Wikipedia

Rhön Mountains

(Redirected fromKuppen Rhön)

TheRhön Mountains(German:[ˈʁøːn]ⓘ) are a group of low mountains (orMittelgebirge) in centralGermany,located around the border area where the states ofHesse,BavariaandThuringiacome together. These mountains, which are at the extreme southeast end of theEast Hesse Highlands(Osthessisches Bergland), are partly a result of ancientvolcanicactivity. They are separated from theVogelsberg Mountainsby the riverFuldaand its valley. The highest mountain in the Rhön is theWasserkuppe(950.2 metres or 3,117 feet), which is inHesse.The Rhön Mountains are a popular tourist destination and walking area.

Rhön Mountains
View from theSoisberglooking south towards the Rhön
Highest point
PeakWasserkuppe
Elevation950 m above NN
Dimensions
Length70 km (43 mi)
Area1,860 km2(720 sq mi)
Geography
Physical overview of the Rhön Mountains
CountryGermany
States
Range coordinates50°31′00″N10°02′29″E/ 50.516551°N 10.041391°E/50.516551; 10.041391
Parent rangeEast Hessian Highlands
Geology
OrogenyLow mountains
Rock age250 - 23mya
Rock types

Origins

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Typical Rhön landscape nearTann, Hesse
Location of the Rhön in Germany
Landscape of central Rhön

The nameRhönis often thought to derive from the Celtic wordraino(=hilly), but numerous other interpretations are also possible. Records of the monks atFulda Abbeyfrom theMiddle Agesdescribe the area around Fulda as well as more distant parts of the Rhön asBuchonia,the land of ancientbeechwoods. 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

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Location

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Lying within the states of Hesse, Bavaria and Thuringia, the Rhön is bounded by theKnüllto the northwest, theThuringian Forestto the northeast, theGrabfeldto the southeast,Lower Franconiato the south, theSpessartforest to the southwest and theVogelsberg mountainsto the west.

Division by type of volcanic activity

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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" (KuppenrhönorKuppige Rhön) are somewhat misleading, since the "Anterior Rhön" also consists mainly ofKuppenor 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. TheseKuppenare the remnants of ancient volcanos or volcanic activity.

Natural regions

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Natural region divisions

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The Rhön and its immediate declivities are divided by theHandbook of the Natural Region Divisions of Germanyinto the followingnatural regions:[1]

High Rhön

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TheWasserkuppe,at 950.0 m (3,117 ft) the highest mountain in the Rhön and in Hesse
View of theDammersfeldkuppe(927.9 m (3,044 ft)) from theEube
TheKreuzberg(927.8 m (3,044 ft))

The High Rhön (German:Hohe RhönorHochrhön) is that part of the central Rhön that lies inHesse,Bavaria,and to a lesser extent inThuringia;it covers an area of 344 km2(132.8 sq mi)[3]Landscape fact files by theBfN(c.f. section onNatural region division) and is up to 950.0 m (3,117 ft) and whose highland plateaux with elevations starting at 600 to 700 m (1,969 to 2,297 ft) are covered by solidbasalt.Its core area in the northeast used to be called thePlattenrhön.The High Rhön is a natural regional major unit in the East Hesse Highlands; seeNatural regions.

The High Rhön has five main mountainous regions:

At the heart of the Rhön, albeit only the fourth highest summit of these mountains, is theHeidelstein(925.7 m (3,037 ft)) 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 theStirnberg(901.9 m (2,959 ft)) as far as theEllenbogen(Schnitzersberg) (815.5 m (2,676 ft)) without crossing any significant lower ground. Within the Long Rhön the basalt layer is almost unbroken.

At the Heidelstein, another natural region, theWasserkuppen Rhön,branches off in a north to northwesterly direction to the Rhön's highest summit, theWasserkuppe(950.0 m (3,117 ft)), whose basalt likewise covers a wide area, but is broken in places bybunter sandstoneandmuschelkalk– in particular the basaltkuppenof theWeiherberg(785.7 m (2,578 ft), northwest) andEhrenberg(816.5 m (2,679 ft) 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 UpperUlster valley,which cuts into the bunter sandstone by up to about 300 m (984 ft) and divides thePlattenrhönin two.

