A regional Celtic presence is well established, with an important Celtic town at
Milseburg
The Milseburg is an extinct volcano and at above sea level the second highest elevation in the Hessian part of the Rhön Mountains, Germany. The hill is located east of Fulda, near the villages of Kleinsassen and Danzwiesen. It is a popular dest ...
. Furthermore, there are circular embankments that could be both of Celtic and of Germanic origin in the ''Kuppenrhön'' on the Stallberg and the Kleinberg mountains. Many names of places, mountains and meadows in the Rhön likely have their origins in Celtic root words.
Up to the 10th century parts of the Rhön belonged to
Altgau Buchonia
Buchonia is a region in Hesse, a state of Germany, where one of the first forestry planning systems was developed by Georg Ludwig Hartig
Georg Ludwig Hartig (September 2, 1764 – February 2, 1837) was a German forester.
Education
Hartig wa ...
. This term was coined by the Romans in
Late Antiquity
Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English h ...
and described an ancient beech forest in the Rhön and the neighbouring low mountain ranges of the
Spessart
Spessart is a '' Mittelgebirge'', a range of low wooded mountains, in the States of Bavaria and Hesse in Germany. It is bordered by the Vogelsberg, Rhön and Odenwald. The highest elevation is the Geiersberg at 586 metres above sea level.
Ety ...
and
Vogelsberg
The is a large volcanic mountain range in the German Central Uplands in the state of Hesse, separated from the Rhön Mountains by the Fulda river valley.
Emerging approximately 19 million years ago, the Vogelsberg is Central Europe's largest ...
. Expansive stands of beech still exist today in the area.
Due to the far reaching view from the Rhön mountains, they became sites for hilltop castles in the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. One example is
Hauneck Castle (''Burg Hauneck'') on the
Stoppelsberg, the ruins of which can still be seen. It served to oversee and protect traffic on the ancient road, the
Antsanvia, as well as protecting the villages in the Haune valley.
In the Middle Ages the ''Würzburg Defences'' (''
landwehr'') were erected on the ''Hochrhön'' for the protection of its farmers.
The Rhön was also home to the Christian Community known as the Bruderhof from 1926 to 1937 when it was
dissolved by Nazi persecution.
Biosphere Reserve
In 1991
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
declared parts of the Rhön a
Biosphere Reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...
on account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem.
Flora and fauna
As a result of its geography and geology the Rhön is an area with higher-than-average number of different
habitats
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
and
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...
. But man, too, has generated valuable secondary habitats by creating a rich cultural landscape.
Plant life
Compared with other low mountain regions, the Rhön is particularly rich in plant varieties. Its natural vegetation would probably be dominated by
beech
Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engl ...
woods with scattered groups of other trees, but today beech trees are very much in decline. A few of these ancient woods were identified as core elements of the Rhön biosphere reserve. The higher beech woods are a habitat for rare, sometimes isolated, species of plant such as the
Alpine blue-sow-thistle,
giant bellflower and
annual honesty
''Lunaria annua'', called honesty or annual honesty in English, is a species of flowering plant in the cabbage and mustard family Brassicaceae. It is native to the Balkans and south west Asia, and cultivated throughout the temperate world.
Des ...
. The vegetation of the lower-lying beech woods has a mix of mountain and other varieties. In addition to common wildflowers like the
martagon lily,
lily of the valley,
wild chervil and
wild garlic, various
orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant.
Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
also flourish here including ''
Cephalanthera
''Cephalanthera'', abbreviated Ceph in horticultural trade, is a genus of mostly terrestrial orchids. Members of this genus have rhizomes rather than tubers. About 15 species are currently recognized, most of them native to Europe and Asia. The ...
'' orchids, the
yellow coralroot,
bird's-nest orchid,
lady's slipper
Cypripedioideae is a subfamily of orchids commonly known as lady's slipper orchids, lady slipper orchids or slipper orchids. Cypripedioideae includes the genera '' Cypripedium, Mexipedium, Paphiopedilum, Phragmipedium'' and ''Selenipedium''. T ...
and
lady orchid.
