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The Fichtel Mountains (, ; ) is a
mountain range A mountain range or hill range is a series of mountains or hills arranged in a line and connected by high ground. A mountain system or mountain belt is a group of mountain ranges with similarity in form, structure, and alignment that have aris ...
in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. They extend from the valley of the
Red Main River The Red Main ( or ''Rotmain'') is a river in southern Germany. It is the southern, left headstream of the river Main (river), Main. It rises in the hills of Franconian Switzerland, near Haag, Upper Franconia, Haag and flows generally northwest th ...
in northeastern
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
to the
Karlovy Vary Region The Karlovy Vary Region () is an administrative unit () of the Czech Republic, located in the westernmost part of the country. It is named after its capital Karlovy Vary. It is known for spas, which include Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně. ...
in western Czech Republic. The Fichtel Mountains contain an important nature park, the Fichtel Mountain Nature Park. The
Elster Mountains The Elster Mountains (, ) is a small mountain range within the Fichtel Mountains in Germany and the Czech Republic. They lie in a region known as Vogtland, and take their name from the river Elster, or more precisely the White Elster which has its ...
are a part of the Fichtel Mountains.


Etymology

The first person to write about the Fichtel Mountains, Matthias of Kemnath (actually Matthias Widmann, born 23 February 1429 in Kemnath) reported in 1476: ''Ein bergk, hoch, weitt, wolbekant ligt in Beiern, gnant der Fichtelberg'' ("A mountain, high, wide and well-known, lies in Bavaria, known as the Fichtelberg"). In descriptions of the border in 1499 and 1536, the mountain that is now called the Ochsenkopf was called ''Vichtelberg''; thereafter the name was extended to the whole mountain region. It is also mentioned in old documents: around 1317 the lords of Hirschberg were enfeoffed ''inter alia'' with the ''walt zu dem Vythenberge''. By the 14th century iron ore was being extracted in the ''St. Veith'' Pit on the southern foot of the mountain. ''Vyth → Veit → Fichtel''. High-profile local-history and name researchers have still not had the last word. A
folk etymology Folk etymology – also known as (generative) popular etymology, analogical reformation, (morphological) reanalysis and etymological reinterpretation – is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a mo ...
connecting the name ''Fichtelgebirge'' with the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
word ''Fichte'' (meaning "spruce tree" or "pine tree") fails to account for the typically non-spruce forests which predominated in the area at the time when the name ''Fichtelgebirge'' became established.


Geography

The Fichtel Mountains have an area of about . The Czech part has an area of . The Fichtel Mountain Nature Park in Germany has an area of . The Fichtel Mountains lie between the towns of Hof and Weiden. In the west there is a good transport link to the nearby city of
Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
. The county town in the heart of the Fichtel Mountains is
Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...
with its Luisenburg Rock Labyrinth. Other main settlements are
Marktredwitz Marktredwitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany, close to the Czech border, 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale. Marktredwitz station is at the junction of the Nuremb ...
, Marktleuthen, Arzberg,
Röslau Röslau is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
,
Weißenstadt Weißenstadt () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the Fichtel Mountains, on the river Ohře, 11 km northwe ...
, Waldershof,
Kirchenlamitz Kirchenlamitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, 13 km northwest of Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Francon ...
and
Tröstau Tröstau () is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Al ...
(all on the upper reaches of the
Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
and the
Röslau Röslau is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
rivers). The largest settlement in the Czech part of the Fichtel Mountains is
Aš (; ) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Aš consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Aš (11, ...
. Further to the southeast and south are
Bischofsgrün Bischofsgrün is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany. Bischofsgrün is situated in the Fichtel Mountains between the range's two largest mountains; Schneeberg (1051 m) and the Ochsenkopf (1024 m). The Ochsenkopf No ...
, Fichtelberg, Mehlmeisel, Nagel, Neusorg, Speichersdorf, Kemnath, Erbendorf, Wiesau and Fuchsmühl, in the west are
Weidenberg Weidenberg is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
,
Creußen Creußen is a town in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the Red Main river, 13 km southeast of Bayreuth. Creußen is famous for its stoneware beer steins. Creußen is the starting point of the Red Main bran ...
,
Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
,
Goldkronach Goldkronach (East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Gronich'') is a Town#Germany, town in the Bayreuth (district), district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the Fichtel Mountains, 12 km northeast of Bayreuth. Hist ...
,
Bindlach Bindlach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Bayreuth (district), Bayreuth in Upper Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The town is adjacent immediately north of the town of Bayreuth. The population count of December 2006 wa ...
and Bad Berneck, in the northwest are Gefrees, Zell im Fichtelgebirge, Weißdorf, Münchberg (Obere Saale), and in the north
Selb Selb () is a town in the Wunsiedel (district), district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Ho ...
, Rehau and Hof. The boundary between the (East) Franconian dialect in the north and west and the (North) Bavarian and Upper Palatine dialects in the east and south runs diagonally through the Fichtel from northeast to southwest. This language border does not coincide with the administrative boundary of
Upper Franconia Upper Franconia (, ) is a (administrative 'Regierungs''region 'bezirk'' of the state of Bavaria, southern Germany. It forms part of the historically significant region of Franconia, the others being Middle Franconia and Lower Franconia, wh ...
and the
Upper Palatinate The Upper Palatinate (; , , ) is an administrative district in the east of Bavaria, Germany. It consists of seven districts and 226 municipalities, including three cities. Geography The Upper Palatinate is a landscape with low mountains and nume ...
, but, for example, Bavarian is also spoken in the Upper Franconian district of Wunsiedel. Moreover, there are descendants of those who, after
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
came from Bohemia, Moravia, Silesia and East Prussia into the Fichtel Mountains, and who make up a significant percentage of the population.