The Long Rhön runs southwest along the main watershed to theDammersfeld ridgewhich continues along the watershed via theHohe Hölle(893.8 m (2,932 ft)) andEierhauckberg(909.9 m (2,985 ft)) to theDammersfeldkuppe(927.9 m (3,044 ft)), the ridge being clearly narrower than the Long Rhön and its basalt layer being interrupted several times. TheGroßer(808.6 m (2,653 ft)) andKleiner Auersberg(about 808 m (2,651 ft)), separated by the valley of theSchmale Sinn,are also part of this natural region.

South of Heidelstein and Hoher Hölle the narrow head of theBrendvalley nearBischofsheimforms the boundary with another mountain group of the High Rhön, the Kreuzberg Group, which contains theArnsberg(843.1 m (2,766 ft)) and theKreuzberg(927.8 m (3,044 ft)). In between these two mountains lies the source of theSinn.This river, which forms a wide and deepvalley headflanked by the Dammersfeld ridge, flows to the southwest.

On the other side of the Sinn valley, and southwest of the Kreuzberg Group, are theBlack Mountains(German:Schwarze Berge), which include theSchwarzenberg(Feuerberg, 832.0 m (2,730 ft)) andTotnansberg(839.4 m (2,754 ft)). They are separated from the Kreuzberg Group by the narrow valley of thePremich's upper reaches, theKellersbach.

Clearly different from the aforementioned ridges is theeastern 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 theWerra Gäu Plateaux.Individual domes rise from the descendingTriassicbeds east of the solid basalt covering of the Long Rhön in theinterfluvialsof the tributaries of theFranconian Saalebetween Brend andStreu,notably theGangolfsberg(735.8 m (2,414 ft)) and theRother Kuppe(710.6 m (2,331 ft)). This landscape bears a clear resemblance to the Kuppen Rhön.

TheWildflecken Training Area,which covers an area of 74 km2(28.6 sq mi), equivalent to almost a quarter of the High Rhön, is not accessible to the public.

Kuppen Rhön

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TheBaier(713.9 m (2,342 ft)) in the northeast of the Auersberg Kuppenrhön
TheHessian Skittles(up to 552.9 m (1,814 ft)) in the Soisberg Kuppenrhön
TheMilseburg(835.2 m (2,740 ft))

The 1,200 square kilometres (460 sq mi)[3]of the "Kuppen Rhön in its narrow sense", to which the Anterior Rhön also belongs,[4]is the wide outer fringe of markedly different relief, that circles around theHigh Rhönfrom the northeast (inThuringia) through the northwest (inHesse) to the southwest (with small parts inBavaria). Numerous dome-shaped isolated mountains and hills rise above the valleys to 500–800 metres (1,640–2,625 ft), 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 orkuppenare the stumps of heavily weathered formervolcanoesorvolcanic pipes.Between pointed cones and broad domes lie many small plateaux, especially common in the Anterior Rhön.

Over a foundation of MiddleBunter sandstonelie stratigraphic sequences of Upper Bunter (Röt),muschelkalkandkeuper,the last two rocks only surviving where they have been protected by an overlying sheet ofbasalt.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 theHessian Skittles
  • Milseburg Kuppenrhön
  • Brückenau Kuppenrhön

The eastern part of the Kuppen Rhön is the ThuringianAnterior Rhön,which reaches a height of 750.7 m (2,463 ft) at the huge plateau of theGebabergin the southeast. There is hardly any keuper escarpment there at all. Thekuppenandplateauxrest directly on a bedrock of muschelkalk. This natural region runs northeast from the wide, pyramidalPleß,645.4 m (2,117 ft), far into the Bunter sandstone of the Stadlengsfeld Hills that descend to the RiverWerra.In the west theMiddle Felda Valleyforms a natural boundary betweenKaltensundheimin the south and belowDermbachin 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 ofAuersbergin the south, which gives the region its name, to the boundary with theLong Rhönat theEllenbogen,756.8 m (2,483 ft). In the northeast of the region, the prominentkuppeof theBaierreaches a height of 713.9 m (2,342 ft), but its northernmost summit is the popular viewing mountain ofOechsen.The western boundary is the MiddleUlster ValleybetweenHildersin the south and belowButtlarin 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 629.9 m (2,067 ft) at theSoisbergin the north where the countryside is enclosed by theSeulingswaldforest. It reaches even greater elevations in the extreme southeast, where theHabelberg(718.5 m (2,357 ft)) west ofTannstands opposite to and north of the Auersberg. This natural region is well known for theHessian Skittles,a striking regular array of high, gently rounded, basalt cones up to 552.9 m (1,814 ft). North and south of the skittles most of thekuppenin this natural region are also arranged in a row along the watershed between the Werra and the Fulda and between the Ulster and theHaunerespectively. To the west they do not quite reach the Haune at theHaune Plateaux;to the south theNüstvalley belowObernüstforms a natural boundary.