Only small areas of the Rhön landscape are essentially open: the
raised bog
Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation ( omb ...
s (''Hochmoore''), the rock outcrops and the
stone runs. These habitats are home to highly specialised species. The raised bogs of the
Long Rhön - the
Red Moor (''Rotes Moor'') and the
Black Moor (''Schwarzes Moor'') are floristically important links between the northern and Alpine raised bogs. Here, for example, can be found
sundew
''Drosera'', which is commonly known as the sundews, is one of the largest genera of carnivorous plants, with at least 194 species. 2 volumes. These members of the family Droseraceae lure, capture, and digest insects using stalked mucilaginou ...
s,
crowberry
''Empetrum nigrum'', crowberry, black crowberry, or, in western Alaska, blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere. It is usually dioecious, but ther ...
and
cottongrass
''Eriophorum'' (cottongrass, cotton-grass or cottonsedge) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cyperaceae, the sedge family. They are found throughout the arctic, subarctic, and temperate portions of the Northern Hemisphere in acid bog h ...
. Growing amongst the rocks of the volcanic mountains are rare species such as
Cheddar pink
''Dianthus gratianopolitanus'', commonly known as the Cheddar pink or clove pink, is a species of plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is a herbaceous perennial, hardy to zones 4–8. It grows to a height of 0.5 to 1 feet, blooming from May ...
,
sweet william catchfly,
oblong woodsia and
fir clubmoss.
There are no naturally occurring
coniferous forest
Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All exta ...
s in the Rhön, but notable species of wild flower such as the
lady's slipper orchid,
creeping lady's tresses
''Goodyera repens'', an orchid in the genus ''Goodyera'', is called by the common name creeping lady's-tresses in Anglophone Europe and dwarf rattlesnake plantain or lesser rattlesnake plantain in North America.
It is a green underground creeper ...
and
burning-bush are found in the forests of mixed pine.
The cultural landscape formed by mankind over the centuries also has a great variety of habitats and plants however, today, the extensive grassland areas are amongst the most threatened and heavily cultivated habitats. It is on the
semi-arid grasslands and
juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...
heaths that the
silver thistle, symbol of the Rhön region, grows, alongside
gentians,
pasque flowers and
wood anemones, as well as orchids like the
early purple,
fragrant and
fly orchid
''Ophrys insectifera'', the fly orchid, is a species of orchid and the type species of the genus ''Ophrys''. It is remarkable as an example of the use of sexually deceptive pollination and floral mimicry, as well as a highly selective and highly ...
s. Rarer flowers include the various
bee orchids and the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
,
lady
The word ''lady'' is a term for a girl or woman, with various connotations. Once used to describe only women of a high social class or status, the equivalent of lord, now it may refer to any adult woman, as gentleman can be used for men. Inf ...
,
burnt,
green-winged,
man
A man is an adult male human. Prior to adulthood, a male human is referred to as a boy (a male child or adolescent). Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromo ...
,
pyramidal,
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
and
lizard orchids. Along the southern fringes of the Rhön, on the so-called slopes of steppe heathland (''Steppenheidenhängen'') grow warmth-loving plants such as
white rock-rose,
erect clematis and
honewort.
Amongst the most valuable habitats in the Rhön are the mountain meadows and fields of mat grass (''Nardetum strictae'') on the higher slopes.
[Uwe Barth: ]
Naturschätze der Rhön: Borstgrasrasen.
' LIFE-Projekt Rhön der EU (Hrsg.), Kaltensundheim, 1997. Characteristic plants here include the
monkshood
''Aconitum'' (), also known as aconite, monkshood, wolf's-bane, leopard's bane, mousebane, women's bane, devil's helmet, queen of poisons, or blue rocket, is a genus of over 250 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Ranunculaceae. ...
,
northern wolfsbane,
common moonwort,
martagon lily,
greater butterfly orchid,
perennial cornflower and
wig knapweed.
Bog-bean,
grass of Parnassus'
western marsh orchid and
lousewort are found in the wet meadows and low marshes; and the extremely rare
large brown clover,
hairy stonecrop and
Pyrenean scurvygrass in the springwater marshes of the ''Hohe Rhön''.
