The is a

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 ...

in the German

Central Uplands The Central UplandsDickinson (1964), p.18 ff. (N.B. In German die ''Mittelgebirge'' (plural) refers to the Central Uplands; das ''Mittelgebirge'' refers to a low mountain range or upland region (''Mittel'' = "medium" and ''-gebirge'' = "range").) ...

that is up to .Lower Saxony navigator
/ref> It forms part of the

Weser Uplands The Weser Uplands (German: ''Weserbergland'', ) is a hill region in Germany, between Hannoversch Münden and Porta Westfalica, along the river Weser. The area reaches into three states, Lower Saxony, Hesse, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Important ...

Lower Saxony Lower Saxony is a States of Germany, German state (') in Northern Germany, northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ' of the Germany, Federal Re ...

southwest of

Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...

and north of

Hamelin Hameln ( ; ) is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hameln-Pyrmont and has a population of roughly 57,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin. History Hameln ...

Geographical location

The Süntel is the eastern extension of the

Wesergebirge The Weser Hills (''Wesergebirge''), also known in German as the ''Weserkette'' ("Weser Chain"),"Ein anderes Bild als die Bergländer der oberen Weser bieten die ''Weserkette'', das ''Wiehengebirge'' und der ''Teutoburger Wald'', see Christian Deg ...

and runs for about 12 km from northwest to southeast. It is surrounded by the valleys of the Aue, Deister-Süntel and

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 ...

. It is also part of the

Weser Uplands Schaumburg-Hamelin Nature Park The Weser Uplands-Schaumburg-Hamelin Nature Park () lies on the northern edge of the German Central Uplands where it transitions to the North German Plain, about southwest of Hanover. The sponsor of the nature park, which was founded in 1975, is ...

and the

Calenberg Uplands The Calenberg UplandsHohenstein hill and its immediate vicinity are a

nature 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, funga, or features of geologic ...

Geology

General

The southeastern part of the Süntel, including the ''Hohe Egge'', consists mainly of

Weald The Weald () is an area of South East England between the parallel chalk escarpments of the North and the South Downs. It crosses the counties of Hampshire, Surrey, West Sussex, East Sussex, and Kent. It has three parts, the sandstone "High W ...

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

from the Lower

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

period as well as small

anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a lustre (mineralogy)#Submetallic lustre, submetallic lustre. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy densit ...

deposits. Its northwestern part, including the Hohenstein with its 350 m long and 50 to 60 m high crags, comprises

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) ...

of the Upper

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately 143.1 Mya. ...

period, the Corallian oolith.

Features

The main geological features of the Süntel are: * The giant hill caves near Langenfeld, the largest

dripstone cave Dripstone may refer to: *Hood mould or dripstone, an architectural feature for handling rain water * Dripstone, a type of speleothem (cave formation) that includes for example stalactites * Dripstone, a type of water filter A water filter remov ...

in Lower Saxony, * The Schillat Caves, open to visitors to look around, * The two highest, natural,

waterfall A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...

s in Lower Saxony at the Höllenmühle near Langenfeld at the head of the valley of the rocky ''Höllengrund'' and * The Hohenstein plateau north of

Hessisch Oldendorf Hessisch Oldendorf () is a town in the Hamelin-Pyrmont district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weser, approximately northwest of Hamelin. The adjective "Hessisch" () has been used since 1905 to distinguish it from other t ...

with rock faces and deep clefts.

History

* Historically interesting is the Dachtelfeld, 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. ...

over in area and up to . In 782

Saxon The Saxons, sometimes called the Old Saxons or Continental Saxons, were a Germanic people of early medieval "Old" Saxony () which became a Carolingian " stem duchy" in 804, in what is now northern Germany. Many of their neighbours were, like th ...

rebels annihilated part of the

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

occupation troops, a defeat which was avenged in the same year by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

at the

Massacre of Verden The Massacre of Verden was an event during the Saxon Wars where the Franks, Frankish king Charlemagne ordered the death of 4,500 Saxons in October 782. Charlemagne claimed suzerainty over Saxony and in 772 destroyed the Irminsul, an important obj ...

. * The Hohenstein is an old Germanic

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

site dedicated to the god,

Donar Thor (from ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred groves and trees, strength, the protection of humankind, hallowing, and fertility. Beside ...

. Many ancient legends surround this hill and its rock outcrops: the ''Hirschsprung'', ''Grüner Altar'' and ''Teufelskanzel''. * On the Amelungsberg there are still the ruins of a

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 ...

fort and a

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. More than 35,000 megalithic structures have been identified across Europe, ranging geographically f ...