Geomorphology

In terms of geomorphological division of Germany, the Fichtel Mountains forms a major
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 and ...
called the Thuringian-Franconian Highlands (no. D48 and 39) together with the
Thuringian Forest The Thuringian Forest (''Thüringer Wald'' in German language, German ) is a mountain range in the southern parts of the Germany, German state of Thuringia, running northwest to southeast. Skirting from its southerly source in foothills to a gorg ...
,
Thuringian Highland The Thuringian Highland, Thuringian Highlands or Thuringian-Vogtlandian Slate MountainsKohl, Horst; Marcinek, Joachim and Nitz, Bernhard (1986). ''Geography of the German Democratic Republic'', VEB Hermann Haack, Gotha, p. 7 ff. . ( or ''Thüringis ...
and
Franconian Forest View to Döbraberg The Franconian Forest''Franconian Forest''
at www.britannica.com. Acce ...
. In terms of geomorphological division of the Czech Republic, the Fichtel Mountains is a mesoregion within the Ore Mountains Highlands together with
Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...
and
Elbe Sandstone Mountains The Elbe Sandstone Mountains, also called the Elbe Sandstone Highlands (, ; , ), are a mountain range straddling the border between the state of Saxony in southeastern Germany and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, with about three-q ...
. The
Elster Mountains The Elster Mountains (, ) is a small mountain range within the Fichtel Mountains in Germany and the Czech Republic. They lie in a region known as Vogtland, and take their name from the river Elster, or more precisely the White Elster which has its ...
are the northwestern part of the Fichtel Mountains.
Geomorphologically Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topographic and bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth's surface. Geomorphologists seek to understand why ...
the Fichtel Mountains are a horseshoe-shaped
massif A massif () is a principal mountain mass, such as a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits (e.g. France's Massif Central). In mountaineering literature, ''massif'' is frequently used to denote the main mass of an ...
consisting of several linked ridges, hence the term Fichtel Mountain Horseshoe (''Fichtelgebirgs-Hufeisen''). The most important are the: * High Fichtel Mountains with the Schneeberg, Ochsenkopf and Kösseine massif, * Northern ridge of Waldstein including the mountains of Großer Waldstein, Epprechtstein and Kornberg * Southern section with its Steinwald and Reichsforst forests and the Kohlberg mountain * Inner Fichtel Plateau. To the northeast the Fichtel Mountains transitions into the
Ore Mountains The Ore Mountains (, or ; ) lie along the Czech–German border, separating the historical regions of Bohemia in the Czech Republic and Saxony in Germany. The highest peaks are the Klínovec in the Czech Republic (German: ''Keilberg'') at ab ...
, to the southeast is the Upper Palatine Forest, the
Bohemian Forest The Bohemian Forest, known in Czech as () and in German as , is a low mountain range in Central Europe. Geographically, the mountains extend from Plzeň Region and the South Bohemian Region in the Czech Republic to Austria and Bavaria in Germ ...
and the
Bavarian Forest image:Zell-bayerischer-wald.jpg, The village of Zell in the Bavarian Forest The Bavarian Forest ( or ''Bayerwald'' ; ) is a wooded, low-mountain region in Bavaria, Germany, that is about 100 kilometres long. It runs along the Czech Republic, C ...
. To the northwest is a clear geological divide with the Franconian and
Thuringian Thuringian is an East Central German dialect group spoken in much of the modern German Free State of Thuringia north of the Rennsteig ridge, southwestern Saxony-Anhalt and adjacent territories of Hesse and Bavaria. It is close to Upper Saxon s ...
forests. To the southwest it descends to the morphologically very different Franconian fault-block landscape. In early times the Fichtel was known as the 'navel of Germany' (''Nabel Deutschlands'') or the 'wellspring of Europe' (''Herzbrunnen Europas'') because four important rivers rise here and flow in four different directions of the compass: * to the north flows the Saxon
Saale The Saale (), also known as the Saxon Saale ( ) and Thuringian Saale (), is a river in Germany and a left-bank tributary of the Elbe. It is not to be confused with the smaller Fränkische Saale, Franconian Saale, a right-bank tributary of the M ...
* to the east flows the
Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
, known here as the Eger and its tributary, the Röslau * to the south two headstreams of the Naab: the Fichtelnaab in the centre and the Haidenaab to one side * to the west the
White Main The White Main ( or ''Weißmain'', not to be confused with the Weismain), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the river Main. It rises in the Fichtel Mountains and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left ...
Numerous moors and marshes, which are now protected, are valuable water collectors. The European
watershed Watershed may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage) Music * Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
from the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...
to the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
runs over these mountains.