The almost entirely Hessian range of the Milseburg Kuppenrhön (Milseburger Kuppenrhön), which bounds theWasserkuppen Rhön,up to 950.0 m (3,117 ft), 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 andphonolitecones sit directly on the sandstones of the Middle Bunter. Cutting deeply into the sandstone, the rivers of the Haune and theFuldaflow westwards. The phonolitic cone of theMilseburg(835.2 m (2,740 ft)) is the only mountain in the Kuppen Rhön that exceeds the 800-metre-mark. Even the height of theGroßer Nallenberg(768.3 m (2,521 ft)) 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 theHoher Kammer(700.0 m (2,297 ft)), as it descends from the heights of theDammersfeld ridge(up to 927.9 m (3,044 ft)).

The southern mountains of the Brückenau Kuppenrhön: theDreistelzberg(left) andMettermich(right)

Separated from the Kammer by the upper reaches of theDöllbach,theDöllau,theGroße Haube(658.1 m (2,159 ft)) 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 theSchmalerandBreiter Sinnrunning 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 ofdoleriteand basalt transition into theLandrücken,whilst the northeast of theKleiner Auersberg(c. 808 m (2,651 ft)) 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 nearBad Brückenau.TheDreistelzbergin the extreme south reaches 660.4 m (2,167 ft).

Peaks

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Wasserkuppe,highest point of Rhön andHesse

The most well-known peaks in the Rhön Mountains include:

  • Wasserkuppe950.2 m (3,117 ft), Hessian Rhön, highest peak in the High Rhön and in Hesse.
  • Dammersfeldkuppe928 m (3,045 ft), Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
  • Kreuzberg927.8 m (3,044 ft), Bavarian Rhön, High Rhön.
  • Heidelstein925.7 m (3,037 ft), Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
  • Himmeldunkberg887.9 m (2,913 ft), Bavarian-Hessian border, High Rhön.
  • Milseburg835.2 m (2,740 ft), Hessian Rhön, highest peak in the Kuppen Rhön.
  • Feuerberg832 m (2,730 ft), Bavarian Rhön.
  • Ellenbogen814 m (2,671 ft), Thuringian Rhön.
  • Gebaberg751 m (2,464 ft),Hohe Geba,Thuringian Rhön, highest peak in the Anterior Rhön.

Rivers

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The following rivers rise in the Rhön Mountains or flow by or through them(length given in brackets):