Wildlife
The wildlife in the Rhön mountains is similar to that of other low mountain ranges, but there are also some unusual species. In addition to the more common mammals such as
roe deer
The roe deer (''Capreolus capreolus''), also known as the roe, western roe deer, or European roe, is a species of deer. The male of the species is sometimes referred to as a roebuck. The roe is a small deer, reddish and grey-brown, and well-adapt ...
,
fox,
badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae (which also includes the otters, wolverines, martens, minks, polecats, weasels, and ferrets). Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by ...
,
hare
Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...
and
wild boar
The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species i ...
, there are also smaller mammals such as the
dormouse
A dormouse is a rodent of the family Gliridae (this family is also variously called Myoxidae or Muscardinidae by different taxonomists). Dormice are nocturnal animals found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are named for their long, dormant hibe ...
, common
water shrew and
Miller's water shrew. One unusual regional species is the
alpine shrew. Birds occurring here include the
black grouse
The black grouse (''Lyrurus tetrix''), also known as northern black grouse, Eurasian black grouse, blackgame or blackcock, is a large game bird in the grouse family. It is a sedentary species, spanning across the Palearctic in moorland and step ...
, the
capercaillie
''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse.
Taxonomy
The genus ''Tetrao'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of hi ...
, the
black stork, the
eagle owl, the
corncrake
The corn crake, corncrake or landrail (''Crex crex'') is a bird in the rail family. It breeds in Europe and Asia as far east as western China, and migrates to Africa for the Northern Hemisphere's winter. It is a medium-sized crake with buff- ...
, the
red-backed shrike and the
wryneck
The wrynecks (genus ''Jynx'') are a small but distinctive group of small Old World woodpeckers. ''Jynx'' is from the Ancient Greek ''iunx'', the Eurasian wryneck.
These birds get their English name from their ability to turn their heads almos ...
. There are also two species
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to the Rhön: the
rove beetle and a local snail, the ''Rhönquellschnecke'' (
Bythinella compressa).
Rhön umbrella brand
The ''Dachmarke Rhön'' project (Rhön umbrella brand project) is run by the Rhön working group and its aim is to promote a common identity for the Rhön region and to present a unified view of the area to the outside world and to harmonise the marketing measures of the three participating federal states.
Tourism
These mountains are a popular tourist destination.
Hikers
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histo ...
come for the nearly of trails, and
gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word ''soaring'' is a ...
enthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early 20th century. More recently, farm holidays have been flourishing in the region.
Attractions
* ''Klaushof Wildlife Park'' in
Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which beca ...
.
*
Botenlauben Castle Ruins in
Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which beca ...
.
*
Black Moor
*
Kloster Kreuzberg - the monastery on the Kreuzberg.
*
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
- the highest mountain.
*
Observation Post Alpha
''Observation Post Alpha'', ''OP Alpha'', or ''Point Alpha'' was a Cold War observation post between Rasdorf, Hesse, in what was then West Germany and Geisa, Thuringia, then part of East Germany. The post overlooked part of the "Fulda Gap", ...
- a former U.S. OP during the Cold War, now a memorial.
Villages and towns in the Rhön
*
Bad Brückenau
*
Bischofsheim an der Rhön
*
Burkardroth
*
Dipperz
Dipperz is a municipality in the district of Fulda in Hesse in Germany.
References
Municipalities in Hesse
Fulda (district)
{{Hesse-geo-stub ...
*
Dermbach
Dermbach is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. The former municipalities Brunnhartshausen, Diedorf
Diedorf is a municipality in the district of Augsburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Sch ...
*
Ebersburg
Ebersburg is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany.
References
Municipalities in Hesse
Fulda (district)
{{Hesse-geo-stub ...
*
Ehrenberg
*
Eiterfeld
Eiterfeld is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated in the north of the district, 25 km north of Fulda.
See also
* Schloss Buchenau
* Burg Fürsteneck
The German word Burg means castle. Burg or Bürg ...