. * From more recent times there are traces of the

coal mine Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

in the southeastern part of the Süntel near Bad Münder. * Between 1933 and 1938 the town of Hamelin erected the Horst-Wessel Monument, subsequently blown up * There is a US radar station on the Hohe Egge in the Süntel and a

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

depot near Hülsede

Flora and fauna

The Süntel is covered by mixed woods which are dominated by

beech Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of Mesophyte, mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted ...

, but also has other species such as

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

hornbeam Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the family Betulaceae. Its species occur across much of the temperateness, temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Common names The common English name ''hornbeam'' derives ...

and

coast Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'', commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward t ...

and rarer types like the

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...

and

wild service tree ''Torminalis'' is a genus of plants in the rose family, Rosaceae. The genus was formerly included within the genus ''Sorbus'' as the section ''Torminaria'', but the simple-leafed species traditionally classified in ''Sorbus'' are now considered ...

. A botanic rarity is the dwarf beech (known in German as the ''Süntel-Buche'' or "Süntel beech") of which there are about a dozen old examples still in the Süntel (at Dachtelfeld and Bleeksgrund). The last great dwarf beech wood on the Westeregge was almost completely cleared in 1843. In addition there are numerous, rare species of flower such as varieties of ''

Primula ''Primula'' () is a genus of herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants in the family (biology), family Primulaceae. They include the primrose (''Primula vulgaris, P. vulgaris''), a familiar wildflower of banks and verges. Other common specie ...

'', spring snowflake,

horseshoe vetch ''Hippocrepis comosa'', the horseshoe vetch, is a species of perennial flowering plant belonging to the genus '' Hippocrepis'' in the family Fabaceae. Description The overall appearance depends on its habitat: sometimes it forms upright clump ...

hart's-tongue fern ''Asplenium scolopendrium'', commonly known as the hart's-tongue fern, is an evergreen fern in the family Aspleniaceae native to the Northern Hemisphere. Description The most striking and unusual feature of the fern is its simple, strap-shaped u ...

spleenwort ''Asplenium'' is a genus of about 700 species of ferns, often treated as the only genus in the family Aspleniaceae, though other authors consider '' Hymenasplenium'' separate, based on molecular phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, a different ...

, lady's slipper, heath spotted orchid, etc. In addition to roe deer 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 Suidae, suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The speci ...

there are also

mouflon The mouflon (''Ovis gmelini'') is a wild sheep native to Cyprus, and the Caspian region, including eastern Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Iran. It is also found in parts of Europe. It is thought to be the ancestor of all modern domest ...

wild sheep in the Süntel. Rarer sights are the

barn owl The barn owls, owls in the genus '' Tyto'', are the most widely distributed genus of owls in the world. They are medium-sized owls with large heads and characteristic heart-shaped faces. They have long, strong legs with powerful talons. The ter ...

kestrel The term kestrel (from , derivative from , i.e. ratchet) is the common name given to several species of predatory birds from the falcon genus ''Falco''. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover ...

black woodpecker The black woodpecker (''Dryocopus martius'') is a large woodpecker that lives in mature forests across the northern Palearctic. It is the sole representative of its genus in that region. Its range is expanding. The black woodpecker is easily the ...

and

pine marten The European pine marten (''Martes martes''), also known as the pine marten, is a mustelid native to and widespread in most of Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and parts of Iran, Iraq, and Syria. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red Lis ...

. The

black stork The black stork (''Ciconia nigra'') is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. Measuring on average from beak tip to end of tail with a wingspan, t ...

is occasionally seen on the southern slopes.

Economy and tourism

In addition to

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

quarrying plays an important role in the Süntel. Süntel

was used for many notable buildings in the area such as the Rat Catcher's House in

Barntrup Barntrup () is a town in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has an area of 59.46 km2 and 8,501 inhabitants (2019). It lies 40 km east from Bielefeld and 9 km west from Bad Pyrmont at the east border of NRW to ...

Castle, Schwöbber Castle and

Hämelschenburg Emmerthal is a municipality in the Hameln-Pyrmont district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Weser, approximatively 6 km south of Hameln. Its seat is in the village Kirchohsen. In 1973, the Emmerthal was formed by mer ...