Mountains and hills

The highest mountain is the Schneeberg at . Rivers rising from the Fichtel Mountains are the
White Main The White Main ( or ''Weißmain'', not to be confused with the Weismain), is the larger and shorter of the two headstreams of the river Main. It rises in the Fichtel Mountains and merges near Steinenhausen, southwest of Kulmbach, with the left ...
, the Saxon Saale, the
Ohře The Ohře (), also known in English and German as Eger (), is a river in Germany and the Czech Republic, a left tributary of the Elbe River. It flows through the Bavarian district of Upper Franconia in Germany, and through the Karlovy Vary Region ...
and the Fichtelnaab which later joins the Waldnaab. Major towns on the edge of the mountain region are
Bayreuth Bayreuth ( or ; High Franconian German, Upper Franconian: Bareid, ) is a Town#Germany, town in northern Bavaria, Germany, on the Red Main river in a valley between the Franconian Jura and the Fichtel Mountains. The town's roots date back to 11 ...
and Hof. While the mountains dip gradually away to the north and the south, they form a steep slope in the west where the Red Main forms the boundary of the mountains. The Ochsenkopf ("Ox Head") is the second highest mountain of the Fichtel Mountains, at . There are two chair-lifts to the summit, one from
Bischofsgrün Bischofsgrün is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany. Bischofsgrün is situated in the Fichtel Mountains between the range's two largest mountains; Schneeberg (1051 m) and the Ochsenkopf (1024 m). The Ochsenkopf No ...
in the north and one from Fleckl in the south. The "Asenturm" (
Æsir Æsir (Old Norse; singular: ) or ēse (Old English; singular: ) are deities, gods in Germanic paganism. In Old Nordic religion and Nordic mythology, mythology, the precise meaning of the term "" is debated, as it can refer either to the gods i ...
Tower) is an
observation tower An observation tower is a tower used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, and woo ...
on the summit with a restaurant attached. The following are the highest and best-known mountains in the Fichtel Mountains (listed with heights in metres (m) above
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
(NN):


Geology


Early mountain building

Geologically Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth s ...
the Fichtel massif consists mainly of
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
. The history of its
orogeny Orogeny () is a mountain-mountain formation, building process that takes place at a convergent boundary, convergent plate margin when plate motion compresses the margin. An or develops as the compressed plate crumples and is tectonic uplift, u ...
begins in the
Precambrian The Precambrian ( ; or pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pC, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of t ...
Eon about 750–800 million years ago. From that time only the truncated uplands of the once-towering mountain chain are left. Subsequently, the area was covered by sea, and
river A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside Subterranean river, caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of ...
s transported
sediments Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
from the old eroding mountains on the coast. These sediments were deposited as layers of
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
,
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
and
limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
. At the beginning of the
Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...
Period, about 570 million years ago, these beds were folded and raised up to form new mountains. High
temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that quantitatively expresses the attribute of hotness or coldness. Temperature is measurement, measured with a thermometer. It reflects the average kinetic energy of the vibrating and colliding atoms making ...
s and
pressure Pressure (symbol: ''p'' or ''P'') is the force applied perpendicular to the surface of an object per unit area over which that force is distributed. Gauge pressure (also spelled ''gage'' pressure)The preferred spelling varies by country and eve ...
during this mountain folding process, which lasted into the
Upper Carboniferous Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found f ...
Period, created
metamorphic rock Metamorphic rocks arise from the transformation of existing rock to new types of rock in a process called metamorphism. The original rock ( protolith) is subjected to temperatures greater than and, often, elevated pressure of or more, caus ...
. The
shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of Clay mineral, clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g., Kaolinite, kaolin, aluminium, Al2Silicon, Si2Oxygen, O5(hydroxide, OH)4) and tiny f ...
layers were transformed into
phyllite Phyllite ( ) is a type of foliation (geology), foliated metamorphic rock formed from slate that is further metamorphosed so that very fine grained white mica achieves a preferred orientation.Stephen Marshak ''Essentials of Geology'', 3rd ed. I ...
s and
schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...
s, sandstones metamorphosed into
quartzite Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock that was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tecton ...
and limestone produced
Wunsiedel marble Wunsiedel Marble () is a group of metamorphic carbonate rocks, which were, and are, mainly extracted in the German town Wunsiedel at several quarries. This Upper Franconian calcite marble occurs both in this region and beyond, particularly in Bava ...
. These mountains, which may have been several kilometres high, were also eroded to
sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an mean, average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal Body of water, bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical ...
again.