  • TheFranconian Saale(Fränkische Saale) 142 km (88.2 mi) – rises inGrabfeld,passes the southeast Rhön, flows southwest and into the RiverMainand therefore belongs to the catchment area of the River Rhine. The valley of the Franconian Saale in the area aroundBad Neustadtforms part of the southeast border of the Rhön with the Grabfeld.
    • Streu40 km (24.9 mi) – rises in the Rhön on the southern slopes of theEllenbogenand flows southwards into the Franconian Saale.
    • TheBrend30 km (18.6 mi) – rises atOberweißenbrunnin the Rhön, flows southeast into the Franconian Saale
    • ThePremich16 km (9.9 mi) – rises from numerous springs between the Kreuzberg and the Black Hills, and heads southeast to the Franconian Saale
    • TheThulba31 km (19.3 mi) – rises on the Platzer Kuppe in the Rhön and flows southwards into the Franconian Saale
    • TheSchondra31 km (19.3 mi) – rises in the Rhön and heads south into the Franconian Saale
    • TheSinn50 km (31.1 mi) – rises in the Rhön nearWildfleckenand flows southwards into the Franconian Saale
  • TheFulda218 km (135.5 mi) – rises in the Rhön on theWasserkuppeand is the left headstream of theWeser.The valley of the Fulda in the area around the town ofFuldaseparates the Rhön from theVogelsberg Mountainsto the west.
    • TheHaune64 km (39.8 mi) – rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Fulda
    • TheLütter16 km (9.9 mi) – rises below the Wasserkuppe and flows westwards into the Fulda
    • TheDöllau23.5 km (14.6 mi) – rises in the Rhön, and flows via theFliedeto the Fulda
  • TheWerra298 km (185.2 mi) – rises on the boundary between theThuringian ForestandThuringian Highlands,runs past the Rhön to the northeast and flows northwards. It is the right headstream of theWeser.The valley of the Werra betweenBad SalzungenandWasungenseparates the Rhön from the Thuringian Forest to the east.
    • TheHerpf22 km (13.7 mi) – rises in the Rhön and flows east into the Werra.
    • TheUlster56 km (34.8 mi) – rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Werra.
    • TheFelda40 km (24.9 mi) – rises in the Rhön and flows north into the Werra.

History

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Rhön sheep

The nameRhönis believed to be of Celtic origin. A regional Celtic presence is well established, with an important Celtic town atMilseburg.Furthermore, there are circular embankments that could be both of Celtic and of Germanic origin in theKuppenrhönon 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 toAltgauBuchonia.This term was coined by the Romans inLate Antiquityand described an ancient beech forest in the Rhön and the neighbouring low mountain ranges of theSpessartandVogelsberg.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 theMiddle Ages.One example isHauneck Castle(Burg Hauneck) on theStoppelsberg,the ruins of which can still be seen. It served to oversee and protect traffic on the ancient road, theAntsanvia,as well as protecting the villages in the Haune valley.

In the Middle Ages theWürzburg Defences(landwehr) were erected on theHochrhönfor the protection of its farmers.

The Rhön was also home to the Christian Community known as the Bruderhof from 1926 to 1937 when it wasdissolved by Nazi persecution.[5]

Biosphere Reserve

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Main article:Rhön Biosphere Reserve

In 1991UNESCOdeclared parts of the Rhön aBiosphere Reserveon account of its unique high-altitude ecosystem.

Flora and fauna

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As a result of its geography and geology the Rhön is an area with higher-than-average number of differenthabitatsandspecies.But man, too, has generated valuable secondary habitats by creating a rich cultural landscape.

Plant life

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Meadows with masses of pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
Lady's slipperorchids (Cypripedium calceolus) in a pine forest

Compared with other low mountain regions, the Rhön is particularly rich in plant varieties. Its natural vegetation would probably be dominated bybeechwoods 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 theAlpine blue-sow-thistle,giant bellflowerandannual honesty.The vegetation of the lower-lying beech woods has a mix of mountain and other varieties. In addition to common wildflowers like themartagon lily,lily of the valley,wild chervilandwild garlic,variousorchidsalso flourish here includingCephalantheraorchids, theyellow coralroot,bird's-nest orchid,lady's slipperandlady orchid.

Only small areas of the Rhön landscape are essentially open: theraised bogs(Hochmoore), the rock outcrops and thestone runs.These habitats are home to highly specialised species. The raised bogs of theLong Rhön- theRed Moor(Rotes Moor) and theBlack Moor(Schwarzes Moor) are floristically important links between the northern and Alpine raised bogs. Here, for example, can be foundsundews,crowberryandcottongrass.Growing amongst the rocks of the volcanic mountains are rare species such asCheddar pink,sweet william catchfly,oblong woodsiaandfir clubmoss.

There are no naturally occurringconiferous forestsin the Rhön, but notable species of wild flower such as thelady's slipper orchid,creeping lady's tressesandburning-bushare found in the forests of mixed pine.