*
Friedewald
*
Fladungen
Fladungen is a town in the Rhön-Grabfeld district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 11 km northwest of Ostheim, 20 km west of Meiningen, and 33 km east of Fulda. It is the northernmost town in Bavaria, ...
*
Geisa
Geisa () is a town in the Wartburgkreis district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 26 km northeast of Fulda.
The near border with Hesse was the border between West Germany and the GDR during the Cold War. Thus, ...
*
Gersfeld (Rhön)
*
Hausen
*
Helmershausen
*
Hilders
Hilders is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. To the north rises the mountain of Auersberg
Auersberg is a mountain in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, southeastern Germany. Auersberg is a 1018.2 m above sea level. It is ...
*
Hofbieber
Hofbieber is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany.
General
Hofbieber is situated in the center of the Hessian Rhön Mountains near the Mountain Milseburg
The Milseburg is an extinct volcano and at above sea level the sec ...
*
Hünfeld
Hünfeld is a town in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 16 km northeast of Fulda. In 2000, the town hosted the 40th Hessentag state festival. Hünfeld has a population close to 16,000.
Infrastructure Transport
The f ...
*
Kaltennordheim
Kaltennordheim () is a town in the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 22 km southwest of Bad Salzungen, and 35 km east of Fulda. The former municipalities Aschenhausen, Kalte ...
*
Nordheim vor der Rhön
*
Oberleichtersbach
Oberleichtersbach is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany.
Divisions of the municipality
The municipality includes the following towns:
*Oberleichtersbach
*Unterleichtersbach
*Modlos
*Breitenbach
*Mitgenfeld
His ...
*
Oechsen
*
Ostheim vor der Rhön
*
Poppenhausen
*
Riedenberg
*
Tann
*
Wildflecken
Towns in the vicinity of the Rhön
Towns and larger villages close to the Rhön are:
*
Bad Hersfeld
The festival and spa town of Bad Hersfeld (''Bad'' is "spa" in German; the Old High German name of the city was ''Herolfisfeld'') is the district seat of the Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany, roughly 50 km southe ...
*
Bad Kissingen
Bad Kissingen is a German spa town in the Bavarian region of Lower Franconia and seat of the district Bad Kissingen. Situated to the south of the Rhön Mountains on the Franconian Saale river, it is one of the health resorts, which beca ...
*
Bad Bocklet
Bad Bocklet is a municipality in the district of Bad Kissingen in Bavaria in Germany. It is a market town and a health spa.
Geography
Bad Bocklet lies in a bend in the river Fränkische Saale in Franconia about 10 km north of the district c ...
*
Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often simply called Bad Neustadt, is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the Rhön-Grabfeld district in Lower Franconia. It is situated on the rivers Fränki ...
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Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen () is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wartburgkreis district.
Geography
Location
Bad Salzungen is situated on the river Werra, east of Tiefenort and south of Eisenach.
Divisions
In July 2018 the former ...
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Eichenzell
Eichenzell is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Fulda, 7 km south of the town Fulda.
The letter processing center for Deutsche Post
The Deutsche Post AG, operating under the trad ...
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Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
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Künzell
Künzell is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 3 km east of Fulda. It is twinned with the English village of Rustington.
The subdivisions are: Künzell/Bachrain, Pilgerzell, Engelhelms, Dirlos (wit ...
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Hammelburg
Hammelburg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It sits in the district of Bad Kissingen, in Lower Franconia. It lies on the river Franconian Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt. Hammelburg is the oldest winegrowing town (''Weinstadt'') in Francon ...
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Hünfeld
Hünfeld is a town in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 16 km northeast of Fulda. In 2000, the town hosted the 40th Hessentag state festival. Hünfeld has a population close to 16,000.
Infrastructure Transport
The f ...
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Meiningen
Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).
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Mellrichstadt
Mellrichstadt is a town in the district Rhön-Grabfeld, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 17 km southwest of Meiningen, and 13 km northeast of Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often sim ...