Variscan orogeny: mountains from the depths of the sea

In the next phase, great, deep-sea sediments were laid down under the present-day Fichtel Mountains and the
Franconian Forest View to Döbraberg The Franconian Forest''Franconian Forest''
at www.britannica.com. Acce ...
from the
Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 23.5 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the third and shortest period of t ...
,
Devonian The Devonian ( ) is a period (geology), geologic period and system (stratigraphy), system of the Paleozoic era (geology), era during the Phanerozoic eon (geology), eon, spanning 60.3 million years from the end of the preceding Silurian per ...
and
Lower Carboniferous Lower may refer to: * ''Lower'' (album), 2025 album by Benjamin Booker *Lower (surname) *Lower Township, New Jersey *Lower Receiver (firearms) *Lower Wick Lower Wick is a small hamlet located in the county of Gloucestershire, England. It is sit ...
periods; these are especially well recorded in the Franconian Forest, whose rocks were only subject to very low-grade
metamorphism Metamorphism is the transformation of existing Rock (geology), rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or Texture (geology), texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated ...
(associated with volcanism and
ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
formation) and which contain easily dated
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
s. Finally, in the
Upper Carboniferous Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found f ...
period 285 million years ago, the Hercynian mountain building phase began and raised the Fichtel Mountains, Franconian Forest and Münchberg
gneiss Gneiss (pronounced ) is a common and widely distributed type of metamorphic rock. It is formed by high-temperature and high-pressure metamorphic processes acting on formations composed of igneous or sedimentary rocks. This rock is formed under p ...
plateau into high mountains – like almost all the
fold mountain Fold mountains are formed by the effects of folding on layers within the upper part of the Earth's crust. Before the development of the theory of plate tectonics and before the internal architecture of thrust belts became well understood, the te ...
s formed during the Hercynian period. This mountain building episode was the ''
Variscan orogeny The Variscan orogeny, or Hercynian orogeny, was a geologic mountain-building event caused by Late Paleozoic continental collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form the supercontinent of Pangaea. Nomenclature The name ''Varis ...
'', named after Hof's Latin name (and the tribe of Varisci) of ''Curia variscorum''. At the same time, magma intruded in several phases into the folds, where it solidified under the Earth's surface into the present-day granites. As granite formed, secondary rocks were only affected by slight
contact metamorphism Metamorphism is the transformation of existing rock (the protolith) to rock with a different mineral composition or texture. Metamorphism takes place at temperatures in excess of , and often also at elevated pressure or in the presence of c ...
. The rest of the molten rock with its
ore Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
-containing fluids formed
pegmatite A pegmatite is an igneous rock showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than and sometimes greater than . Most pegmatites are composed of quartz, feldspar, and mica, having a similar silicic c ...
, as well as veins of ore and minerals – the basis of the
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
mining industry Mining is the extraction of valuable geological materials and minerals from the surface of the Earth. Mining is required to obtain most materials that cannot be grown through agricultural processes, or feasibly created artificially in a la ...
and early
industrialisation Industrialisation ( UK) or industrialization ( US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive reorganisation of an economy for th ...
of this region. During the
Upper Carboniferous Upper may refer to: * Shoe upper or ''vamp'', the part of a shoe on the top of the foot * Stimulant, drugs which induce temporary improvements in either mental or physical function or both * ''Upper'', the original film title for the 2013 found f ...
and Lower
Permian The Permian ( ) is a geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system which spans 47 million years, from the end of the Carboniferous Period million years ago (Mya), to the beginning of the Triassic Period 251.902 Mya. It is the s ...
(''
Rotliegendes The Rotliegend, Rotliegend Group or Rotliegendes () is a lithostratigraphic unit (a sequence of rock strata) of latest Carboniferous to Guadalupian (middle Permian) age that is found in the subsurface of large areas in western and central Europe. T ...
'') large quantities of rock debris were deposited in intramontane basins and onto the foreland of the mountain range. These basins were formed by
extensional tectonics Extensional tectonics is concerned with the structures formed by, and the Tectonics, tectonic processes associated with, the stretching of a planetary body's Crust (geology), crust or lithosphere. Deformation styles The types of structure and the ...
which were accompanied by an intermediate to acidic
volcanism Volcanism, vulcanism, volcanicity, or volcanic activity is the phenomenon where solids, liquids, gases, and their mixtures erupt to the surface of a solid-surface astronomical body such as a planet or a moon. It is caused by the presence of a he ...
. The
sediments Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...
of the ''Rotliegendes'' are only exposed in a few places, but have been confirmed across a wide area by drilling beneath the platform southwest of the Franconian Line. Late Variscan
volcanic rock Volcanic rocks (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) are rocks formed from lava erupted from a volcano. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic rock is artificial, and in nature volcanic rocks grade into hypabyssal and me ...
s occur in the Fichtel Mountains as layers of
rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture (geology), texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained matri ...
.