Castle. Limestone from the quarries near Pötzen, Segelhorst, Langenfeld and Hamelspringe is used in road construction. The town of Münder had a coal mine in the Süntel that operated for about half a century from 1809. In the Süntel, as well as hiking trails with views over the valleys, there are also long, straight, rather monotonous forest tracks without any signs. The Hohenstein crags provide a training ground for

rock climber Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in guidebooks, and ...

s and

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

Hills and valleys

Hills

The main hills and elevations of the Süntel are – with heights in metres above ''

Normalnull ("standard zero") or (short N. N. or NN) is an outdated official vertical datum used in Germany. Elevations using this reference system were to be marked (“meters above standard zero”). has been replaced by (NHN). History In 187 ...

'' (NN): * Hohe Egge (437.5 m) with its Süntel Tower (south) and transmission mast (north; 435.2 m); in the centre of the Süntel * Bakeder Berg (c. 375 m); southwest of Bakede * Hoher Nacken (or: Hohenacken; c. 375 m); northeast of Pötzen * Dachtelfeld (356.0 m); in the centre of the Süntel * Katzennase (352.7 m); northeast of Hessisch Oldendorf-Haddessen * Südwehe (c. 350 m) * Hohenstein (340.5 m); including the ''Grünem Altar'', ''Teufelskanzel'', ''Hirschsprung'' and nearby ''Kreuzstein''; between Langenfeld and Zersen * Amelungsberg (c. 325 m); northeast of Segelhorst * Borberg (c. 320 m), including the ''Roter Stein'' crag; north-northeast of Hessisch Oldendorf-Bensen * Ramsnacken (c. 320 m), including the ''Moosköpfe'' crags; southwest of Langenfeld * Riesenberg (c. 310 m), with its quarry; south of Langenfeld * Schrabstein (''Schrabst''; 300.2 m); between Rohdental and Langenfeld * Iberg (c. 300 m); between Auetal-Rannenberg and Hessisch Oldendorf-Langenfeld * Moosköpfe (c. 300 m); southeast of Langenfeld * Mittelberg (297.0 m); north of Hessisch-Oldendorf-Barksen * Mattenberg (288.6 m); west of Hamelspringe * Hasseln (286.5 m) * Osterberg (260.1 m); northeast of Hessisch Oldendorf-Bensen * Hünenburg (251.7 m); between Rohdental and Rannenberg * Westerberg (249.2 m); north of Hessisch Oldendorf-Bensen * Baumgartenberg (232.1 m); north of Hessisch Oldendorf-Segelhorst * Hülsebrink (227.2 m); north of Klein Süntel * Wendgeberg (or: ''Wenchenberg''; c. 223 m), north-northeast of Hessisch Oldendorf-Zersen

Valleys

The valleys of the Süntel include the: * Bleeksgrund * Höllengrund * Langes Föhrtal * Schneegrund * Totental * Wellergrund

Towns and villages

The towns and villages of the Süntel include: *

Auetal Auetal is a municipality in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approximately 10 km south of Stadthagen, and 22 km east of Minden. Its seat is in the village Rehren. The coat of arms features an image of ...

* Hülsede *

Bad Münder am Deister Bad or BAD may refer to: Common meanings *Evil, the opposite of moral good * Erroneous, inaccurate or incorrect * Unhealthy, or counter to well-being *Antagonist, the threat or obstacle of moral good Acronyms * BAD-2, a Soviet armored trolley ...

Inns

The forest restaurants in and around the Süntel include the: * ''Krackes Ruh'', near Hülsede * ''Eulenflucht'', between Hohe Egge and Hamelspringe (

) * ''Bergschmiede'', near Bad Münder am Deister * '' Süntelturm'' on the Hohe Egge, near Bad Münder am Deister * ''Pappmühle'', near Zersen * ''Baxmann-Baude'', near Zersen * ''Weinschänke'', in Rohdental

Literature

* Helga Knoke: ''Wald and Besiedlung im Süntel''. Schaumburger Studien Heft 22, Verlag C. Bösendahl Rinteln 1968 * Friedrich Kölling: ''Die Süntelwaldgenossenschaft. Ein Beitrag zur Rechts- and Wirtschaftsgeschichte einer Schaumburger Markgenossenschaft''; Fritz Holstein: ''Das Statut der Süntelwaldgenossenschaft Bensen. Die forstliche Bewirtschaftung des Süntelwaldes''; Scheide: ''Die Jagd im Süntel''. Schaumburger Heimathefte, Heft 10. Bösendahl, Rinteln (Weser) 1962

References

External links

The SüntelThe Süntel beechesDripstone caves in the SüntelSchutzgemeinschaftThe Sünteldorf HaddessenThe Süntel Tower
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suntel Central Uplands Forests and woodlands of Lower Saxony Hill ranges of Lower Saxony