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Vacha
*
Wasungen
Walks and hiking trails
There are well-marked walks and hiking trails in the Rhön which are looked after by the
Rhön Club. The ''Rhön-Höhen-Weg'' ("Rhön Heights Walk" or RHW) is marked with a horizontal, red teardrop. It is long and runs from
Burgsinn
Burgsinn is a market community in the Main-Spessart district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Lower Franconia (''Unterfranken'') in Bavaria, Germany and the seat of the '' Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (municipal association) of Burgsinn. It has a po ...
in
Main-Spessart
Main-Spessart is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the northwest of Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Lower Franconia and derives its name from the river Main and the wooded hills of the Spessart.
Geography
The district is bounded by (from the no ...
district through Roßbach, Dreistelz, Würzburger Haus on the Farnsberg, Kissinger Hütte on the Feuerberg, Kreuzberg (
monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...
), Oberweißenbrunn, through the
Red and
Black Moors, over the Ellenbogen and the Emberg via Oberalba, past Baier to
Stadtlengsfeld
Stadtlengsfeld is a town and a former municipality in the Wartburgkreis Districts of Germany, district of Thuringia, Germany. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the municipality Dermbach. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 8 km southwest ...
and on to its destination at
Bad Salzungen
Bad Salzungen () is a town in Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wartburgkreis district.
Geography
Location
Bad Salzungen is situated on the river Werra, east of Tiefenort and south of Eisenach.
Divisions
In July 2018 the former ...
on the
Werra
The Werra (), a river in central Germany, is the right-bank headwater of the Weser. "Weser" is a synonym in an old dialect of German. The Werra has its source near Eisfeld in southern Thuringia. After the Werra joins the river Fulda in the ...
River.
Other hiking trails are:
* The ''
Ortesweg'' ("Village Way") signposted with a 2/3-full red triangle and running from Kleinheiligkreuz over the
Milseburg
The Milseburg is an extinct volcano and at above sea level the second highest elevation in the Hessian part of the Rhön Mountains, Germany. The hill is located east of Fulda, near the villages of Kleinsassen and Danzwiesen. It is a popular dest ...
to
Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often simply called Bad Neustadt, is a town in northern Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the Rhön-Grabfeld district in Lower Franconia. It is situated on the rivers Fränki ...
* The ''Burgen- und Schlösserweg'' ("Castle Way") signed with a red triangle from
Schlitz via
Tann to
Wasungen
* The ''Milseburgweg'' ("Milseburg Way") marked with red triangles from
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a town in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the town hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
via the Milseburg to
Meiningen
Meiningen () is a town in the southern part of the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in the region of Franconia and has a population of around 25,000 (2021).
* The ''Wasserkuppenweg'' ("Wasserkuppen Way"), marked with red triangles, from Giesel over the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
towards
Fladungen
Fladungen is a town in the Rhön-Grabfeld district, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Rhön Mountains, 11 km northwest of Ostheim, 20 km west of Meiningen, and 33 km east of Fulda. It is the northernmost town in Bavaria, ...
* The ''Heidelsteinweg'' ("Heidelstein Way"), from
Neuhof via
Gersfeld to
Ostheim vor der Rhön
* The ''Klosterweg'' ("Monastery Way") marked with red triangles from
Schlüchtern
Schlüchtern is a town in the Main-Kinzig district, in Hessen, Germany. It is located on the river Kinzig, approximately 30 km southwest of Fulda. Schlüchtern has a population close to 16,000.
Location
Schlüchtern is located in the '' ...
via
Wildflecken to
Mellrichstadt
Mellrichstadt is a town in the district Rhön-Grabfeld, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 17 km southwest of Meiningen, and 13 km northeast of Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often sim ...
* The ''Kreuzbergweg'' ("Kreuzberg Way") marked with red triangles from
Schwarzenfels over the
Kreuzberg
Kreuzberg () is a district of Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough located south of Mitte. During the Cold War era, it was one of the poorest areas of West Berlin, but since German reunification in 1990 it h ...
to
Bad Königshofen
Bad Königshofen im Grabfeld is a small spa town in the German state of Bavaria, located in the Rhön-Grabfeld district in northeast Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. According to the Bavarian State Office for Statistics and Data, Bad Königsh ...