Alpine orogeny creates new pressures

In the
neogene The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of th ...
(
Upper Tertiary The Neogene ( ,) is a geologic period and system that spans 20.45 million years from the end of the Paleogene Period million years ago ( Mya) to the beginning of the present Quaternary Period million years ago. It is the second period of the ...
beginning 26 million years ago) period,
tectonic Tectonics ( via Latin ) are the processes that result in the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. The field of ''planetary tectonics'' extends the concept to other planets and moons. These processes ...
activity increased again – just as the
Alpine orogeny The Alpine orogeny, sometimes referred to as the Alpide orogeny, is an orogenic phase in the Late Mesozoic and the current Cenozoic which has formed the mountain ranges of the Alpide belt. Cause The Alpine orogeny was caused by the African c ...
(
Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...
,
Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains ...
etc.) slowly came to an end. In that time, parts of this and other older massifs (such as the
Bohemian-Moravian Highlands The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands (, colloquially ''Vysočina''; ) is a geomorphological macroregion and highland in the Czech Republic. Its highest peaks are the Javořice at and Devět skal in the north (). The Bohemian-Moravian Heights were p ...
or
Bohemian Massif The Bohemian Massif ( or ''Český masiv'', or ''Böhmisches Massiv'') is a geomorphological province in Central Europe. It is a large massif stretching over most of the Czech Republic, eastern Germany, southern Poland and northern Austria. Th ...
in the
Alpine foothills The Alpine foothills, or Prealps (; ; ; ), may refer generally to any foothills at the base of the Alps in Europe. They are the transition zone between the High Alps and the Swiss Plateau and the Bavarian Alpine Foreland in the north, as well as ...
) sometimes ended up underneath younger rock. In the Upper
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...
(10 million years ago), molten
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, 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 planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
broke through in northern
Upper Palatinate The Upper Palatinate (; , , ) is an administrative district in the east of Bavaria, Germany. It consists of seven districts and 226 municipalities, including three cities. Geography The Upper Palatinate is a landscape with low mountains and nume ...
as the Eger Graben was being formed. Through erosion, the remains of former
diatreme A diatreme, sometimes known as a maar-diatreme volcano, is a volcanic pipe associated with a gaseous explosion. When magma rises up through a crack in Earth's crust and makes contact with a shallow body of groundwater, rapid expansion of heated ...
s have been uncovered and may be seen e.g. on the Rauher Kulm or at Parkstein near Weiden. Basaltic surface layers, i.e. extensive flows of low-viscosity
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
, are visible e. g. on the Teichelberg near Pechbrunn. These basaltic
nappe In geology, a nappe or thrust sheet is a large sheetlike body of rock that has been moved more than or above a thrust fault from its original position. Nappes form in compressional tectonic settings like continental collision zones or on the ...
s should not however be confused with the formation of
tectonic Tectonics ( via Latin ) are the processes that result in the structure and properties of the Earth's crust and its evolution through time. The field of ''planetary tectonics'' extends the concept to other planets and moons. These processes ...
layers. The formation of the present
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
finally took place in the younger
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch (geology), epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.33 to 2.58Franconian fault line came under pressure again and the Fichtel Mountains,
Franconian Forest View to Döbraberg The Franconian Forest''Franconian Forest''
at www.britannica.com. Acce ...
, the Münchberg Gneiss Massif and the northern Upper Palatine Forest were uplifted along it. This last uplift gave the forces of erosion more to do again and the rivers cut deeply into the already, almost levelled, mountain range. So the present day structure was created from a
plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...
: a low mountain range which is being gnawed away at on all sides, with a long and varied history. Although often difficult to interpret, it is an 'Eldorado' for
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...
s from a wide range of specialisms.


Predominant rock types

Granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
( for
grain A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached husk, hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and ...
) and its derivatives make up about 40% of the area – its impact being all the more striking because this very hard, yet hydrous, rock forms the highest
peaks PEAKS is a proteomics software program for tandem mass spectrometry designed for peptide sequencing, protein identification and quantification. Description PEAKS is commonly used for peptide identification (Protein ID) through de novo peptide ...
in the area. Its stark appearance and the early emergency of industry here have made their mark on
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...
and people. In detail there is: * ''Porphyritic Granite'' of the
Weißenstadt Weißenstadt () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the Fichtel Mountains, on the river Ohře, 11 km northwe ...
/Liebenstein massif (including the towns of Marktleuthen/
Röslau Röslau is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
) and extending into the
Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
as far as Haslau. The '' porphyry'' contains
biotite Biotite is a common group of phyllosilicate minerals within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . It is primarily a solid-solution series between the iron- endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more al ...
(dark
mica Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...
) and
phenocryst image:montblanc granite phenocrysts.JPG, 300px, Granites often have large feldspar, feldspathic phenocrysts. This granite, from the Switzerland, Swiss side of the Mont Blanc massif, has large white phenocrysts of plagioclase (that have trapezoid sh ...
s of
feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...
up to 8 cm across. * ''Reut Granite'' near Gefrees is, by contrast, finer with a bluish-grey hue.
Selb Selb () is a town in the Wunsiedel (district), district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Ho ...
Granite (found northeast of the upper massif near Schwarzenhammer and running through the Selb Forest and the Czech Republic into
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
/
Elster Mountains The Elster Mountains (, ) is a small mountain range within the Fichtel Mountains in Germany and the Czech Republic. They lie in a region known as Vogtland, and take their name from the river Elster, or more precisely the White Elster which has its ...
) is fine-grained, but grey again. * ''Holzmühl Granite'' occurs in just two small outcrops near Holzmühl, 3 km southeast of Marktleuthen and near Längenau on the Wartberg, east-northeast of
Selb Selb () is a town in the Wunsiedel (district), district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Ho ...
; medium-grained with a higher biotite content, unevenly grained microstructure. * ''Redwitzite'' is also called ''Syenite Granite'' and occurs in the
Marktredwitz Marktredwitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany, close to the Czech border, 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale. Marktredwitz station is at the junction of the Nuremb ...
/ Arzberg/
Thiersheim Thiersheim is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany. Grafenreuth, now a part of Thiersheim, was the seat of the noble family Gravenreuth for centuries. Thiersheim - Sankt Ägidien Kirche - 01.jpg, Evangelical Luth ...
triangle; medium- and also fine-grained, its variable mineral composition produces colourations from light grey, dark grey and dark green-grey to almost black. * ''Rand Granite (Dach Granite)'' occurs in all the prominent massifs of the Fichtel Mountains (the Ochsenkopf, the southern part of the Schneeberg and the Haberstein, the Platte to the Hohe Matze, the Kösseine and the Großer Kornberg); its groundmass is small-grained with phenocrysts of
feldspar Feldspar ( ; sometimes spelled felspar) is a group of rock-forming aluminium tectosilicate minerals, also containing other cations such as sodium, calcium, potassium, or barium. The most common members of the feldspar group are the ''plagiocl ...
,
quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica (silicon dioxide). The Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...
and
biotite Biotite is a common group of phyllosilicate minerals within the mica group, with the approximate chemical formula . It is primarily a solid-solution series between the iron- endmember annite, and the magnesium-endmember phlogopite; more al ...
, sometimes sprinkled with
muscovite Muscovite (also known as common mica, isinglass, or potash mica) is a hydrated phyllosilicate mineral of aluminium and potassium with formula KAl2(Al Si3 O10)( F,O H)2, or ( KF)2( Al2O3)3( SiO2)6( H2O). It has a highly perfect basal cleavage y ...
as well; * ''Kösseine-Rand Granite'' occurs on the Kösseine, including the Burgstein, Haberstein and Schauerberg, and the southern part of the Großer Kornberg massif; small- to medium-grained, porphyritic structure weak or missing; low in phenocrysts. * ''Kern Granite'' is found in the central Fichtelberg/Ochsenkopf/
Nußhardt The Nußhardt is the third highest mountain in the Fichtel Mountains in the south German state of Bavaria at . It lies in the far northeast of the state and has a rocky summit characteristic of the Fichtel Mountains (coarse-grained ''Kern Granite' ...
block and on the eastern perimeter of the Schneeberg; it forms outcrops of in the shape of numerous rock formations; medium- to coarse-grained. * ''Kösseine and Wolfsgarten Kern Granite.'' There are numerous pockets of Kösseine Granite containing hornfels, cm-large biotite-rich shreds and nodules of host rock, rounded or round quartz-feldspar rich pockets on the Kösseine massif: narrow band on the north, east and southern edge, small labyrinth, Kleinwendern quarry, Hirschensprung rock formation, Wolfstein, Hohenstein, Ochsenkopf, Hundslohe and Gregnitz valley; on the Kornberg: the Wolfsgarten forest and the south-southwestern part of the Großer Kornberg; relatively coarse, has an unusual appearance due to the blue feldspar, black biotite and richly sprinkled dark foreign bodies; Wolfsgarten Granite is somewhat lighter blue. * ''Zinn Granite'' is restricted to the central massif and occurs on the Rudolfstein, on the Drei Brüder almost to the summit of the Schneeberg, western slope of the Seehügel, between Seehügel and Platte, Fuchsbau and Zufurt west of Leupoldsdorf; very even, medium grain; little biotite, a lot of muscovite; lighter, brighter hue. * ''Rand Granite'' of the Steinwald massif: in the western part of the Steinwald, e. g. on the Dachsfelsen, and the northwestern part of the Grandfelsen; small-grained. * ''Steinwald Granite'' occurs in the centre, including the Weißenstein, Platte, Katzentrögel, Reiseneggerfelsen and Hackelstein; coarse-grained. * ''Friedenfels Granite'' is the transitional
facies In geology, a facies ( , ; same pronunciation and spelling in the plural) is a body of rock with distinctive characteristics. The characteristics can be any observable attribute of rocks (such as their overall appearance, composition, or con ...
between the Steinwald Granite and the Falkenberg Porphyritic Granite; it forms the basement of the Pechbrunn basalt region and surfaces there at various places between the basalt nappes; porphyritic structure, especially rich in feldspar phenocrysts.