The cultural landscape formed by humankind 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 thesemi-arid grasslandsandjuniperheaths that thesilver thistle,symbol of the Rhön region, grows, alongsidegentians,pasque flowersandwood anemones,as well as orchids like theearly purple,fragrantandfly orchids.Rarer flowers include the variousbee orchidsand themilitary,lady,burnt,green-winged,man,pyramidal,frogandlizard orchids.Along the southern fringes of the Rhön, on the so-called slopes of steppe heathland (Steppenheidenhängen) grow warmth-loving plants such aswhite rock-rose,erect clematisandhonewort.

Amongst the most valuable habitats in the Rhön are the mountain meadows and fields of mat grass (Nardetum strictae) on the higher slopes.[6]Characteristic plants here include themonkshood,northern wolfsbane,common moonwort,martagon lily,greater butterfly orchid,perennial cornflowerandwig knapweed.

Bog-bean,grass of Parnassus'western marsh orchidandlousewortare found in thewet meadowsand low marshes; and the extremely rarelarge brown clover,hairy stonecropandPyrenean scurvygrassin the springwater marshes of theHohe Rhön.

Black stork

Wildlife

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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 asroe deer,fox,badger,hareandwild boar,there are also smaller mammals such as thedormouse,commonwater shrewandMiller's water shrew.One unusual regional species is thealpine shrew.Birds occurring here include theblack grouse,thecapercaillie,theblack stork,theeagle owl,thecorncrake,thered-backed shrikeand thewryneck.There are also two speciesendemicto the Rhön: therove beetleand a local snail, theRhönquellschnecke(Bythinella compressa).

Rhön umbrella brand

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TheDachmarke Rhönproject (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

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These mountains are a popular tourist destination.Hikerscome for the nearly 6,000 km (3,700 mi) of trails, andglidingenthusiasts have been drawn to the area since the early 20th century. More recently, farm holidays have been flourishing in the region.

Attractions

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Villages and towns in the Rhön

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View ofGersfeldfrom the Rhön

Towns in the vicinity of the Rhön

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Towns and larger villages close to the Rhön are:

Walks and hiking trails

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Frozen waterfall

There are well-marked walks and hiking trails in the Rhön which are looked after by theRhön Club.TheRhön-Höhen-Weg( "Rhön Heights Walk" or RHW) is marked with a horizontal, red teardrop. It is 137 km (85 mi) long and runs fromBurgsinninMain-Spessartdistrict through Roßbach, Dreistelz, Würzburger Haus on the Farnsberg, Kissinger Hütte on the Feuerberg, Kreuzberg (monastery), Oberweißenbrunn, through theRedandBlack Moors,over the Ellenbogen and the Emberg via Oberalba, past Baier toStadtlengsfeldand on to its destination atBad Salzungenon theWerraRiver.

Other hiking trails are:

In addition the following pass through the Rhön:

  • TheMain-Werra Weg( "Main-Werra Way" ) fromGemündenover the Kreuzberg and Wasserkuppe toVacha,signed with a red arrowhead 176 km (109.4 mi)
  • TheRhön-Rennsteig-Weg( "Rhön-Rennsteig Way" ) from theWasserkuppeover the Geba toOberhof89 km (55.3 mi), marked with a blue "RR" on a white background
  • European long-distance trail No. 3 via Fulda toMellrichstadt,signed with a blue cross
  • European long-distance trail No. 6 viaHünfeld,GersfeldtoBad Königshofen,signed with a white cross on a blue background

See also

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References

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  1. ^Various authors:Geographische Landesaufnahme:The Natural Region Units in Individual 1:200,000 map sheets.Bundesanstalt für Landeskunde, Bad Godesberg 1952–1994. →Online-Karten
    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.)
  2. ^exact official name not known
  3. ^abLandschaftssteckbriefe desBfN(vgl. AbschnittNaturräumliche Gliederung)
  4. ^In the name of the major landscape unit, the"Anterior and Kuppen Rhön (with the Landrücken)"the Anterior Rhön is used in another sense, seeAnterior Rhön#Other uses of the term!
  5. ^"Church Community is a Gift of the Holy Spirit - The Spirituality of the Bruderhof | Anabaptism | Religion & Spirituality".Scribd.Retrieved2017-09-27.
  6. ^Uwe Barth:Naturschätze der Rhön: Borstgrasrasen.[permanent dead link‍]LIFE-Projekt Rhön der EU (Hrsg.), Kaltensundheim, 1997.

Sources

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