* The ''
Jakobusweg'' ("Jacob's Way") from Fulda to
Schweinfurt
Schweinfurt ( , ; ) is a city in the district of Lower Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the surrounding district (''Landkreis'') of Schweinfurt and a major industrial, cultural and educational hub. The urban ag ...
signed with blue shells
* The ''
Jakobusweg'' from
Bremen in Thuringia to
Herbstein signed with blue shells
* The ''Abtsweg'' ("Abbot's Way") from Fulda to
Hammelburg
Hammelburg is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It sits in the district of Bad Kissingen, in Lower Franconia. It lies on the river Franconian Saale, 25 km west of Schweinfurt. Hammelburg is the oldest winegrowing town (''Weinstadt'') in Francon ...
signed with a red teardrop
* The ''Rhön-Paulus-Weg'' ("Rhön Paul Way") from
Weilar via
Tann to
Dermbach
Dermbach is a municipality in the Wartburgkreis district of Thuringia, Germany. The former municipalities Brunnhartshausen, Diedorf
Diedorf is a municipality in the district of Augsburg, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Sch ...
marked with a 2/3-full green triangle
* The ''Geological Walk on the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
''
* The ''Auersberg Nature Walk'' near
Hilders
Hilders is a municipality in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. To the north rises the mountain of Auersberg
Auersberg is a mountain in the Ore Mountains in Saxony, southeastern Germany. Auersberg is a 1018.2 m above sea level. It is ...
* The ''Milseburg Prehistoric Walk''
* 10 circular walks in Thalau; a total of
In addition the following pass through the Rhön:
* The ''Main-Werra Weg'' ("Main-Werra Way") from
Gemünden over the Kreuzberg and Wasserkuppe to
Vacha, signed with a red arrowhead
* The
Rhön-Rennsteig-Weg ("Rhön-Rennsteig Way") from the
Wasserkuppe
The is a mountain within the Germany, German state of Hesse. It is a large plateau formation at an elevation of and is the highest peak in the Rhön Mountains. Great advances in sailplane development took place on the mountain during the Aviat ...
over the Geba to
Oberhof , marked with a blue "RR" on a white background
* European long-distance trail No. 3 via Fulda to
Mellrichstadt
Mellrichstadt is a town in the district Rhön-Grabfeld, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated 17 km southwest of Meiningen, and 13 km northeast of Bad Neustadt
Bad Neustadt an der Saale, officially Bad Neustadt a. d. Saale and often sim ...
, signed with a blue cross
* European long-distance trail No. 6 via
Hünfeld
Hünfeld is a town in the district of Fulda, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated 16 km northeast of Fulda. In 2000, the town hosted the 40th Hessentag state festival. Hünfeld has a population close to 16,000.
Infrastructure Transport
The f ...
,
Gersfeld to
Bad Königshofen
Bad Königshofen im Grabfeld is a small spa town in the German state of Bavaria, located in the Rhön-Grabfeld district in northeast Lower Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. According to the Bavarian State Office for Statistics and Data, Bad Königsh ...
, signed with a white cross on a blue background
See also
*
Bavarian Rhön Nature Park
*
Rhön Biosphere Reserve
The Rhön Biosphere Reserve includes the entire central area of the Rhön Mountains, a low mountain range in the German states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia.
Aim
In 1991 the Rhön was recognised at international level by UNESCO as a biosphe ...
References
Sources
* Hanswilhelm Haefs: ''Ortsnamen und Ortsgeschichten aus der Rhön und dem Fuldaer Land''. Rhön-Verlag. Hünfeld 2001,
* Marco Klüber:
Orchideen in der Rhön und ihre Lebensräume. schützen – pflegen – bewahren.' Landkreis Fulda, Sachgebiet Biosphärenreservat Rhön (Hrsg.), 2007.
*
External links
Rhön tourism portal360° virtual tour through the Hessian Rhön (in German)Orchids of the Rhön, with much information the local flora (in German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhon Mountains
Mountain ranges of Bavaria
Volcanoes of Germany
Extinct volcanoes
Mountain ranges of Hesse
Mountain ranges of Thuringia
Biosphere reserves of Germany
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