Mining industry

By the
Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages (historiography), Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th to the 10th century. They marked the start o ...
man had begun to mine in the Fichtel Mountains. The most important products were
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
,
tin Tin is a chemical element; it has symbol Sn () and atomic number 50. A silvery-colored metal, tin is soft enough to be cut with little force, and a bar of tin can be bent by hand with little effort. When bent, a bar of tin makes a sound, the ...
,
iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...
, minerals, earths and rock (
basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, 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 planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...
,
brown coal Lignite (derived from Latin ''lignum'' meaning 'wood'), often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, Combustion, combustible sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35% and is considered ...
,
diabase 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-gra ...
, granite, silt,
marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
,
soapstone Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in sub ...
, clay and peat). In earlier times
uranium Uranium is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Ura ...
ore deposits were discovered. The metals were worked in hammer mills (hence the many place names ending with -hammer) on the Fichtel's rivers, in furnaces and at metalsmiths. The forests of the Fichtel Mountains supplied the wood necessary for the manufacture of charcoal. During the
Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
the mining industry became depressed and the ore deposits were largely exhausted. In the 18th century
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 1769 – 6 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, natural history, naturalist, List of explorers, explorer, and proponent of Romanticism, Romantic philosophy and Romanticism ...
tried to revive the mining industry again. Many towns and villages (e. g.
Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...
,
Weißenstadt Weißenstadt () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the Fichtel Mountains, on the river Ohře, 11 km northwe ...
, Arzberg, Fichtelberg-Neubau,
Goldkronach Goldkronach (East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Gronich'') is a Town#Germany, town in the Bayreuth (district), district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the Fichtel Mountains, 12 km northeast of Bayreuth. Hist ...
) owe their emergence to the mining industry. An insight into the history of mining in the Fichtel Mountains may be gained from: * the visitor mine of Gleissinger Fels near Fichtelberg-Neubau * the Schmutzler gallery near Goldkronach * the gold mining museum in Goldkronach * the mining exhibition in the Fichtelgebirge Museum at Wunsiedel * the mining industry information point at Arzberg * the local heritage and mining museum in Erbendorf


Traditions

The
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...
s introduced the Easter decorations on wells, so-called
Osterbrunnen The Osterbrunnen (Easter Well or Easter Fountain) is a German tradition of decorating public wells or fountains with Easter eggs for Easter. It began in the early 20th century in the Franconian Switzerland region of Upper Franconia but has sprea ...
, in the shape of a lily (emblem of the Bourbon kings) (as described e.g. in the April 2007 of the ''Fränkische Post''). Osterbrunnen Marktleuthen 1- 07.jpg, Easter well in Marktleuthen Osterbrunnen Weissenstadt 07.jpg, Easter well in
Weißenstadt Weißenstadt () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the Fichtel Mountains, on the river Ohře, 11 km northwe ...


Economy and tourism

There are many places in the Fichtel Mountains that still produce glassware at competitive prices. The porcelain industry, centred on the town of
Selb Selb () is a town in the Wunsiedel (district), district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Ho ...
, is internationally renowned and the foremost in Germany. Local firms such as
Rosenthal Rosenthal is a German and Jewish surname meaning "rose valley". The Lithuanized form is Rosenthalis. Notable people with the name include: A * Abe M. Rosenthal (1922–2006), ''New York Times'' editor and columnist * Albert Rosenthal (1863– ...
and
Hutschenreuther Hutschenreuther is the name of a German family that established the production of porcelain in northern Bavaria, starting in 1814. History The Hutschenreuther porcelain business was founded in 1814 by Carolus Magnus Hutschenreuther (1794–184 ...
are of international standing. Tourism is the main source of income for many places in the Fichtel Mountains today. In some towns such as
Bischofsgrün Bischofsgrün is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany. Bischofsgrün is situated in the Fichtel Mountains between the range's two largest mountains; Schneeberg (1051 m) and the Ochsenkopf (1024 m). The Ochsenkopf No ...
tourism has a long tradition going back to the 1920s. After the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
the stream of holidaymakers increased sharply, both in summer for walking and in winter for winter sports. The Fichtel Mountains became the local mountain range (''Hausgebirge'') for (West-)Berliners who, unable to holiday in East Germany, were able to get there on the transit route of the A 9 motorway. This has changed since
German reunification German reunification () was the process of re-establishing Germany as a single sovereign state, which began on 9 November 1989 and culminated on 3 October 1990 with the dissolution of the East Germany, German Democratic Republic and the int ...
and the opening up of other mountainous holiday areas. The Fichtel Mountains are a nationally important holiday destination in winter. Several lifts, the longest being two chair lifts on the Ochsenkopf, but also a plethora of cut cross-country trails are the mainstay of this industry. The Fichtel Mountains attract many tourists throughout the year. In the winter the mountains are a common destination for people seeking outdoor recreational sports like
alpine skiing Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel Ski binding, bindings, unlike other types of skiing (Cross-country skiing, cross-country, Telemark skiing, Telemark, or ski jumping) ...
,
cross country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
, and
sledding Sledding, sledging or sleighing is a winter sport typically carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (North American), a sledge (British), or a sleigh. It is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, Skel ...
. The warmer summer months find people
mountain biking Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...
,
hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...
, and sight seeing amongst the many large rock formations.


Settlements

* Arzberg *
Aš (; ) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 13,000 inhabitants. Administrative division Aš consists of nine municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Aš (11, ...
* Bad Berneck *
Bindlach Bindlach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Bayreuth (district), Bayreuth in Upper Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. The town is adjacent immediately north of the town of Bayreuth. The population count of December 2006 wa ...
*
Bischofsgrün Bischofsgrün is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany. Bischofsgrün is situated in the Fichtel Mountains between the range's two largest mountains; Schneeberg (1051 m) and the Ochsenkopf (1024 m). The Ochsenkopf No ...
* Brand (Oberpfalz) * Ebnath * Erbendorf * Fichtelberg * Gefrees *
Goldkronach Goldkronach (East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Gronich'') is a Town#Germany, town in the Bayreuth (district), district of Bayreuth, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated near the Fichtel Mountains, 12 km northeast of Bayreuth. Hist ...
* Hazlov *
Höchstädt im Fichtelgebirge Höchstädt im Fichtelgebirge is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to th ...
* Hranice * Kemnath * Krásná *
Kirchenlamitz Kirchenlamitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, 13 km northwest of Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Francon ...
* Luby * Marktleugast * Marktleuthen *
Marktredwitz Marktredwitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany, close to the Czech border, 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale. Marktredwitz station is at the junction of the Nuremb ...
* Marktschorgast * Mehlmeisel * Münchberg * Nagel * Neusorg * Plesná * Podhradí * Rehau *
Röslau Röslau is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
*
Schirnding Schirnding is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany. Schirnding station is a border station on the Nuremberg–Cheb railway The Nuremberg–Cheb railway is a 151 km long, non-electrified main line, mainly in t ...
* Schönbrunn * Schönwald *
Selb Selb () is a town in the Wunsiedel (district), district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtel Mountains, on the border with the Czech Republic, 20 km northwest of Cheb and 23 km southeast of Ho ...
*
Skalná Skalná (; until 1950 Vildštejn, ) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants. Administrative division Skalná consists of five municipal parts (in brackets population according to ...
* Sparneck * Speichersdorf *
Thiersheim Thiersheim is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany. Grafenreuth, now a part of Thiersheim, was the seat of the noble family Gravenreuth for centuries. Thiersheim - Sankt Ägidien Kirche - 01.jpg, Evangelical Luth ...
* Thierstein *
Tröstau Tröstau () is a municipality in the district of Wunsiedel in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Al ...
* Waldershof * Warmensteinach *
Weidenberg Weidenberg is a municipality in the district of Bayreuth in Bavaria in Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps ...
* Weißdorf *
Weißenstadt Weißenstadt () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Upper Franconia, Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the picturesque Weißenstadter See (Weissenstadt Lake), in the Fichtel Mountains, on the river Ohře, 11 km northwe ...
*
Wunsiedel (; Northern Bavarian: ''Wåuṉsieḏl'' or ''Wousigl'') is the seat of the Upper Franconian district of in northeast Bavaria, Germany. The town is the birthplace of poet Jean Paul. It also became known for its annual Festival and the Rudolf ...
* Zell im Fichtelgebirge


Approaches

* ''Rail:''
Marktredwitz Marktredwitz () is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany, close to the Czech border, 22 km west of Cheb, 50 km east of Bayreuth and 50 km south of Hof/Saale. Marktredwitz station is at the junction of the Nuremb ...
station has rail services to Eger, Regensburg, Nuremberg, Munich, Hof, Bayreuth, Dresden and Leipzig * ''Road:'' ** Federal roads (''
Bundesstraße ''Bundesstraße'' (, ), abbreviated ''B'', is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways. Germany Germany's ''Bundesstraßen'' network has a total length of about 40,000 km. German ''Bundesstraßen'' are labelled with re ...
n''): B 303 and B 15 ** Motorways ('' Bundesautobahnen''): A 93 and A 9 * ''Air:'' Hof-Plauen Airport


References


Sources

* Franz X. Bogner: ''Das Fichtelgebirge im Luftbildportrait''. Ellwanger Verlag, Bayreuth 2009 (twote Auflage). . * Dietmar Herrmann: ''Vom Bergbau im Fichtelgebirge.'' Heft 11 und 12 der Schriftenreihe „Beiträge zur Geschichts- und Landeskunde des Fichtelgebirges“, Verlag Buchhandlung Kohler, Wunsiedel * Dietmar Herrmann: "Rund um den Großen Waldstein im Fichtelgebirge", Heft 16/2008 der FGV-Schriftenreihe Das Fichtelgebirge, HG: Fichtelgebirgsverein, Theresienstraße 2, 95632 Wunsiedel * Reinhard Feldrapp, Bernd Häuser: ''Fichtelgebirge. Streifzüge durch das granitene Hufeisen''. Echter Verlag 2003, * Dietmar Herrmann: ''Lexikon Fichtelgebirge''. Ackermann-Verlag, Hof, * Reinhard Müller, Horst Ruhl: ''Mit Kindern im Fichtelgebirge. Wo Wandern zum Erlebnis wird.'' Fleischhauer & Spohn Verlag, Bietigheim 1994, * Gerhard Bayerl, Manfred Schultes, Bernhard Settwon: ''Steinmeer und Siebenstern.'' Druckhaus Oberpfalz 2000, * Karl-Heinz Mayer: ''Die Forstgeschichte des Fichtelgebirges''. (Dissertationsschrift.) Forstliche Forschungsberichte München, Nr. 167. Frank, München 1998, 297 (VII/XI) S. * ''Fichtelgebirge, Frankenwald, Coburger Land. Vom Oberen Maintal bis zum Vogtland.'' HB-Verlags- und Vertriebsgesellschaft 1998 (HB Bildatlas: H.190), * Gernot Messarius: ''Fichtelgebirge. Steinwald. Bayreuth, Kulmbach, Hof.'' Goldstadtverlag, Pforzheim 2002 (Goldstadt Reiseführer Bd. 318), * Godehard Schramm, Bernd-Heinz Häuser: ''Fichtelgebirge-Frankenwald-Steinwald. Die schönsten Ausflugsziele.'' Rosenheimer Verlagshaus 1992, * Reinhard Feldrapp, Günter Hertel: ''Das Fichtelgebirge''. H. Stürtz, Würzburg 1984, * Friedrich Wilhelm Singer, Georg Pöhlein: ''Fichtelgebirge. Das granitene Hufeisen.'' Oberfränkische Verlagsanstalt, Hof 1983, * Dietmar Herrmann: "Der Ochsenkopf im Fichtelgebirge", Heft 17/2009 der FGV-Schriftenreihe Das Fichtelgebirge


Maps

* ''Naturpark Fichtelgebirge and Naturpark Steinwald.'' Walking map with tourist tips, coloured path marking and car parks for walkers.. Official walking map of the
Fichtelgebirge Club The Fichtelgebirge Club ( or ''FGV'') is a large walking club and local heritage society in Bavaria and recognised Conservation movement, conservation group with 20,000 members in 55 local groups. As the name says, its main sphere of activity is i ...
and Fichtel Mountains Nature Park 1:50.000 16th edn. Fritsch Landkarten-Verlag Hof (Fritsch Karten: No. 52) o. J.,


External links


The Fichtelgebirge, described by a resident of Franconia

Official Fichtelgebirge tourist portal

Fichtelgebirge holiday country

Information portal

Official presentation of Czech part of the Fichtel Mountains



Fichtel Mountains in Oberfanken
{{Authority control Mountain ranges of Bavaria